Economic growth in Asia over the past half century has led to significant changes in societies, business organization and the nature of work. This has been accompanied by the rise in some countries of trade unions and also of employers’ associations. This book explores the nature of employers’ associations in the major countries of Asia. It considers how employers’ associations have developed in recent decades, how changes in market structures and the profile of economies have affected employers’ associations, how employers’ associations deal with issues to do with pay and employment conditions, and how they interact with regulation and the state. The book shows how the differing political and institutional contexts of different countries, and different economic conditions, greatly affect the nature of employers’ associations and also the wider context of labour markets and trade unions.

There has been enormous economic development in the Asia-Pacific region since 1945. Employment relations policies have changed rapidly in both the older industrialised market economies and in the newly industrialising economies. It is particularly interesting to compare the various recovery strategies of different countries following the economic turmoil of the late 1990s. The Japanese appeared to continue their pattern of life-time employment. In Australia and New Zealand there have been attempts to discontinue the award-wage system to foster international competitiveness. In South Korea, companies have demanded more flexibility to make it easier to dismiss workers. There has also been much change in other countries, for example, moves towards deregulation in China, Indonesia and Taiwan.This book considers human resource initiatives in the workplace and industrial relations reform from the perspectives of employers, managers, unions and academics, in particular in Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Taiwan, and in the Asia-Pacific region generally.Employment Relations in the Asia-Pacific is essential reading for practitioners and students of industrial relations and human resource management at graduate and undergraduate levels, and for specialists in international business and economics, trade unions, employer associations and government.

Economic growth in Asia over the past half century has led to significant changes in societies, business organization and the nature of work. This has been accompanied by the rise in some countries of trade unions and also of employers’ associations. This book explores the nature of employers’ associations in the major countries of Asia. It considers how employers’ associations have developed in recent decades, how changes in market structures and the profile of economies have affected employers’ associations, how employers’ associations deal with issues to do with pay and employment conditions, and how they interact with regulation and the state. The book shows how the differing political and institutional contexts of different countries, and different economic conditions, greatly affect the nature of employers’ associations and also the wider context of labour markets and trade unions.

Reviews trends in labour relations in 6 countries in the Asia Pacific in the 1990s. Discusses challenges facing trade unions in the near future.

Conference paper prepared for an ILO Meeting to examine the structure, role and activities of national level employers organizations in Asian countries - includes historical background, legal status, financing and administrative aspects, and covers industrial research, management development, labour relations and employment policy making. References. Conference held in Tokyo 1970 December 1 to 10.

Recent developments in the world economy, including deindustrialisation and the digital revolution, have led to an increasingly individualistic relationship between workers and employers, which in turn has weakened labour movements and worker representation. However, this process is not universal, including in some countries of Asia, where trade unions are closely aligned with the interests of the dominant political party and the state. This book considers the many challenges facing trade unions and worker representation in a wide range of Asian countries. For each country, full background is given on how trade unions and other forms of worker representation have arisen. Key questions then considered include the challenges facing trade unions and worker representation in each country, the extent to which these are a result of global or local developments and the actions being taken by trade unions and worker representative bodies to cope with the challenges. This book is dedicated to the memory of Professor Keith Thurley, London School of Economics.

"The single most important key driver for being a Best Employer is the culture we as leaders create in our companies. As such, this book gives an excellent inside view on how an environment of Best Employment is created. It shows the importance of the right leadership culture to create short and long term business results. I recommend this book to anyone who is committed to 'realising business strategies through people'." - Erik H.M. Geilenkirchen, Senior Vice President, Human Resources Asia-Pacific, Philips Electronics "A "must read" book for today's CEO's which brings together a wealth of pragmatism and deep insight into creating and nurturing organization excellence. Rather than mimicking "best practices" the authors help us understand what underpins excellence in different organizations to be able to apply distilled wisdom in our own unique circumstances." - Satish Pradhan, Executive Vice President Group HR, Tata Sons Ltd "Leaders of companies whether big or small need extraordinary performances by their employees. Mick Bennett and Andrew Bell of Hewitt Associates have provided a pinpoint strategic blueprint for corporate chieftains to make people their valuable assets. It's a must read for business leaders of today and tomorrow." - Jennie Chua, Chairman and CEO, Raffles International Ltd "A must-read book for every HR manager: a book you cannot afford to ignore. This landmark book is full of ideas with proven strategies and tools to enable you to learn from the best employers in Asia. This book describes approaches that are applicable in any company and in any country to help you become one of the best." - Siriyupa Roongrerngsuke, Assistant Director-Curriculum Development Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Chulalongkorn University "A must read for anyone involved in developing lasting organizations .... the authors of this book have provided our organization with deep insights about the essential role consistent purpose, values and culture plays in delivering great performance and delivery of service to customers. Many have tried to capture this link before, but this book provides a practical and proven approach to helping leaders engage their people." - Sam Mostyn, Group Executive, Culture & Reputation Insurance Australia Group Limited "This book gathers together the several issues that a CEO should know if he wants his organization to deliver superior business results. It provides a practical, birds eye view of both the usual leadership and organizational development principles, enhanced somewhat by the authors work with actual company data." - Shirley Chen, Assistant Managing Director (Corporate Service), Singapore Economic Development Board