Q & A Table of Contents
Dealing With Stalemates
From: Johan, Windhoek, Namibia
Question: Can you please advise in general on stalemate situations especially in labour disputes where strikes and/or lockouts are involved.
Response: When a negotiation reaches a point of deadlock, where neither party seems prepared to move, it is crucial to review the interests of the stakeholders and see whether there are portions of the overall problem on which the parties might agree.
You need to break the problems down into smaller parts in order to attempt to build an overall agreement piece by piece. One of the ways to do this is to think of all the stakeholders who are likely to gain or lose depending on each possible result of the negotiation. Thus management has to respond to the owners as well as to customers, suppliers, and regulatory agencies. The members of the labour organisation may be concerned about: keeping the company in business so that they have continuing jobs, having sufficient income to feed and house their families, working in safety, etc. In addition, the merchants who sell things to the workers have an interest in maintaining their stream of income from the workers as consumers of goods and services.
If you consider the interests of all of these stakeholders, it may be possible to think more creatively and find solutions or intermediaries who will help increase the likelihood of a resolution that works. Thinking about more parties than just those who are negotiating face-to-face can increase the likelihood of agreement.
Good luck,
Steve
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