Every year in May we celebrate and pay homage to our workers. Worker’s Day is a significant holiday as it reminds us of the great lengths that many had to go to, to ensure equality for workers and, of course, Labour Unions were involved, which is why in some parts of the world it is also known as Labour Day.
Employer/employee relations has always been something that businesses need to take very seriously as, whatever the business and regardless of whether their employees are blue or white-collar workers, productivity and the success of the business rests very much in having happy employees, committed to the growth of the company.
The best way to do this is to engage with Labour and Industrial relations experts who manage conflict in the workplace primarily by instituting ways to avoid it! One of these is by setting up Workplace Forums.
So what exactly is this?
We have written quite extensively about Collective Bargaining, but Workplace Forums differ in that they deal with matters which are better suited to resolution through consultation than through collective bargaining.
Workplace forums are committees of employees elected by the employees themselves in a workplace. They meet with their employers on a regular basis for consultation on various workplace issues.
These can also include issues that are not about wages but possibly the restructuring of production and the introduction of new technologies – just as examples. So what then are the benefits of Workplace Forums to manage conflict - and why are they established?...
- All members benefit – Workplace Forums are established to promote the interests of all employees in the workplace, not only the trade union members. This is important as not all workers want to be unionised but still have rights.
- Variable issues – As aforementioned, they are established to consult with employees on various matters – not necessarily just wage issues.
- Inclusivity – Workplace Forums include all employees in joint decision-making on various matters.
- Enhanced efficiency – Generally speaking when employees have this kind of voice in the workplace it can greatly enhance productivity!
Consult the experts
At Platinum Business Solutions we understand the importance of conflict resolution in your workplace and why it should never be taken lightly. Managing conflict well can help find creative solutions to internal relationship issues, and can help to prevent environments that breed negativity, stress, demotivation and general employee unrest.
We offer valuable and beneficial ways to manage employee relations and secure excellent human resources. We have sound knowledge and understanding of all the labour laws, the impact it has on labour relations and strategic and practical ways of dealing with conflict management in the workplace.
Contact us today to discover that whether it is via gaining the benefits of the workplace forums to manage conflict, or via the many other ways we manage and resolve conflict, you can rest assured that our services will give you the peace of mind and enhanced productivity that every employer should enjoy.