Equivalent of Strike in Non Unionized Private Sector

Many organizations today are without a union, most especially firms in the Banking and the Telecoms sectors. Unions are usually taken for granted in the manufacturing sector of the nation. Even though the Nigerian Constitution allows for freedom of association many employees in the service sector are scared of unionizing so they won’t loose their jobs. Where there are unions, it is easy to embark on a strike as a last resort to get management to accede to the demands of the workers. However workers in non unionized organizations also have demands, grievances and opinions.

In addition to better welfare, employees may be asking that you let them contribute, suggest and make intellectual input. People like to be treated as if they count and truly matter. Organisations that deprive their employees of such opportunities usually end up with dissatisfied personnel.

How do they channel this to management? Murmurings, complaints, withdrawal of enthusiasm, good will, “demarketing” etc. Sometimes you see a group of employees chatting at the dinning and they suddenly keep quite when a senior official or someone close to Ownership/Management enters. You begin to see people reading and sharing Tuesday Guardian at work.

When some employees exit the organization, others rejoice with them and wish they were the one, some even chant “ours will come soon”. To the business owner, he may feel at least these employees cannot and have not downed tools. Yet the organization is losing out big time.

Yes, creativity is been stifled. Employees will begin to leak company trade secrets without a second thought. New and prospective employees who go the extra mile to consult with existing ones will be discouraged from joining the work force, and if they have, they are advised to keep their doors open to new and better opportunities as soon as possible.

Passionate workers radiate enthusiasm, you can feel it in their vocal pitch, and you can see the twinkle in their eyes. In a survey carried out to determine employees work engagement status: 29% were found to be actively engaged, 54% non engaged and 17% actively disengaged. I know whatever an organization does it is impossible to please all employees! However, when 70% or more of the company staff are just marking time; something drastic has to be done. The opposite of love is not hatred but indifference. Indifferent employees are not productive. Indifference creates a disenabling environment.

Do your employees see themselves as stakeholders or partners in your business? Or are they just another factor of production, holding a stick that can break at any time? Google for instance does not have a union. Yet the employees are extremely happy to work there. Former Google staff a few of whom I have met still speak of their experience while there with nostalgia.

Having satisfied employees is not a function of the business ownership structure i.e. sole proprietorship, partnership or even public liability company. Also it is not a function of the income of the organization. It is largely as a result of how management values and treat people. Yes that is what makes an organisation to be an Employer of Choice. It is all about Social responsibility to all stakeholders including employees.

I believe that Human Capital is the most critical resource in an organization especially in this knowledge age.

Are your workers on a form of “strike” and you are not aware?



@ Adeosun Oluyemi Theophilus