The pivotal and functional roles of shop stewards as agents and promoters of labour peace and harmony in industrial relations

1. AGENTS OF LABOUR HARMONY:
THE PIVOTAL AND INSTRUMENTAL
ROLES OF SHOP STEWARDS
CHARLES COTTER
PROTEA HOTEL BALALAIKA, SANDTON
9 JULY 2015

2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
• The fundamentals of shop steward practice
• The key roles of shop stewards as agents of
labour harmony:
Conflict Resolver
Relationship-builder
Negotiator

3. THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SHOP
STEWARD PRACTICE
• Shop stewards are the foundation of the Union - it is through them that
the Trade Union is able to exercise democracy and workers’ control.
• Shop stewards are accountable both to the members who elected them
and to their Union as a whole.
• They do not work on your own – they are part of the collective leadership
in the workplace.
• Shop stewards can have substantial influence over the workers.
• The Ideal Shop Steward: A less militant and more insightful shop steward
will be able to represent employee interests effectively without unduly
risking the viability of the business and the job security of the
employees.

5. INTRODUCTORY LEARNING ACTIVITY
• Complete the statement by inserting one (1)
word. The most crucial role of a competent shop
steward is …………………………………..
• Now find other learners with the same word as
you.
• Jot these words down on the flip-chart.
• Each learner will have the opportunity to
elaborate on their chosen word.

6. THE GENERAL ROLES OF A SHOP
STEWARD
• Leader
• Communicator
• Educator
• Organizer
• Monitor
• Learner

7. BAKER’S DOZEN: PARADIGM SHIFT TO
PROMOTE LABOUR HARMONY
• #1: WIN-LOSE WIN-WIN
• #2: COMPETITIVE COLLABORATIVE
• #3: SELFISH SELFLESS
• #4: MAKING CONCESSIONS REACHING CONSENSUS
• #5: COMPLIANCE-DRIVEN COMMITMENT-DRIVEN
• #6: DISTRIBUTIVE/POSITIONAL BARGAINING
INTEGRATIVE/INTERESTS AND PRINCIPLES-BASED
BARGAINING

8. BAKER’S DOZEN: PARADIGM SHIFT TO
PROMOTE LABOUR HARMONY
• #7: ADDERS (SMALL WINS) MULTIPLIERS (SUSTAINABLE
VICTORY)
• #8: SCARCITY MENTALITY ABUNDANCE MENTALITY
• #9: BARNSTORMERS BRAINSTORMERS
• #10: AGGRESSIVE ASSERTIVE
• #11: TOLERANCE TRUST
• #12: ENERGY SYNERGY
• #13: COERCION COHESION

9. COMPETENT SHOP STEWARD – KEY
ROLES
COMPETENT
SHOP
STEWARD
CONFLICT
RESOLVER
NEGOTIATOR
RELATIONSHIP
BUILDER

10. DIAGNOSTIC LEARNING ACTIVITY
• Rate your current degree of labour relations
wellness by means of the 13-point checklist
(scorecard).
• Identify areas of improvement.
• Recommend strategies to improve the current
state of labour relations wellness.

12. FUNCTIONAL AND DYSFUNCTIONAL
CONFLICT
• Functional conflict leads to open discussion, a better
understanding of differences, innovative solutions and
greater commitment.
• Functional conflict contributes to the achievement of
organizational goals and enhances relationship-building.
• Dysfunctional conflict tends be more focused on emotions
than on the goal/task at hand known as affect
conflict/interpersonal conflict, it is destructive when a
solution is not reached, energy is diverted away from the
core problem and morale is negatively affected.
• Dysfunctional conflict is detrimental to relationships within
the team and team performance.

13. CAUSES/SOURCES OF CONFLICT
• Intra-personal
• Interpersonal
• Intra-group
• Inter-group

14. INDICATORS/WARNING SIGNS OF
CONFLICT
• Signs of conflict between individuals
• Signs of conflict between groups of people

15. OPTIMAL LEVELS OF CONFLICT

16. ADVANTAGES OF OPTIMAL LEVELS OF
CONFLICT
• Co-operation from team members
• Improved performance and productivity
• Reduced stress and preserved integrity
• Solve problems as quickly as possible
• Improved relationships and teamwork
• Enhanced creativity
• Increased staff morale

17. SHOP STEWARD AS A CONFLICT
MANAGER
• Key responsibilities include:
Helping to identify the sources of conflict
Identifying the resolution options available
Evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of
each resolution option
Mediator of conflict between employees and
management

18. PARENT-ADULT-CHILD (PAC) MODEL

19. CONFLICT RESOLUTION STYLES
• Shark (Competing)
• Turtle (Avoiding)
• Fox (Compromising)
• Teddy-bear (Accommodating)
• Owl (Collaborating)

20. CONFLICT RESOLUTION STYLES

22. THE 4-STEP CONFLICT RESOLUTION
PROCESS – THERAPEUTIC MODEL
• Step 1: Identify sources of potential and actual conflict
(DIAGNOSIS)
• Step 2: Develop conflict resolution strategies/techniques
(EXAMINATION)
• Step 3: Apply conflict resolution strategies/techniques (REMEDY)
• Step 4: Control and review the effectiveness of the conflict
resolution strategy/technique (FOLLOW-UP)

23. STEP 1: DIAGNOSIS
• Identify the sources/causes of conflict:
Intra-personal
Interpersonal
Intra-group or Inter-group
• The best approach to manage conflict
effectively is to be proactive.

24. STEP 2: EXAMINATION
• Develop conflict resolution strategies/techniques:
 Shark (Competing)
 Turtle (Avoiding)
 Fox (Compromising)
 Teddy-bear (Accommodating)
 Owl (Collaborating)
• There is no one best way to deal with conflict. It is dependent on the
current situation as well as the union members involved in the conflict.
• The golden rule is that shop stewards should take prompt action in
resolving conflict. By failing to act, it may result in the conflict escalating
beyond control and “spreading like a cancer” negatively affecting team
performance and relationships.

25. STEP 3: REMEDY
• Apply conflict resolution strategies/techniques
• The key is to match strategies to situations
• Influential considerations:
Time pressure
Issue importance
Relationship importance
Relative power

26. STEP 4: FOLLOW-UP
• Shop Stewards will need to confirm whether this
technique has adequately resolved the conflict.
• In the event that this dysfunctional conflict
persists, parties may have to resort to alternative
(third party) strategies:
Conciliation
Mediation
Arbitration
Counseling
Organizational development (OD) interventions

27. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT – TIPS AND
TECHNIQUES FOR SHOP STEWARDS

29. RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING SKILLS
• Whether expressing or communicating a view or an opinion, shop
stewards should do this in an open, but respectful manner.
• Shop stewards need to feel comfortable enough to communicate a
variety of issues to their members and the employer and also be
sufficiently transparent and forthright with important information.
• Shop stewards should demonstrate the required sensitivity and
compassion with due regard and respect for union member needs,
emotions and rights, in their daily interpersonal engagement with
union members.
• Shop stewards can utilize Johari’s Window, in order to affect
openness and interpersonal trust.

30. JOHARI’S WINDOW

31. JOHARI’S WINDOW
• Designed to understand the communication process between people and
consists of varying degrees of information held in common between two
people as well as methods that can be used to increase the size of one’s
window.
• Communication will be enhanced if the Arena is increased in size by:
 Exposure of self to others
 Soliciting feedback from others
• Exposure requires an open, candid and trusting approach, while feedback
requires an active solicitation of feelings, opinions and values from
others.
• For these processes to be fully developed, reciprocity is required.

32. COVEY’S EMOTIONAL BANK
ACCOUNT

34. COVEY’S WIN-WIN MINDSET

35. TRUST ENHANCING STRATEGIES
• Open and transparent communication
• Mutual respect and tolerance for individual
differences
• Demonstrated care and sincere interest
• Recognition for the value of each individual
team member
• Co-operation and shared commitment

37. BUILDING CREDIBILITY
• The Credibility Formula as: Credibility = Integrity +
Expertise.
• Achieving a distinguishable level of follower faith and
loyalty is certainly not an overnight occurrence and can be
achieved only through openness; committed people
investment and a proven scorecard of leadership and
performance excellence.
• Shop Steward behaviour, actions and decisions congruent
with reliability, fairness, consistency and transparency are
instrumental values which can enhance follower perception
of the leader’s reputation, standing and eventually, their
willingness to follow and support that leader.

39. THE VALUE OF CONSTRUCTIVE
NEGOTIATION

40. NEGOTIATION SKILLS FOR SHOP
STEWARDS

42. ARISTOTLE’S RHETORICAL TRIANGLE

43. BEING ASSERTIVE AS A NEGOTIATOR

44. NEGOTIATION STYLES

45. NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES

46. TYPES OF NEGOTIATION
• Integrative/Distributive
• Inductive/Deductive/Mixed
• Soft/Hard/Principled
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
• Non-Negotiable Positions/Options

49. PHASES OF NEGOTIATION

50. PHASE 1: PREPARATION
• Preparatory points to consider
• Ground rules
• Identifying your Hot Buttons
• Doing Research
• Identifying Your Walk Away Position (WAP)
• Identifying Your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement
(BATNA)
• Working within the Zone of Possible Agreement (ZOPA)

52. WORKING WITHIN THE ZONE OF POSSIBLE
AGREEMENT (ZOPA)

54. STEP 2: EXCHANGING INFORMATION
• What information is held in common to both
negotiating parties?
• What information you will disclose?
• What information you would prefer the other
negotiating party to disclose?

55. STEP 3: BARGAINING
• Responding to Challenges
• Creating win-win solutions

57. RESPONDING TO CHALLENGES
• Ways to Stay Calm
• Detach Yourself from the Outcome
• Include Pre-determined Break Times in Your Rules
• Depersonalize the Process
• Work with the Other Party, Not Against Them
• Unspoken Conversations
• Don’t Bring Your Baggage to the Table
• Avoid Power Struggles
• Stay Focused
• Focus on a Positive Process

58. • Keeping an Open Mind
• Long Term and Short Term Relationships
• Making the Most of Brainstorming
• Thinking outside the Box
• Use Your Resources (Experts, Mediators, Third Parties)
• Meta-Negotiation
• Identify Common Ground

60. STEP 4: COMMITMENT AND CLOSING
• Once the parties have completed bargaining, made all the
adjustments, and agreed upon the least uncomfortable result, the
negotiation is ready for commitment and closure.
• Developing a Sustainable Agreement
 What is a Sustainable Agreement?
 Getting everyone’s Perspective
 Reviewing the Information
 Outlining the Options
 Gaining Consensus

61. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
• Summary
• Questions
• Conclusion
• Thank You!
• Sharing of contact details
• Best of Luck with your shop steward role (as an agent of
labour harmony)

62. CONTACT DETAILS
• Charles Cotter
• (+27) 84 562 9446
• charlescot@polka.co.za
• LinkedIn
• Twitter: Charles_Cotter