Blocking out the light – commuters struggle to find transport
This week Londoners underwent a range of feelings from anger and frustration to disappointment and resignation as they were faced with commuting problems caused by more tube strikes. From 9PM Monday night to 9PM Wednesday night, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) went on strike, causing chaotic disruptions across an already hectic city. Most people could not see the point in the strike and explanations about why these workers are so dissatisfied fell on deaf ears.
This argument between the RMT and the London Underground (LU) is a prime example of how a dispute between two groups, or two work colleagues, can exacerbate and affect a whole city, or a whole workplace. Workplace disputes are unpleasant, unnecessary and if left unchecked can wreak havoc over the whole organisation. So how do you nip them in the bud and restore peace before a war starts?
1. Leave personal feelings out of it
In response to RMT Acting General Secretary Mick Cash’s allegation that the LU did not hold up their side of the February agreement, LU Managing Director Mike Brown said: “So I’m afraid what you’ve heard from Mick Cash is nonsense.”
When you’re arguing with someone it is easy to dismiss them as stupid if they don’t agree with you, or as unfair if they don’t give you what you want. The most difficult part of a workplace dispute, or any dispute for that matter, is to keep emotions out of it. It requires a lot of patience and understanding sometimes, but if personal slurs start to fly then you risk damaging the relationship entirely.
2. Contain the dispute
This tube strike has resulted in Government officials voicing their outrage about the situation. David Cameron tweeted last week: “Next week’s tube strike is unjustified and unacceptable. It will hit millions of families across the capital and cause chaos for businesses,” while Boris Johnson said: “This action is the result of a minority of just one union, the RMT, who are refusing to see the logic of what we are trying to achieve.”
In a workplace dispute it is important to contain the argument between the two disagreeing parties and not provide the opportunity for others to pick sides. This only escalates the issue and creates more feelings of unease amongst workers not involved.
3. Concentrate on interests not positions
It is more important to consider the interests behind each position. For example the LU wishes to modernise by closing ticket offices and installing more ticket machines as this appears to be in the public’s best interest. The RMT are concerned that these moves will affect their salaries and their jobs.
It is easy to reduce someone’s argument down to one position. The RMT want ticket offices to remain open while the LU wants to replace them with ticket halls. The result of this is that the argument appears insignificant and the effects of it, for example strikes, seem unnecessary. If you focus on the interests in an argument then you are more likely to come to a sensible compromise than if you blindly argue about the positions.
4. Focus on the future
Unfortunately for the RMT, they feel that the only way to reach a solution and to move on from this dispute is to strike, which has not won them many friends. Equally for the LU, they are now under pressure from the public to reach a solution to avoid more strikes.
While extreme methods force a solution to be made, no one is really happy in the end and grudges are more likely to develop. There is no point in arguing about an issue unless you are hoping for some good to come out of it, so it is crucial not to muddy your issue by giving into negative emotions and extreme tactics. Focusing on the issues and reaching a solution is more likely to end an argument quickly and more likely to produce a brighter future.
The most important asset to have when going through a workplace dispute is good advice and it is the role of People Professionals to provide this advice and support to their colleagues. Most workplace arguments can be sorted out quickly and are unlikely to result in a strike which brings a whole city to a halt, but only when they are handled correctly. If you ever feel overwhelmed though, Cullen Scholefield is your valuable and precious resource! We’re always at the other end of the phone with constructive advice and a (figurative) cup of tea.
Resources:
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2009
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1364
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1680
ACAS 130200 Mediation-an-approach-to-resolving-workplace-issues