Working Effectively With Trade Unions Workshop
Join our workshop to unlock strong, workable trade union relations
Time: 0930 - 1615
Cost: £395 + VAT per attendee
Date: Tuesday, 25th February 2025
Do you or your team need to master the art of union negotiations and enhance your workplace relations? Our expert-led workshop is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the evolving landscape of union relations effectively.
Why Attend?
- Expert Guidance: Learn from trainers with real-world, front-line experience in union negotiations
- Comprehensive Coverage: Gain insights into strategy, case studies, preparation, and delivery
- Practical Focus: Engage in hands-on activities that prepare you for real-life scenarios
- Crisis preparedness: Minimising fallout if things go wrong
- Confidential Environment: Benefit from open discussions under the Chatham House Rule
What You'll Learn:
- Effective Engagement: Strategies to engage effectively with Trade Unions
- Union Relations Management: Tools to handle day-to-day grievances and manage union relationships
- Negotiation Success: Techniques to prepare for and succeed in tough negotiations
Who Should Attend?
- Employers and managers looking to improve their union relations
- HR professionals seeking to enhance their negotiation skills
- Anyone involved in union negotiations and grievance handling
Delegate testimonials
"The case studies and hands-on activities were incredibly valuable. I feel much more confident in handling union negotiations now."
"A must-attend for anyone dealing with unions. The insights and techniques shared are game-changers."
Who will the trainers be?
Our expert union relationship training panel boasts decades of experience, having worked extensively with unions and on management teams. This unique perspective and hands-on experience ensure that you will gain a thorough understanding of the processes and practicalities involved in improving union relations.
Their extensive experience is crucial because it provides a deep insight into both sides of the negotiation table, fostering more effective and harmonious interactions. Having worked with many household names, their high-profile negotiations and experiences bring invaluable lessons and strategies to the table, making them an unparalleled resource for optimising your union relations.
"I couldn't believe how useful the conflict resolution strategies were. The session gave me the tools to handle disputes in a calm and constructive way, and it's already making a big difference in our union relations."
"This workshop provided me with practical tools and strategies that I could immediately apply in my role. The trainers' real-world experience made all the difference."
Platform: Zoom - An encrypted zoom platform with password access. Click here for further information and to test access
Which functions will benefit from attending
- Directors, Senior Managers, HR and Recruitment professionals, Employee and Industrial Relations, Employment Policy, Legal, Trade Union Representatives, Employment Law, Operations, Conciliation and Arbitration, Directors and Managers with industrial and employee relations responsibilities
Schedule
Welcome, introduction and house-keeping
Creating and maintaining workable union relationships
- Principles and practice: the essentials
- The context and history of how unions have evolved and what their role is today
- Current national challenges and policies under the Labour Government
- Post-covid landscape and other factors: what should employers be planning for?
The anatomy of a union: essential elements you need to know about
- What does it mean if someone is a member of a TU?
- What steps are unions taking to encourage engagement?
- Trade union structure
- What does it mean if an employer recognises a TU?
- Understanding and defining the role of the union representative
- The current trade union landscape
- A background of challenges for TUs over the past 25 years
- TU membership levels
- Who are the key players?
- What are the current hot topics?
- Why and how to unions target particular employers?
- What defence strategies are there?
Comfort break
Effectively engaging and communicating with trade unions: the roles of employer and employees
- Accompanying employees
- Information and consultation
- Approaches to consultation
- Why inform and consult?
- Information, consultation and negotiation
- Collective bargaining
- Leverage
- A model of collective bargaining
- Types of collective bargaining
- Suggested process
Lunch
The importance of communication: who says what, when, where and how?
- Understanding the elements and dynamics of a good communication policy
- Crisis preparedness and management: Where and how can it unravel?
- Essential elements and actions of an effective crisis management policy
- What are TUs good at communicating about?
- What are TUs not so good at?
- Ways in which employers can retain credibility and goodwill
Understanding and Preparing for Negotiations
- Identifying and maintaining core business objectives
- Understanding negotiation: key elements of practice and psychology
- Preparing for negotiations: ten essential questions to ensure success
- What can employees contribute?
- Top tips
- Roles in negotiations
- Breaking a deadlock
- Avoiding delaying tactics
- Stalling for time
- BATNA
- What if it all goes wrong? Alternative strategies to try
Comfort break
Day-to-day issues that can affect a good working relationship
This interactive session will present scenarios and situations for delegates to use the skills they have learned today to tackle likely challenges. With input and feedback from our expert trainers, attendees will grasp the tools and gain the confidence needed to build and maintain effective union relationships across all sectors.
- Handling disciplinary cases
- Handling grievances
- Dealing with the minutiae
- Developing a joint problem-solving culture
- Effective strategies for dealing with challenging behaviours
Closing Q&A
A chance to bring specific issues for our experts to address. You are encouraged to share and debate the particular challenges you’re facing and benefit from the expertise and input of our seasoned trainers.
End of workshop
Contact us to book or discuss our events & services
01983 861133
info@bfi.co.uk
Informative & interesting. Affirmation too of the good things we are already doing
Good practical focus rather than just looking at legal aspects
A really useful day with lots of constructive ideas
All speakers were well-informed on topic. It made the course interesting and interactive
Excellent speakers – focussed, entertaining, knowledgeable
