Consider the following points. Share your ideas with a partner or a small group. Be prepared to explain your answers to the class

a) Why ought Bob Hardiman to be saved from redundancy?

b) Does Bob Hardiman qualify for a pension and is he entitled to the full one?

c) What is H.G.’s point of view concerning Bob Hardiman’s pension?

d) What do the articles of the pension fund read?

2. Recount the situation as if you were Bob Hardiman.

3. Suppose you are Peter Wiles. Why are you so upset about Ambrose Harper’s health?

4. Render the situation as if you were Ian Hampden.

5. Analyse the situation in Harper & Grant Ltd. as if you were a likely competitor willing to take over the company.

6. Act out a conversation which could have taken place in this situation between

a. Peter Wiles and Bob Hardiman;

b. Hector Grant and William Buckhurst;

c. Peter Wiles and John Martin;

d. a TV commentator on social issues and Bob Hardiman;

e. Ambrose Harper, Peter Wiles and Ian Hampden.

Phrase list

Listen to the tape and practise the pronunciation of the following words and word combinations, quote the sentences in which they are used in the unit. Consult a dictionary and translate them into Russian.

to have a closed shop

office staff

clerical union

to pay a subscription

to collect union dues (on the premises)

shop steward

medical schemes

legal aid

to introduce a profit-sharing scheme

to take a cut in wages

to clock in

Trying to cheat the system is a very serious offence.

to dismiss staff / a case of dismissal

the employees’ welfare

straightforward affair

to get one’s pay docked

to punch the card for some time

to affect the issue

to pay overtime (time and a half)

to have smth (a walk-out) on one’s hands

to bring something up

to press a wage claim

PRE-LISTENING

Task 1

Consider the introduction to the unit. Answer the following questions and be ready to give a story line. Use the word combinations in brackets.

1. Do Harper & Grant make it a condition of employment that a worker must belong to a certain trade union? What does that mean?

(to have a closed shop; to be members of one or other of the unions; toolmakers; skilled machiners (machinists); sheet-metal workers; assembly-shop workers; fitters; electricians; office staff; to belong to a clerical union)

2. What does being a member of a trade union mean?

(to pay a subscription; to pay a sum of money regularly to the particular union; to be referred to as union dues; to look after union's affairs; a shop steward; to be elected by the workers on the shop floor)

3. What are the responsibilities of a shop steward?

(to be at the day-to-day level of representation between a company and a union; to represent the workers in a particular shop, or department; to be recognised by the management; to serve as a channel of communication both ways; to be allowed to collect union dues on the premises; to hold meetings in the factory or office block; to do something with the permission of the management)

4. In what way do the trade unions use their funds?

(to obtain the best possible working conditions for the members; to organise medical schemes; insurance and legal aid; to use (part of their) funds; the money collected from the members; to pay a weekly sum of money to the members; to be out on official strike)

5. What is called an official strike?

(to be recognised by the union; strike pay; to be compared with the workers' normal wages; to draw a pay; a “wild cat” strike)

6. Do management and unions always cooperate?

(the relationship between management and unions; to be ambitious; to get personal power; to have a grievance; to make somebody angry or annoyed; to create trouble in the works; to help put pressure on the management; in connection with something; a claim for a general wage increase; to be underpaid; to be reluctant; to increase wages; to be forced to do something; to introduce a profit-sharing scheme; to share directly in the results of harder work or better organization)

7. What difficulties and problems do good employee-management relations present?

(to be prepared to take a cut in wages; to have a bad year; to solve problems; to have good relations with the employees; to be a comparatively small 'family' firm)

8. In what way do the management regulate the going-on activities?

(to clock in; to punch a mark on the worker's time card; to correspond with something; to cheat the system; to be a very serious offence; to consult somebody about something; an operative; to ignore the rules)

9. What does the work of a Personnel Manager entail?

(the chief responsibilities; to employ and dismiss staff; to look after somebody / something; to improve the employees' welfare and conditions of work)

Task 2

Give the English equivalents for the following word combinations: