Tube Strike

The tube strike today is not just inconvenient for workers and tourists across London it heralds a more significant national situation. Over the past decade we have seen relations between the unions and management operate as “partnerships”.

But with the current economic crisis, impending government spending cuts are we seeing a new era in industrial relations?

The RMT and TSSA unions are striking over 800 job losses. After the past few strikes we’ve had settlements quite quickly with both sides saying the other backed down. But as we approach the release of the “spending review” some people may be looking at these layoffs as indicators of how other public sector cuts will play out. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/london/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8964000/8964788.stm

The CBI is calling for the government to update Britain’s outdated industrial relations laws to reflect changes in declining union membership, improved communication with between employers and their staff and that most of the current laws were created in the 1980’s and need modernising.

These changes would ensure that if strikes do happen, that disruption to the public and companies in minimised and the economic recovery kept on track. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6922I120101004

But some would say that employers get the unions they deserve. So is there a case for employers’ to earnestly resist their employment relations policies and procedures. Or if Property is all about Location, Location, Location. Surely employee relations are all about Communication, Communication, Communication.