Re-think worker representation in organisations

Peter Sibanda
I enjoy the conversations that I make with employee representatives in many organisations. The common question I normally ask is whether their relationship with the employer is one that is collaborative and integrative, or highly antagonistic and adversarial.
I get a very interesting ‘smell of the workplace’, a common feeling that the workplace is hostile when it comes to relations between management and employee representatives.

Traditionally this was very normal, and at times employees would feel any partnership with management on organisational issues as tantamount to betrayal of their respective constituencies. Walking out of workplace negotiations would be the most effective method of forcing management to accede to employee demands.

Even election into workers committees would symbolically portray some degree of employee opposition of all management actions and inactions, with representatives being elected on grounds other than merit.

This interestingly would transcend the workplace to unions themselves.

Such an orientation towards opposition organisational politics of resource allocation and mobilisation of course has been, and still is pervading the workplace, often becoming an internalised characteristic of many employee reps at work.

This explains why workplace relations are increasingly being replaced by law.

Values acquired through experience are very difficult to change.

But then there is a need for re-orientation of employee representatives particularly on their purpose of existence with regards to improving conditions of service for workers and encouraging employee performance at plant or local levels.

At the same time, employers are left with no excuse to justify their systematic ambush and terrorising of anyone who comes in the name of a worker rep.

By and large, the effectiveness of employee representation depend on the strength of employee relationships with management.

And both parties need to see and act on this.

Legislation just provide minimum conditions.

When structures of employee representation are managed properly, they can make an immense contribution to employee and organisational performance and industrial harmony in general.

Current realities in business demand that if employee representatives are to add value, they simply need to rethink ‘employee representation.’

The performance challenges confronting organisations may require, at a local level, much of some reconsideration of the roles and functions of structures such as workers committees, particularly when it comes to collaborating with management to improve productivity and industrial relations health.

Such a change of frame of reference only makes sense, because it saves jobs, it builds trust, and it channels employee behaviours toward a common goal, saving the business.

Why? Because all workers depend on it, period!

When employee representatives start to ask themselves the following, then they are now in the path to adding value; how does our business make money?

Do we understand how our organisation operates? Its customers? Finances etc.?

This second understanding of the company is very crucial.

If these are well understood, employee reps may advance the interests of their constituencies in a more productive manner. Without knowledge of these things, many times you only lose it.

The other key issues I normally ask are; where do your disputes with the employer normally end?

And does that demonstrate your willingness as representatives of workers to domesticate issues and handle disputes internally for the purposes of promoting harmony and performance in general?

Oh yes, employee representatives are responsible for industrial harmony and productivity of employees in organisations.

I believe all trainings to worker representatives should emphasise that as a common denominator, rather than just focusing on what legal provisions say about their roles and mandate in the workplace.

All company performance and productivity improvement plans depend on how worker representatives mobilise their constituencies.
And this is especially needed now across all industries.

So they are very crucial as a tool for performance improvement in organisations.

They have to play their part and not bury their heads in the sand expecting management to go it alone.

And managers are not exonerated from having to ensure the workplace is a fertile ground for the effective utilisation of structures of employee representation.

They also need to build confidence in employees by supplying adequate and timely information always, so that employee reps appreciate the goings on in the company.

Some degree of resistance may be minimised if everybody is put on the same page.

Instead of management and employee reps being enemies, both parties should collaborate to fight the common enemy, business challenges.