What do labor disputes stem from?
Labor disputes are the common result of poor communication
No employer welcomes any labor disputes. Once they knock on your door, you will have no way but to struggle hard for a resolution. Otherwise, the consequences can be unanticipated, hitting badly your business and the whole operations. Of course, any labor dispute prevention is always better than any cure.
Labor disputes often result from bad communications between employers and employees, which can induce labor walk-out. Good communication comes from good listening, understanding and remembering.
The poor two-way dialogue would end up the two parties failing to reach agreement, and most of the time, about employee desires. Rather, the employers would fail to respond to their human resources as related to higher pays, better benefits, better work conditions, and improved job security. It’s better that you use your heart to feel how your worker demands are and use your mind to address them in win-win ways. That’s what a true manager will do. Let’s dig a little bit more into those 3 reasons.
► For higher pays, do your employees earn enough to cover their cost of living? Do you pay a fair, competitive salary given their skills, education and productivity levels?
► For better benefits, what do your workers pay for health care? How thorough are your benefit offers? What do you feel a fair coverage price is?
► For improved job security, do your workers seize that you will just be dismissed for justified cause? Does your laborforce handbook define your job termination policies?
Overall, before addressing your employee requests in a persuasive and navigating fashion, do some homework about how well you take care of your workers and why they make complaints. That so doing would do good to the employee participation and your business in a long run. If you solve such problems as labor disputes, solve it as thoroughly.
Tips to avoid labor disputes
Exactly as labor disputes are, so commonly, deep rooted and personal, you should attentively listen to your labor voice and understand effectively. Your workers desire to believe that their voice is heard, and that they trust their bosses, and they will be fairly treated.
Following are 5 useful tips that refine your communication skills and avoid the storm named labor disputes:
1. Make complementing verbal and non-verbal messages.
What your mouth says should be harmonized with what your body does!
Like a celebrity, your employees care about just about every of your moves and acts. Then take care of them.
You non-verbal communication is listed as your facial expression, manners, or any other forms of body languages. Being proven, when a worker gets the verbal message and non-verbal message at the same time, they often listen to the non-verbal. Then your saying should be harmonized with your act.
2. Equip your workers the tools they need for their jobs.
Give your employees the tools they need to get their jobs done!
If your workers can not finish their jobs due to the lack of appropriate tools or training, whose is really the fault? Ensure the proper equipment is readily available prior to assigning your workers the next tasks.
3. Lead from the background.
If you have a small business, you can be an all-in-one package, managing all work positions’ performance. When your company comes with large labor size, you have better to make proper authority delegation, starting from the background. Give the tools, equipment and instructions your workers need to accomplish their jobs. They step enough away. If there arise issues or problems, you can step back in for help.
4. Have regular meetings with union representatives.
Regular meetings with union representatives will help solve workplace problems while they are still small and easily manageable.
The trade union represents the employees, and they, besides supervisors and leaders, are the one with most understanding and sympathy towards labor demands. Especially if your labor size is substantial, regular meetings with union representatives will help out a lot understanding your employees’ current needs and complaints. If you keep on canceling upon those meetings and avoiding union representatives, for the next time contract negotiations on the table, you may be astonished to learn that you have become the enemy. Meeting your union representatives on a regular basis will help you solve working place issues while they are still not a big deal and easily manageable.
5. Be fair but don’t take the shirt off your back
Make a fair bargaining
There might be times that you will be tempted to agree on all of the union demands to get them off your backs. Just don’t do it. You should know, that each parties demand more than what they are willing to accept is the bargaining nature. Provided that you’re reasonable enough and comply with guidelines and rules of collective bargaining, you don’t need to give away the farm.
Generally, with meticulous planning, outstanding communication skills and proper attitude, you can stay away from miscommunication as well as missteps that can induce labor disputes.
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