A Negotiation Plan Issues - Essay Example

Negotiation Plan Worker/Union Perspectives Introduction This negotiation plan will identify the most important issues with ‘Lords Diary Products’ (Hypothetical) that need to be settled through formal negotiation, ensuring maximum potential effects on every worker in the long run. It also proposes the best style and strategy for the union to follow during the pre- and-post negotiation processes. According to Rojot (177), negotiation planning involves an array of action like ‘gathering information, setting objectives, evaluating it, making assumptions, setting objectives, evaluating different strategies, tactics and styles which should be carried out around issues, not sequentially’. Issues: Although many of the issues have already been settled, there are currently 5 issues that need to be negotiated with an immediate effect. They are; 1) The basis for increase in wages during the life of the agreement 2) The process by which employees will be identified or nominated for promotion, training and other privileges 3) If necessary to agree upon an hour’s roster, including implications for shifts and for overtime 4) Duration of the agreement 5) If the joint workplace committee should be a negotiating body or a consultative one The most important issues to work group Among the above mentioned issues, the labor union will have its major focus on the first two i.e. the basis for the increase in wages; and the process of selecting the individuals for training and other advantages. Toward the first one, the group will bargain on the need of an amount that would cover both the past inflation and past contributions toward productivity. Moreover, there should be provisions to issue the payment since the commencement of the agreement and the work group will not propose any alternative on this regard. Productivity bonus should be paid equally across the entire work group considering it as the group bonus. Secondly, regarding the workplace arrangements, the union would demand that employees should have the right to go on paid training when they think it is essential for them to improve their level of performance; and if they do not find a higher job even after the training, they should be paid a ‘trained allowance’. The trained employees must be given the priority for promotion when there is a vacancy at the higher levels. The relevance of these issues The work group considers these issues as the most important factors that have a direct impact on the individuals because of several reasons. To illustrate, rewards like wage increase is the most brittle factor that can influence most of the individuals in a working group. An average worker is always concerned about an unexpected inflation that would affect his/her economic stability as it becomes impossible for him to meet both ends with the limited income. As Saunders (249) states, ‘negotiation theory that concentrate only on what happens around the negotiation table’ does not meet the exact goal; instead it should have rather comprehensive approach toward the real issue underlying. The basis of wage rise that the union will propose is relevant to the context for two reasons. Firstly, there was a considerable increase in the productivity during the past years which could be attributed to the collective effort of the labor force. Secondly, union heeds its genuine concern toward the welfare of every worker; and therefore it insists on the equal distribution of productivity bonus among the work group. However, the union will comply with ethical norms and will ensure that the management is not deliberately left to hardship. In other words, the group will initiate a win-win approach throughout the negotiation by promising the management an improvement in productivity and by demanding a reasonable increase in remuneration (Buzzle.com). Duration of the agreement and the roster hour issues are the least important issues to the work group. Once the other major concerns are settled in favor of the group, the results of the other provisions will have comparatively less impact on the workers as a whole. Therefore, the union will maintain rather mild arguments over these issues. Overall Strategy The negotiation strategy normally includes two main streams; co-operative strategy and competitive strategy. The co-operative model aims at reciprocal agreement on issues considering the position of the counterpart in a flexible manner. For instance, in this strategy, needs, desires, concerns and fears of the two parties are considered important to each other (Silkenat, 208-209). In contrast, the competitive strategy does not allow a chance for information sharing, and is rather aggressive which therefore can be termed as a ‘battle of the wills’ (Arnold, 136). However, in the given context, the union will adopt co-operative style as its overall strategy for the negotiation. For example, on the issues associated with establishment of the joint workplace committee, the group will keep a flexible stance as the documentation and other procedures are not directly linked to the workers’ safety. Competitive strategy will be adopted in particular to reach an agreement on the most important issues such as the basis of wage increase and the mode of promotion or other identification process for rendering advantages. The group will take both co-operative and competitive strategies of negotiation depending on the relevance of the issues and phases of negotiation because it is important to define the objectives of the negotiation in order to bring settlement in a viable manner (Saunders, 261). The negotiation processes normally include a blueprint setting, confidence building, bargaining, building long-term commitment, agreement, and finally signing a contract. Since the beginning to end the group will have its own well defined position whether co-operative or competitive strategy has to be implemented in order to ensure the maximum gain. Issues of Conflict There can be unpredictable situations when conflict would arise on certain issues during the negotiation process. In order to tackle such situations the individual who represent the group should have stable mind; and he should seek every possible chance of compromise to reduce the loss of the group. It is easily possible only if the issues of possible conflict are identified and analyzed well including their sources, what they are, and what do they require (Fells, 173). In the given context, the conflict might arise on the issues associated with pay rise, trained allowance, and the term of the agreement. The work group will insist on the term to be for two years because a long duration might increase the uncertainty of the future economic developments, productivity, and turnover. In contrast, the management would be interested of a long term agreement to avoid frequent strikes, disputes, reviews and negotiations. In order to resolve conflicts the individuals must analyze how trust and reciprocity could be developed and what alternatives could be suggested (Fells, 173). Work Cited Arnold, Craigig and Jewell Leigh (Eds), Beyond Litigation: Case Studies in Water Rights Disputes. Environmental Law Institute, Washington, 2002. Print. Fells, Ray, Effective Negotiation, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, 2010. Print. Rajot, Jacques, Negotiation: from Theory to Practice, Chapter 7, ‘The Phases of Negotiation’, Macmillan, 1991. Saunders, Harold H, “We Need a Larger Theory of Negotiation: The Importance of Pre-Negotiation Phases”, Negotiation Journal: On the Process of Dispute Settlement, vol.1.3, (1985): 249-262. Print. Silkenet, James. Aresty, Jeffrey and Klosek Jacqueline (Eds.), The ABA Guide to International Business Negotiations. Edn 3, American Bar Association, 2009, U.S. “Union Negotiation Strategies: Preparing for Negotiation”. Buzzle.com. web. Accessed 26 August 2010. Read More