Industrial relations skills reemerge amid modern challenges like Brexit and recent strikes at Tata.
It all seems like a bit of a minefield – could we actually be seeing a resurgence in union activity?
Might the mass redundancies we regularly see in retail prompt a surge in union membership?
In this article, we speak to career interim Bill Gregory who just happens to be a HR specialist and an industrial relations expert:
One of the best uses of an interim is to carry out a time-bound task, that calls for a specific skill and expertise that the in-house team either doesn’t have or doesn’t have the time to use. Why keep a specialist on the payroll if they are only used infrequently? Not to mention, what kind of professional would work under those circumstances?
One such area these days is employee and industrial relations – this can take many forms:
• Varying terms and conditions to reflect new customer demands
• Requests for union recognition
• Pay deals
• Complex restructures involving demanding consultations
These tough areas present challenges:
1. Expertise. No doubt an incumbent HR director would take on these tasks. Sometimes, however, things can come out of the blue, or there is something at a local level that needs more of an additional resource – a heavy hitter with specific experience and expertise to come on board.
2. Time. Dealing with these issues requires immense planning and a carefully managed implementation.
There is also a significant amount of engagement that is needed with key stakeholders in the business – it is vitally important to have regular informal meetings with employment lawyers and trade union officials in order to be familiar with the environment and the law. A large part of the role is spent reading the legal case reports every week and interpreting what the impacts will be.
3. Long term. Often these exercises can be tense and having someone to manage it in the short-term, means that the long-term relationship between the employer and staff, their union etc., is protected. That’s not cowardice on the employer’s behalf – that’s good sense.
4. Project management. Having one person project managing the exercise means a single, competent point of contact for the busy HRD. For example, industrial action can cause loss of output and have a major impact on reputation. A skilled practitioner will work with the client’s communication team to contain these effects, as well as to train managers what to expect and how to cope.
A good interim will aim to leave behind the result the client wants and to share knowledge and expertise with the in-house team. Good interims do not protect their knowledge in the way that management consultants might do, especially when using proprietary systems.
Bill points out that while some traditional areas of union membership have ceased to exist, where they are in place, actual density of membership is as high as ever (rail, transport etc) and that there is an increasing tendency for those in the professions (junior doctors being a good example) to take action.
There is little doubt in Bill’s mind that it has set a precedent for other groups.
To discuss further, you can email me on James@refind.co.uk.
You can view more about James Cumming our change and business transformation specialist here.
