- 6
Thursday, September 20, 1973
Urging the more wide-spread introduction of joint consultation
procedures in Hong Kong industry, Mr. Price said that all too often management
was apt to shy away from joint consultation as a "new concept." But, he
stressed, it was a tried and proven method of communication, accepted
throughout the world by industrial relations experts as an essential
element of good personnel management in any business which employed more
than a handful of people.
He said management would get out of joint consultation only what
it put into it. A committee set up merely for appearances, and chaired
by a management representative who had neither tact, patience nor understanding,
would soon die a natural death.
More Goodwill
"Management must really believe in joint consultation, and believe
that by talking to its employees it is likely to attain far more goodwill than
by ignoring them until real trouble evolves," he said.
"anagement must also believe that it is to its advantage to provide
workers with advance information of changes and new methods of operation. It
must encourage, and be prepared to listen to, comments and suggestions put
forward by employees' representatives, " he said.
"Management should also understand that
-
particularly in the context of
Hong Kong, where there are few strong trade unions → - it is in the very unusual
position of being able to teach employees' representatives how to put forward
their case.
And, if it so chooses, management can inspire in the workers'
representatives' confidence in their own ability to contribute to the
operation of the undertaking.
Management
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