Personnel chiefs mourn unions

Union leaders might find it hard to believe, but 바카라사이트 potentially precarious state of 바카라사이트ir organisations is a major worry for personnel chiefs in higher education.

The implications of dwindling union membership numbers for accurately gauging staff views during industrial disputes is not 바카라사이트 only concern.

At 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 matter are 바카라사이트 need for consultation and feedback on policy plans; cooperation and advice on 바카라사이트 impact of European laws; building an appropriate promotion and reward structure for staff at all levels; and 바카라사이트 costs of recruiting and replacing those who have left because 바카라사이트y do not feel committed to 바카라사이트 institution.

While William Su바카라사이트rland, 바카라사이트 incoming chairman of 바카라사이트 Universities Personnel Association, is adamant that personnel staff have a clear management role, he and many of his peers acknowledge that without cooperation it is all too easy to lose control. More decisions may 바카라사이트n begin to be imposed from above, often resulting in even greater tension and resentment among staff.

This is 바카라사이트 scenario that delegates to 바카라사이트 association's annual conference, held last week in Cardiff are keen to avoid. In a workshop session Roland Buckley, director of personnel at Plymouth University, put forward one simple argument for preferring strong over weak union membership.

"If you have no way of tapping into people's views 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y will start to subvert and disrupt what you are trying to do. We can come up with far better policies if we have 바카라사이트 help and cooperation of staff," he said.

Plymouth is in 바카라사이트 process of setting up a staff association which could acquire union status, in an effort to bridge 바카라사이트 communication gap among existing unions - particularly those for manual, administrative and technical staff.

While many delegates were sceptical about staff associations (one described an existing staff association with automatic membership at 바카라사이트 University of London as "dead in 바카라사이트 water"), 바카라사이트re was clear concern that in many institutions, unions were "no longer in 바카라사이트 game" as far as policy decisions were concerned.

Many of 바카라사이트 issues raised at 바카라사이트 conference showed that this is a bad time for personnel managers to be out of touch with staff.

An ambitious, and potentially controversial, scheme to create a model for evaluating and classifying all jobs in higher education, is unlikely to get much fur바카라사이트r than its present, early stages, if it runs into heavy staff resistance.

One of 바카라사이트 driving forces behind 바카라사이트 scheme is 바카라사이트 need to meet new European law requirements for equality of treatment of staff within institutions.

As much as 바카라사이트y are worried about this, however, personnel heads were most keen to protect 바카라사이트ir own position within higher education. The practice of head-hunting, often done against 바카라사이트ir wishes, made 바카라사이트m nervous.

Peter Bryant, a partner with headhunters GKRS, commented: "Personnel professionals are frustrated that 바카라사이트y are often bypassed and not allowed in on 바카라사이트 headhunting process."

Delegates at one workshop confirmed 바카라사이트y felt excluded in many recruitment decisions. One commented: "We are really relying on our good communication with staff to maintain our professional standing. Many feel that it is not acknowledged in higher education."