Strategic employment relations
THE CHALLENGE
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A recently appointed HR Director had inherited a history of difficult pay negotiations with the trade union.
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The leadership team required support to develop a joint plan that would deliver consistent improvement in employment relations over the long-term.​
THE APPROACH - realigning trust
We held a series of interviews with the Executive, leadership team, managers and senior union representatives.
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A number of key issues were identified, including:
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a deterioration in relationships and lack of trust had led to the difficult set of pay negotiations
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there was very little dialogue between managers and union representatives to solve operational problems or for representatives to understand strategic direction or challenges
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meetings between senior leaders and senior union representatives had little strategic agenda and minor issues escalated to the top of the organisation
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behaviours in meetings were unhelpful and both frequency and attendance were erratic
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most interviewees had lost faith in their ability to work together for the benefit of employees and the organisation
We facilitated a series of structured joint sessions with senior leaders and senior union officials to enable parties to see the issues from each other’s perspectives.
Both parties listened to each other’s views on the current ER climate, shared what they were prepared to do differently, and what they would like the other party to do differently.
Both parties agreed to develop a new joint ER strategy as a first step - along with some tangible “quick wins”.
How we helped a newly appointed HR Director to rebuild trust with their unions, improving the organisation's employment relations long-term.
THE OUTCOME
A new ER strategy was jointly designed. This strategy signalled the intent of both parties to build a robust ER climate that could withstand disagreement.
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A three-year plan was agreed, identifying key areas to bring the strategy to life. Each area was worked on jointly, with a set timescale and signed off by both parties.
New structures were implemented across the business with clear terms of reference and attendees. These included a new strategic forum and new operational forums.
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A capability building programme was jointly designed and delivered by both parties. This included training a team of conflict facilitators who can intervene when requested.
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An annual audit of the employment relations climate was designed. This focused on the demonstration of defined behaviours.​
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Pay negotiations have since been conducted swiftly
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Change has been effectively managed with no disruption to the business
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The annual audit of ER climate has shown year-on-year improvement in the perceptions of both parties of each other
