Establishing effective partnership in the workplace
This is the final report from a joint project, run by the IPA and Unions 21, with the intention of bringing workplace trade unionists and managers together to share their practical experiences of what partnership working meant for them, their members, other employees and the organisation.
The project began by asking a supervisory group of senior employer and trade union practitioners how to address the application of partnership principles. These issues were not only discussed in terms of joint decision making at a strategic level, but through examples of joint working activities that spread partnership among local managers, representatives and employees in managing their work, environment and change.
The group discussed some of the common cultural and practical challenges to joint working and joint decision making, and from this the supervisory group identified five key themes as the basis for workshop discussion groups. More than 40 senior managers and trade unions contributed their thoughts to the developing themes at a consultation day, and over 200 people from over 120 organisations attended the five regional workshops held in 2005.
The findings and case studies in this report summarise the detailed discussions held at the workshops and help develop the reports final recommendations for establishing effective partnership in the workplace.