Working WITH trades unions (1)…
Thirteen trades unions were formally recognised at Rosyth Royal Dockyard so negotiations could be complex. When tensions among unions led to a negotiated pay deal being rejected at a ballot, trouble loomed.
Management re-iterating that the best and final deal was not going to shift opinions and could have further entrenched views.
A critical part of the solution was to give the convener of the industrial trades unions a free hand to write a centre-spread comment piece in the employee newspaper. The only restrictions? No more than 800 words and nothing libellous!
The item ran in full and though phrased reasonably diplomatically it made comments that would not have been well-received from management.
A few days after publication the re-ballot on an unchanged offer was overwhelmingly accepted.
Just as important, the bond of trust between the negotiators on both sides was strengthened.
Working WITH trades unions (2)…
Pay negotiations at one of the UK’s largest electricity generating companies had stalled with the trades unions tabling a final and unacceptable demand. A formal vote likely to reject the offer loomed. Plant shutdowns would be massively expensive and the reputational damage with customers and the government would be huge.
With the aim of getting the trades unions back to the negotiating table, the company accepted Ken’s recommendation to break from the traditional negotiating pattern. This involved handing an open letter to all staff setting out the offer and the company’s willingness to negotiate while being clear that the tabled demands went significantly too far. It provoked questions and discussions answered by senior managers at site meetings.
Union members wanted neither to undermine their representatives in a formal vote or to take industrial action. Their response effectively encouraged their senior representatives to reopen the dialogue. This led to a slightly enhanced offer being tabled, recommended and accepted.
communicate > engage > mobilise > transform > improve
