N
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1978
THE COMMISSIONER LISTED FOUR ELEMENTS WHICH HE SAID WERE COMMON AND UNIVERSAL IN THE FIELD OF LABOUR RELATIONS INFORMATION, COURTESY, SENSITIVITY AND COMMUNICATION.
HE SAID THE PROCESS OF INFORMING. EMPLOYEES OF THEIR ENTITLEMENTS PRESENTED A LABOUR ADMINISTRATION WITH IMMENSE PROBLEMS WHEN THE CLIENT WAS THE WHOLE WORKFORCE. IT WAS NECESSARY TO TRY AND CONVEY IN COMPARATIVELY SIMPLE FASHION WHAT WAS OFTEN QUITE COMPLEX LEGISLATION.
ON THE QUESTION OF COURTESY, MR. HENDERSON SAID: +1 HAVE LOST COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF DISPUTES -- MANY MINOR BUT SOME EVEN MAJOR WHICH WERE STARTED BY OR WERE AGGRAVATED BY ACTS OF DISCOURTESY. THESE RANGE FROM THE SWEARING FOREMAN TO THE DELIBERATE AND CALCULATED AFFRONT.+
HE DESCRIBED SENSITIVITY AS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF LABOUR RELATIONS. +1 CONTINUE TO BE SURPRISED AT THE DISPUTES THAT ARE SET OFF BY QUITE ELEMENTARY MISTAKES OF INSENSITIVITY. TO TAKE A SIMPLE EXAMPLE THE TAKING ON OF NEW LABOUR AND PAYING THEM MORE THAN THE EXISTING WORKFORCE ON THE SAME JOBS. THIS IS A SURE RECIPE FOR DISASTER, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE OUTRAGE OF THE WORKERS' FEELINGS AT THE NATURAL INJUSTICE OF IT. +
IN THE FIELD OF COMMUNICATION, MR. HENDERSON SAID THAT LINGUISTIC DIFFERENCES WERE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN MANY AREAS OF THE REGION. DISPUTES WERE NOT INFREQUENTLY CAUSED BY MISTRANSLATIONS AND MISINTERPRETATIONS, PARTICULARLY WHERE THE CONCEPTUAL BASES FOR THE LANGUAGES BEING USED WERE DIFFERENT.
HE SUGGESTED THAT MORE ATTENTION NEEDED TO BE PAID TO THIS PROBLEM BY MANAGEMENTS, AND MORE RESOURCES DEVOTED TO IT IN LARGER CONCERNS WHERE MIXED LANGUAGE GROUPS WERE EMPLOYED OR A LINGUA FRANCA WAS USED.
THE COMMISSIONER CONCLUDED BY EMPHASISING THE NEED FOR THE HEADS OF MAJOR ORGANISATIONS TO TAKE A PRIME INTEREST IN THE PEOPLE-ASPECT OF THEIR BUSINESSES. HE SAID: +IT IS VITAL THAT THE PERSONNEL POLICIES AND THE CLIMATE OF GOOD LABOUR RELATIONS SHOULD STEM FROM A HIGH LEVEL, AND CONVERSELY THE FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE ON THE SHOP FLOOR SHOULD BE MADE KNOWN TO THE VERY TOP.+
/3
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.