Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ)

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“Riding the Waves: HR to the Rescue”

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November 27, 2009

Industrial Harmony: Leveraging Collaboration between HR and Employee Groups

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“PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS THROUGH �SOCIAL DIALOGUE”

PRESENTER: Kavan Gayle

• A social dialogue can be any communication activity involving social partners intended to influence the arrangement and development of work related issues.
• Social dialogue is defined by the ILO (International Labour Organization ) to include all types of negotiation, consultation or simply exchange of information between, or among, representatives of governments, employers and workers, on issues of common interest relating to economic and social policy. It can exist as a tripartite process, with the government as an official party to the dialogue or it may consist of bipartite relations only between labour and management (or trade unions and employers' organisations), with or without indirect government involvement.

What is Social Dialogue?

• A Partnership Agreement is a voluntary contract between two or among more than two persons to place their capital, labor, and skills, and corporation in business with the understanding that there will be a sharing of the profits and losses between/among partners. Within North America, it is normally referred to as Articles of Partnership.

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• It outlines each partner's responsibilities and memorializes the essential terms of the understanding.

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• This form of contract is called an "agreement" for a reason — everyone involved must agree to the terms therein.

What is A Partnership Agreement?

Within Partnerships, consultation occurs where both parties share information on an ongoing basis and the viewpoint of the parties are actively taken into consideration

Partnership Agreement

Why a Partnership Agreement?

LET US EXAMINE THE CHALLENGES:

• Inability to compete globally
• Recession
• Rapid changes in global affairs
• Low productivity in comparison to

the region

Global Level:

LET US EXAMINE THE CHALLENGES:

• Mistrust between partners
• Old traditions
• Outdated paradigms
• Weak economy
• Inadequately trained staff
• Fear amongst workforce

National Level:

KEY OPPORTUNITIES:

• Face and confront the problems that

exists

• We must operate as unions where

employers can trust us

• Employers must operate where we

can trust them

• Workers should have “freedom of

fear”

KEY QUESTIONS:

• Do we have the willingness to change?
• Can we work together?
• Do we have the conviction?
• Do we have the sense of purpose?

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QUOTE FROM

SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY:

“The hottest place in Hell are

reserved for those who at

a time of crisis, maintain their

neutrality”

“Through

Genuine Social Dialogue,

WE CAN!!!”

A Model

Partnership Agreement

The Partnership Principles Agreement between FirstCaribbean International Bank and the Caribbean Trade Unions is a genuine and strong partnership built on the pillars that considered the Bank’s Vision: “First For Shareholders, First For Customers, First For Employees”

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The journey to this Partnership was characterized by three (3) stages:

Stage 1: Filled with apprehension, doubt, distrust, anxiety, unwillingness and anger

Stage 2: Several “Brain-hurricaning” sessions given the levels of tension that existed in these meetings. Draft agreement in progress. All parties focused on the Bank’s vision and a set of collective ideas evolved.

Stage 3: Acceptance. Ideas came from the heart. There was commitment, honesty, trust developed, then consensus evidenced by the final document after two (2) years

Four Key Components of the Partnership

• ACCOUNTABILITY ✔
• EXCELLENCE ✔
• FLEXIBILITY ✔
• EMPLOYABILITY ✔

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Accountability

Employers need to Commit to:

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• Clearly setting out the type and scope of business change and other consultations.
• Ensuring that representatives have the authority to make and implement agreements and to indicate where there may be need for additional signoff
• Ensuring representatives understand the spirit in which we undertake our discussions.
• Supporting and promoting decisions once duly made and agreed.

Accountability

Employers need to Commit to:

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• Clearly setting out the type and scope of business change and other consultations.
• Ensuring that representatives have the authority to make and implement agreements and to indicate where there may be need for additional signoff
• Ensuring representatives understand the spirit in which we undertake our discussions.
• Supporting and promoting decisions once duly made and agreed.

The Trade Union Commits to:

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• Developing representative structures within Companies which continue to reflect the changing nature of the business.
• Ensuring that representatives have the authority to make and implement agreements or to establish if any further ratification is required.
• Ensuring representatives understand the spirit in which we undertake our discussions.
• Supporting and promoting decisions once duly made and agreed.

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Excellence

Employers need to Commit to:

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• Demonstrating professional

management and leadership.

• Valuing the diversity of all employees and helping them to

fulfill their potential.

• Recognizing and rewarding exceptional performance, on an individual and team basis.
• Dealing with under-performance in a fair but firm manner and as outlined in the performance management system.
• Building on what we do well and supporting best practice through continuous evaluation.

Excellence

Employers need to Commit to:

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• Demonstrating professional

management and leadership.

• Valuing the diversity of all employees and helping them to

fulfill their potential.

• Recognizing and rewarding exceptional performance, on an individual and team basis.
• Dealing with under-performance in a fair but firm manner and as outlined in the performance management system.
• Building on what we do well and supporting best practice through continuous evaluation.

The Trade Unions commit to:

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• Recognizing business principles, goals and objectives.
• Demonstrating support for the

principle of continuous improvement in handling the concerns of employees.

• Constructively providing feedback on performance systems and ideas for improvement.
• Recognizing that Companies will differentiate reward in line with performance.
• Supporting best practice and decent work at all times.

Flexibility

Employers need to Commit to:

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• Enabling it’s employees to balance the demands of work life and home when responding to customer requirements.
• Working together while acknowledging that different markets will drive different needs.
• Equipping it’s employees with wider skills and where appropriate, a greater depth of skills

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Flexibility

Employers need to Commit to:

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• Enabling it’s employees to balance the demands of work life and home when responding to customer requirements.
• Working together while acknowledging that different markets will drive different needs.
• Equipping it’s employees with wider skills and where appropriate, a greater depth of skills

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The Trade Unions commit to:

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• Considering the needs of the customers when representing the interest of employees.

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• Recognizing that Companies operates in a number of markets requiring different terms and conditions of employment.
• Recognizing that flexibility and the development of skills is key to competing in the financial services market.

Employability

Employers need to Commit to:

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• Creating a climate at all levels which encourages self-development and the use of innovative approaches.
• Investing in formal and informal training and coaching
• Providing the opportunity to develop technical and professional skills
• Providing career counseling and outplacement support

Employability

Employers need to Commit to:

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• Creating a climate at all levels which encourages self-development and the use of innovative approaches.
• Investing in formal and informal training and coaching
• Providing the opportunity to develop technical and professional skills
• Providing career counseling and outplacement support

The Trade Unions commit to:

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• Helping to develop a culture focusing on employability.
• Proposing viable initiatives to support it’s people through change.
• Providing a wide range of training resources to members and representatives
• Providing ongoing coaching and development initiatives for representatives and membership, in keeping with current industrial relations and best practices and principles.

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FirstCaribbean Partnership –

How Are We Doing So Far?

The positive effects experienced since the signing of the FirstCaribbean Partnership Agreement are:

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The collaboration between local Human Resources and the Union has improved significantly yielding positive results as close to 65 recent issues have been resolved without them being escalated as disputes.

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The Union is now comfortable in referring employees to local HR for assistance as the need arises.

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We have seen an improvement in the communication between both parties resulting in the level of respect being elevated.

General Partnership Principles

The Management and The Trade Unions must be committed to a Partnership Agreement aimed at making the Business a better place to work by:

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Making a joint commitment to establish and promote respect, trust, accountability, integrity, confidentiality and transparency.

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Establishing high levels of collaboration for employees & customer and facilitating the management of change in the organization.

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Securing and promoting the long-term success of the Business.

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Having joint consultation and re-evaluation of the processes through frequent bilateral meetings and social dialogue.

General Partnership Principles … Cont’d

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Recognizing the need for all employees to adapt a paradigm shift from a win/lose culture to a win/win culture.

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Promoting the interests of employees, customers and shareholders.

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Ensuring employees are managed fairly and professionally.

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Promoting the equality of treatment and opportunity for all and valuing

diversity.

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Ensuring that the principles focus on a macro and regional level, rather than on a micro-level.

Roles & Responsibilities of

The Trade Unions

The Trade Union must Commit to:

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• Respect the interest of other stake-holders when seeking to challenge and influence business decisions.

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• Seek out viable solutions to individual and collective employee issues.

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• Address issues first and foremost through consultations, with grievance filings being a last resort.

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• Working with the management of the Business to facilitate the learning & development process.

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• Respecting the Business’ right and responsibility to communicate with its employees.

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The Business must Commit to:

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• Continuous, open and honest communication with our employees and their representatives and being the first to inform them about business plans and decisions through the Consultative Committee Process.

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• Implement business decisions in a fair and consistent way.

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• Including the Trade Union on issues which impact and effect terms and conditions of the employment through joint consultation and open and honest communication.

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Roles & Responsibilities of

The Business

Conclusion

In the true spirit of Partnership, Businesses and the Trade Unions should seek to promote the concept of Partnership in the same way it promotes its products and services.

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The Partnership Principles form the blueprint of the way we should operate. This agreement leaves no room for personal views. We all need to take ownership

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The Global direction of organizations and Trade Unions is the implementation of Partnership Agreements.

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Quotation from Henry Ford

“Coming together is a Beginning.

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Keeping together is

Progress.

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Working together is Success.”

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THE END