Union members at the conciliation service ACAS have voted by two to one for a programme of rolling one-hour strikes in a dispute over pay, reports the BBC. This poses the intriguing question of who is best placed to intervene and help the two sides resolve their differences. Sounds like a job for . . . ACAS?
Among its other duties, the conciliation and arbitration service is responsible for promoting good industrial relations and helping warring parties resolve disputes. Its expert conciliators have played a key role in resolving high profile confrontations, including the Gate Gourmet dispute that brought London's Heathrow Airport to a standstill in 2005.
Perhaps it's time for someone who has benefited from ACAS assistance in the past to step in and help it sort out its problems in its hour of need. Any offers?
For more on the vote, see the PCS union press release.
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Comments (2)
In a further irony, ex-Gate Gourmet HR chief Andy Cook has offered his words of wisdom on the Acas pay row.
You can check out what he said on Personnel Today's Editor's Blog.
http://www.personneltoday.com/blogs/human-resources-news/2008/03/acas-dispute-isnt-it-ironic.html
Posted by Mike Berry | March 11, 2008 2:44 PM
Posted on March 11, 2008 14:44
The Gate Gourmet dispute was not really caused by a failure of HR. It was caused by a failure of collective bargaining, when the trade union involved completely lost touch with the feelings and views of its members and recommended a package of changes that its members found unacceptable and overwhelmingly rejected - by a majority of 90%. This led to the wildcat, unofficial strike action, supported by baggage handlers, which brought Heathrow to a standstill. It is an object lesson in what can happen when a union loses touch with the members it is supposed to be representing. For more on this, see my report of the Gate Gourmet session at last year's IRS conference on working with trade unions.
Posted by David Shepherd | March 12, 2008 9:52 AM
Posted on March 12, 2008 09:52