Negotiating with Trade Unions

In-company Courses, Conferences, Conference, Courses, Employment Law in Practice,Negotiating with Trade Unions

This course will develop key skills to understand staff concerns and negotiate agreements that achieve the best outcomes for both the organisation and the employee. It will provide participants with guidance on the necessary preparation required for negotiations and will help them to be proactive in managing the negotiation process to a successful conclusion.

Below is a two-day programme outline - please note that this prorgramme can be tailored in length and content to suit your organisational needs.

Day One

Introductions and overview of programme
Agreeing the ground rules
Conventions of negotiation
Preparation – identifying objectives and considering all implications
Negotiating as a team – creating and displaying strength and cohesion
Managing the negotiation process
Agendas – open and hidden
Setting the agenda
Power differentials – recognising them and using them
Negotiation style – recognising your preferred style and understanding why it isn’t always the most appropriate one to use
Negotiation style – choosing the style appropriate to the issue, the power differential and the people involved
You and the union – strengths and weaknesses
How trades union culture differs from commercial culture
Learning review and overnight reading

Day Two

How personality type – our own and others’ – impacts on how we communicate and influence
Deciding when to PUSH and when to PULL
Your worst negotiating nightmare – developing strategies to avoid it happening and having a plan to deal with it when it does!
Managing conflict – on either side!
Avoiding deadlock
Dealing with deadlock
Positions and interests – declaring yours and exploring theirs
Signals – transmitting, receiving and interpreting them
Distinguishing between what is said and what is meant and responding appropriately
Presenting proposals with impact
How to 'wrap' your proposals for maximum effect
Detecting and avoiding pitfalls
Closing the deal – getting it right
Practice negotiation – role-play, real-play and rehearsals – with
feedback and review
Do’s and don’ts of negotiating
Learning review
Action planning
Evaluation and close

Individual benefits:

Understand the preparation required before negotiating with trade
Identify negotiating strengths and weaknesses and develop a more
Gain confidence in applying new knowledge and skills to the
Be able to achieve better results in negotiations, while retaining the

Organisational benefits:

Have the means to develop more effective relationships with all
Better understanding of staff concerns
Retain goodwill of employees
Improved business performance through a more motivated workforce