Over the last few years, I have enjoyed regularly hosting a group of UK-based HRDs and employment relations leaders in large, unionised organisations. These companies – in rail, aviation, finance, manufacturing, retail – all invest in building constructive working relationships with their long-standing unions, representatives and employee groups. The individuals have a desire to innovate, find new ways of solving problems and challenge the ways things have always been done. Their fresh thinking is what makes them a great group to work with.
In the past year, at our regular meetings, we have been joined by think-tanks in the world of work, union general secretaries, and investors interested in union-employer relations and we have contributed to interesting, practical work-related research. It’s fair to say that every person who has joined us has left us pondering possibilities, exploring ideas and with our minds whirring about how to deal with some of today’s workplace challenges.
The meetings provide an opportunity for the members to share experiences and knowledge across sectors. We have a confidential online space to share thinking, ideas and keep up to date with news in between meetings. Our annual face to face meeting is an opportunity for the group to keep talking and listening and we invite wider members of their teams who also begin to build trusted relationships.
Our plan for 2025 is taking shape as I reach out to innovators, policy makers and unions to continue to facilitate understanding of different perspectives, build connections, and share knowledge in the field of collective employment relations. There is a lot to keep us focussed on in the UK with the new Government and a new approach to workplace relations.
Thank you to this year’s community who have always been willing to share, ask for help and open their minds to different ways of tackling issues that are shaping and defining collective ER in the UK.
We intend to stay small and nurture trust to keep the ideas flowing. However, we welcome new members who work in collective employment relations, who are willing to share their ideas and experience, and would relish meeting open-minded professionals in a confidential setting. If you want to know more about this network, feel free to message me on LI or via makeworkbetter.co.uk.
I have been a lousy networker during my career, always finding a reason not to do it, feeling shy and uncomfortable in networking situations, imagining big groups of people with big job titles and (often) big egos. If I had known how rewarding it could be, personally and professionally to be part of a trusted group, I would certainly have invested more time in it.
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