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KILLING COLLECTIVE ACTION; AVOIDING UNIONISATION AT THE WORKPLACE
Of all the conflicts found within organizations, those involving unions and management have received the most attention. Labour unions have been known to be the primary means by which employees advance and agitate for their collective interests.
Unions are generally referred to as organisations that typically negotiate good work conditions with corporations, businesses and other organisations. Unionisation connotes negativity, the mere mention of the word sends shivers down the spine of business owners, and union leaders are one of the most feared and the most detested set of individuals within the organisations.
Stories abound of how union activities have debilitated thriving organisations and caused their demise. It is therefore not surprising that many organisations naturally oppose any semblance of unionization in their organisations. This is unfortunate, as the management of those organisations has not effectively learnt how to deal with unions without creating controversy and chaos.
Learning about union avoidance techniques will help circumvent all the drama that usually arises due to unionisations.
Below I present my tips for union avoidance as a way to eschew unnecessary conflict.
Treat Employees Well
This is the easiest way to avoid unionization. An organisation and its managers must be proactive in their approach to employee relations. Employees are always looking for attention, and recognition and expect their grievances to be heard. Employers must be prepared to share their opinions, open their doors to employees and consult them in the decision-making process. Management teams must be well-vested in employee engagement strategies and actively work at dealing with employees’ demands.
Employers need to build a work environment where employees feel safe and secure. Employers must also be seen to be fair in their relationships. An employer must conduct extensive research that will improve decision-making and unbiased response to employee concerns. Research provides insights into how employees feel about organizational policies, allowing for a quick response to their concerns.
Communicate, Communicate
A workplace must be set up to have a good interactive, communicative system where employees are given a voice in decisions that affect them. Unpopular decisions that negatively affect employees must be properly explained to them. A proper discussion must be had with employees and an effort made to explain decisions that are unpopular and why it is important for those courses of action. Communicate effectively with your employees and work at strengthening ties between management and employees by maintaining a healthy work environment.
Have An Effective Grievance Procedure
Employees must be trained and a clear grievance procedure must be established. Management must make sure that employees know how to file complaints, how to seek redress and how they can raise concerns. Where employees feel that their concerns are heard, they are less likely to turn to a union as their voice to management.
Flexibility with Policies
Employers must be ready to review company policies to reflect employees’ demands. This must be done proactively before any effort to unionize. It is prudent to seek employees’ opinions when policies are being reviewed. Any effort to modify policies must be properly discussed and employee participation encouraged.
Essentially union avoidance techniques and practices must revolve around employees and their demands.
The objective is to adopt strategies that avoid distortion, anything that will trigger disputes must be seriously looked at and remedied.
An elaborate plan to train managers to understand and treasure their employees is the acceptable approach.
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By Michael Kuma Avuglah