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, 15th July 2025
Agenda: See full programme below
This training programme will help delegates work and communicate in a confident and collaborative manner with their trade union colleagues. Understand how to optimise union relations in the current uncertain climate and how to effectively resolve internal and external disputes.
By the end of the training you will:
- Be more confident in dealing with the Unions on a day-to-day basis
- Understand how to work collaboratively with Union reps
- Strengthen their communications with Union reps and the workforce as a whole
- Gain insight into the rise of the Unions: their strengths and weaknesses
- Know what drives and motivates the Unions and how to devise effective strategies
- Understand the difference between engagement, consultation and negotiation
- Understand the ins and outs of collective bargaining
- Prepare more effectively for negotiations
- Reduce the risk of industrial action
- Improve employee confidence and trust in your organisation
- Manage day-to-day issues more quickly and efficiently
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
Who Should Attend?
- Employers and managers looking to improve their union relations
- HR and IR professionals seeking to enhance their union relationship and negotiation preparedness
- Anyone involved in union regular contact and dealing with their trade union reps
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."
"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."
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.
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
Elizabeth Smith
Director of Research , Business Forums International Ltd. (BFI)
Elizabeth is director of research and a founding co-director at Business Forums International. She is responsible for all programme content and writing, and researches current areas of interest for senior HR professionals in large organisations. BFI is the UK’s leading HR risk specialist conference and training provider, delivering key and timely information to over 3,000 delegates a year both through public and in-house training courses. Before founding BFI in 1996, Elizabeth specialised in researching corporate financial programmes in Asia and the Middle East, based in Dubai. She also worked in advertising and publishing in the Middle East and London. Elizabeth was educated in the West Indies, Saudi Arabia and Belgium before reading Modern Languages at Durham University. She is currently developing an online training course for line managers to raise awareness of menopause symptoms and ways that employers can work to make their workplaces more inclusive.
Lee Whitehill
Director , Westbrook Strategy
Lee has founded his own consultancy specialising in digital campaigns and training and has delivered crisis communications workshops for the UK trade body for theme parks and visitor attractions and Effective Political Communications training for members of the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA).
Brian Boyd
Head of Employee Relations (Engineering and Rail) , NG Baily Ltd
An employment relations professional with wide ranging experience across a number of sectors UK wide. They include: Engineering Construction, Energy, Civil Aviation, Electrical Contracting, Offshore Oil and Gas Production and Manufacturing.
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
