Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Employee relationsTrade unionsOpinion

Partnering with unions needs commercial edge

by Personnel Today 22 Mar 2005
by Personnel Today 22 Mar 2005

Forging strong employer-trade union partnerships is as vital to successful employee relations in 2005 as it was three decades ago.

During a recent round table discussion with a number of colleagues in the HR profession and chief executives from many market sectors, I was interested to note that a number expressed the opinion that trade unions had “had their day”. They believed that trade unions no longer had a role in the commercial world.

As one with a little grey hair and some direct involvement with employee relations across a number of US, UK and European multi-national organisations, I reflected on the highs and lows of employer-trade union relations. During the 1970s and early 1980s employers with unionised plants and establishments always wondered on a Monday morning what awaited them: a new dispute, group grievance, wage demand, problems with differentials, a “wildcat strike” or work to rule? At the same time employers faced the mundane business issues: profit and loss results, revenue generation, sales and marketing and production targets to meet, for example.

During those heady days, HR’s time was predominantly spent in back-to-back meetings with trade unions and employee representatives, resolving disputes or fire-fighting. HR professionals would also spend about 40% of their time on line-management issues. These caused severe problems when trying to run businesses effectively.

Now the emphasis has moved on to partnership which, if used effectively, can result in “win-win” ventures for employers, trade unions and employees alike.

As the shape of the commercial world changes with offshoring, outsourcing, business consolidations, mergers and acquisitions and right-sizing, there remains a need for strong and effective trade unions, albeit in a re-invented format.

Trade unions need to look at the business issues of today and to consider meaningful partnerships with employers. They can forge pacts of co-operation that benefit both employees and employers. Unions could, for instance, work with business to improve workplace skills by lobbying, developing programmes and redirecting employee skills. Or by using their valuable Europe-wide links, they could join employers in initiatives to attract skilled employees – such as those with multi-disciplined engineering skills – from abroad.

Unions could play a key role in mergers and acquisitions, when there is an emphasis on rapid integration. In such cases effective communication strategies are vital, and could be jointly developed.

The offshoring phenomenon will most certainly increase and again, unions could help to develop effective models and meaningful, robust and broad employee relations practices and procedures.

So there is still a significant place for “real” employer-trade union partnerships.

By Stephen Hall, managing director, Stephen M Hall & Associates


Avatar
Personnel Today

previous post
BBC to cut a further 2,000 jobs
next post
The business case for supporting working parents

You may also like

Postal workers and doctors threaten strikes over pay

28 Jun 2022

Heathrow-based cabin crew set for 18% pay rise

28 Jun 2022

British Airways employees at Heathrow vote for walkouts

24 Jun 2022

Government to repeal agency workers ban during strikes

23 Jun 2022

Inflation in May 2022 at 40-year high, as...

22 Jun 2022

Rail strike: PM calls for pay compromise to...

21 Jun 2022

‘General strike’ threat looms as unions voice pay...

20 Jun 2022

The heat is on and so is some...

17 Jun 2022

Rail strike: Shapps hints again at repeal of...

17 Jun 2022

Workforce wellbeing and job design: Stephen Bevan talks...

17 Jun 2022
  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...Read more
  • Strathclyde Business School expands its Degree Apprenticeship offer in England PROMOTED | The University of Strathclyde is expanding its programmes...Read more
  • The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls PROMOTED | The Great Resignation continues unabated...Read more
  • Navigating the widening “Skills Confidence Gap” in 2022, and beyond PROMOTED | Cornerstone OnDemand conducted a global study...Read more
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+