What is Fair Representation ?
‘Fair Representation’ refers to the concept of a mediator or a body fulfilling the duties of a mediator, representing both parties fairly whenever there is a feud between the concerned parties.
The concept was born in the 1940s in the USA, when the black workers in the railway construction were discriminated against racially. The US supreme court opinionated that there should be fair representation for the black workers too.
The concept also encompasses the fact that the union representatives need to be fair towards all the concerned employees as well as towards the company. Officially this is referred to as ‘Duty of Fair Representation’