By Comrade Gbenga Olowoyo fcia fipma JP
Introduction
This paper will delve into the position regarding the roles of union leaders in Trade Union administration and workplace generally.
Labour and management define a new approach to the way employees design, build, and deliver products and services, and, ultimately, the way employees do their jobs. These changes are made to achieve mutually-defined goals, such as business growth, good and secured jobs, improved living standards for employees, and to benefit all stakeholders.
Once the employees decide to create a full-partnership, union leaders are expected to play critical roles in the success of the new work system. In this paper , the term union leaders refers to individuals who are assigned, designated or elected to a position of responsibility in carrying out activities on behalf of the union membership, whether employed by the represented Trade Union or elected; Union leaders include full-time union representatives, officers, Local /Branch /unit executives, board members, stewards, committee members, or anyone coordinating or delivering a specific service to the membership on behalf of the union.
First and foremost, leadership is not about title holding but discharging responsibilities with focus, commitment, fear of God and goals attainment for the benefit of humanity and members
Duties and responsibilities of union leaders include advising, assisting, motivating, counseling and providing compelling reasons for union member participation in implementing and maintaining a full leadership roles.
Both incumbents and new union leaders must understand the key components of leadership.
In developing strong Labour Leadership Partnership in workplace , the environment must be well studied ; the goals and objectives of the union and the employer must be defined carefully: traditional roles and responsibilities will continue, while detailing and embracing the new duties required .
“In a traditional workplace, where labour-management relations is centered on conflict, Labour leaders, from the steward to the full-time representative, see their roles as responding to unilateral actions by management.
Management traditionally sees its role as defining the problems of the workplace, developing solutions to those problems, and then implementing those solutions. These solutions may circumvent or ignore the collective bargaining agreement and disregard the valuable insight, input, or judgement of employees. Inevitably, a conflict emerges. In many cases, upholding traditional adversarial roles has sapped the ingenuity and creative drive of employees, thereby putting their workplaces at risk. In today”s highly competitive global economy, many workplaces that have continued this adversarial relationship have not survived”
Recognizing the need for change in the workplace, many Labour leaders have attempted to develop a more cooperative relationship with management, but without a clear vision of what their new roles should be, or how they fulfill their responsibilities to the membership. When Labour leaders neglect their responsibilities as advocates for the membership, they often lose their union position and workplace transformation efforts frequently .
The question then becomes how do union leaders take on new roles, successfully lead change efforts, and ensure the long-term survival of their workplaces.
Roles of Union Leaders
In a very clear language , roles that Continue in an organization require that union leaders meet the challenges of both representation and partnership.
Union leaders continue to uphold the terms of the Collective Agreement, the Constitution of the Union and any adopted Bylaws.
Below are examples of roles and responsibilities which will continue in an organization:
Fulfill the duty of fair representation.
Promote union objectives, values and goals.
Explain legislative and political action programmes.
Organize new members, both internally and externally.
Keep members informed about union policies, activities, and proposals.
Detect and stop rumours by communicating quickly and factually with members.
Keep members informed about employer proposals and policies.
Work to prevent discrimination from becoming a part of the workplace or its practices.
Use several ways to communicate with members, such as face-to-face, surveys, meetings, newsletter, etc.
Urge attendance and participation at union meetings.
Investigate and process grievances.
Promote workplace Health and Safety.
Ensure consistent and uniform application of the collective bargaining agreement.
Listen as well as communicate to respond to members concerns.
Review management decisions regarding conduct at the workplace and the administration of any discipline and/or discharge.
In addition to other duties, union leaders communicate and lead the change process, uphold partnership principles and advance and maintain the elements of shared decision-making.
In addition, union leaders educate employees about organizational and management principles and decisions.
Listed below are some examples of roles and responsibilities that union leaders need to accept and perform in an Partnership with management:
Trade Union leader must be familiar with working environment/ conditions , review and possibly support the process, which includes the Key Components .
Communicate with employees throughout the change process in order to build support for the new work system.
Design, with management and employees, the new work system, which includes the following:
A joint governing structure appropriate for the partnership.
A joint labour-management operating system where responsibilities are distributed to the appropriate groups so that decisions regarding the vital functions of the workplace are made by those at the appropriate level of production and/or service delivery.
A master responsibilities list which indicates at what level of the new work system decisions will be made and how those decisions will be shared between the groups involved and the fences around those decisions.
A method for tracking the change process and measuring progress and improvements.
An education programme to communicate the above to all employees.
Identify union and business values and look for any conflicts as well as areas where they are consistent with and complement one another.
Participate in the development and communication of the Agreement to Partner.
Participate in the design, delivery, and evaluation of all training and education programs related to the new work system.
Identify and meet the institutional needs of the union and the facility involved in the change process.
Understand and communicate strategies to grow the business, to cost accurately the way work is done, and to improve the work process.
Participate in the drafting and communicating of the joint strategic business plan.
Assist all employees, both salaried and hourly, to accept and understand their part in the new work system, the decision-making process and the fulfillment of their partnership roles.
Partner with management to make joint decisions.
Promote the use of problem solving by employees.
Communicate the long-range aims of the Partnership, the fences around decisions and the effects of decisions.
Help all employees embrace and practice consensus decision-making.
Regularly review the status of work in each production and/or service delivery area and the business conditions of the industry.
Counsel anyone who engages in behavior which is not consistent with the partnership.
Monitor and evaluate the progress of the partnership to be sure that the new work system is being implemented effectively.
Work to resolve workplace problems at the lowest possible level.
Coordinate and communicate workplace activities with the appropriate Labour Representatives.
Promote, monitor, and maintain the independent identity of the union as the Partnership emerges.
The Institutional Role of the Union in an organization
At its core, a union is a democratic, political organization that represents the interests of its members. It is the collective voice of the membership and the only form of worker representation legally recognized.
The independence and authority with which a union speaks for the members is critical to the success of a workplace environment.
Many Labour relations experts, have described the need for employees involvement in workplace change to have a union—a source of power independent of management. According to Dafe Otobo, there can be no real partnership between parties of unequal power, and the only way that workers can have a power equal to management is only when workers are organized collectively.
In the workplace, a union acts as a counter-balancing force to managers who, if left solely to their own devices and judgement calls, look out for the interests of the employer alone and end up subverting the partnership process.
Marshall, another Labour expert points out that even in the best relationships; Labour and management will not agree on everything. A union and a collective bargaining agreement provide protection for employees to challenge decisions made by management.
A collective bargaining agreement also provides mechanisms to resolve disagreements, whether at the unit, state and National levels, regarding how work should be done, or at the negotiating table to determine how the benefits of the Partnership should be shared between Labour and management.
A strong union is critical to the success of management Partnership. A strong and well-respected union , establishes a mutually interdependent relationship with management, thereby creating the basis for a full-partnership High Performance Work Organization. The union is recognized as a valued and trusted partner by management.
The institutional support and protection provided by the union for the Partnership helps employees accept new roles and explore new work methods.
The parties therefore accomplish much more with a union present than could ever be accomplished in a workplace which does not have a strong union.
The union”s independence is a key factor in the success of the new work system. When Labour and management create a full-partnership , they ensure and enhance the visibility and independence of the union. Throughout this process of designing and implementing a new work system, Labour and management need to be sure that the union remains an independent force at the workplace. The union plays a highly visible role in the Partnership and makes sure that the jointly-defined goals are being achieved and that the new work system is on track and moving toward organizational goals fulfilment.
Round up
The relationship between Labour and management is both adversarial and cooperative. In traditional work systems, Labour and management are generally viewed as adversaries. There is an assumption that a fundamental conflict of interest exists between the two which cannot be bridged. This approach creates a labour-relations system and workplace culture primarily based on adversarialism. Many workplaces are still firmly rooted in this culture.
The emergence of the global economy has changed dramatically the world in which we live. Many Labour and management representatives are reviewing traditional work systems and their ability to survive in a highly competitive global marketplace but still maintains the union’s independence.
It is axiomatic to State that , Trade union leaders perform traditional duties as well as accept new expanded roles and responsibilities. When accepting these duties, union leaders drive workplace change efforts and make the partnership successful. Union leaders accept their roles as partners and work together with management to grow the business, increase profit levels, raise productivity, save and create jobs, improve wages and benefits, and reach other jointly-defined goals.
At the same pedestal of operation, union leaders will continue to represent individual and collective employees as required by law and defined by the collective bargaining agreement.
Solidarity forever!!!
Thank you.
An excerpt from a workshop paper presented recently at a National Workshop for Trade Union leaders, held at the TRANSMISSION COMPANY of NIGERIA (Power House) multi purpose conference Hall (TCN) in Abuja
Comrade Gbenga Olowoyo fcia fipma JP is a Trade Unionist and industrial relations practitioner gbengaolowoyo3@gmail.com
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