How Do You Handle Grievances and Understand Unions in Manufacturing? Seeking Insights!

Good morning all, I want to know different techniques/procedures of grievance handling in the manufacturing industry. Also, I want to learn about unions and their types.

Techniques and Procedures of Grievance Handling in the Manufacturing Industry

Understanding the various methods of addressing grievances is crucial for maintaining a harmonious work environment. If anyone has insights or resources on this topic, please share.

Types of Unions

I am also interested in learning about the different types of unions and their roles in the manufacturing sector. Any detailed information or examples would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Timely Handling of Grievances in the Manufacturing Industry

Timely handling of grievances in a manufacturing industry is necessary for sustained growth and development. If not handled at the appropriate time and allowed to carry forward, it would lead to a major issue, at which point it may be really difficult to arrive at a possible solution. Furthermore, if it is allowed to persist, it may cause a hindrance to productivity. The grievance could be individual or group-related, mainly concerning working and service conditions.

For the redressal of grievances, generally, a committee is formed comprising representatives of workers, HR representatives, and departmental heads area-wise.

3-Tier Grievance Redressal Committee

A 3-tier committee is followed in the system, namely:

1. Shop floor grievance redressal committee
2. Plant-level committee
3. Corporate grievance committee

The idea of formation at different levels is that in the event of the grievance not being settled at the initial levels, it is forwarded to a higher level. The role of HR is to ensure that most of such grievances should be amicably settled at the lowest level, i.e., the shop floor level. However, grievances that require policy decision-making should only be referred to the corporate committee.

Since HR plays an important role in maintaining employee relations at the shop floor level, they should have the intelligence to sense the nature of grievance of an individual employee or group of employees in advance. This allows them to take appropriate measures for action and redressal, thus preventing the individual or group from putting the written grievance in a formal format in the grievance box placed at different locations of the plant for employee convenience. This exercise of HR in solving issues at the grassroots level before they escalate into grievances will definitely send a positive message across.

The fewer the grievances, the higher the satisfaction level of the employees.

Regards,
bkmohanty

Grievance Handling: An Art and a Science

Grievance handling is an art, along with having good knowledge about systems of procedures and compliance with legislation. Grievances must be addressed and redressed in a short period or as early as possible because, as time delays, the impact might be more significant.

You cannot avoid or escape from arising disputes or grievances, but you can minimize their impact by resolving the issue promptly. Train extensively on grievance handling mechanisms and techniques.

Listen first and carefully. Do not show or exhibit your interests and emotions on a particular issue arising. HR should not show favoritism. Maintain an open-door policy that encourages people to come to you instead of going to other leaders. In these kinds of incidents, be empathetic and pay attention to them.

Be human; at the same time, a humanitarian approach will not always work in the workplace. First, you should have sound knowledge of labor legislation, plant operating procedures, guidelines, and regulations. This knowledge gives you confidence and a clear picture of grievances, adding respect to your professionalism.

Hear the other side, and ensure equal opportunity is given to both sides. Try to gather data from your sources and analyze it. Maintain confidentiality and respect human dignity.