Managing Conflict: A Report on Resolving Issues Faced by Traffic Controllers at Safety Traffic Co.

This report addresses the issues faced by traffic controllers at Safety Traffic Co. regarding low wages and inadequate break hours. It suggests a formal induction process, negotiation of a collective agreement, and communication with traffic controllers to resolve the conflict.

University
Assignment: Task 3
Name

Table of Contents
Part A: Procedure and Policy 3
Purpose 3
Scope 3
Background 3
Definitions 3
Legislation 4
Procedure 4
Verification 5
Part B: Formal Report to the Operational Manager, Ashley 5
Introduction: 5
The disputes and relevant actions: 6
Conclusion and recommendation: 7
Part C: Role play with transcript part 7
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Part A: Procedure and Policy
Purpose
The purpose of this report is to resolve the issues that are being currently faced by the traffic
controllers of Safety Traffic Co. Their pay is well below the industry standards and they are not
being able to avail the rest and meal breaks that they are entitled to.
Scope
This shall cover the allegations of the traffic controllers against the organization and shall arrive
a solution regarding the management of the conflict by raising the pay and reducing the
workload.
Background
Since recently, the Operations Manager of Safety Traffic Co. has been receiving an increased
number of complaints from traffic controllers about low wages and inadequate break hours. The
dissatisfaction is especially acute among the frontline workers. The site supervisors have been
reporting about traffic controllers collectively deciding to go for a strike if their situation is not
alleviated soon enough. This report shall seek to address the current state of discontentment
among the traffic controllers and devise better approach towards conflict management.
Definitions
The following terminologies need further definitions in order to make them context specific:
1. Traffic Controllers: Individuals who are responsible for management of traffic on the
sites for Safety Traffic Co.
2. Site Supervisors: Supervisory staff assigned to each site in order to monitor the activities
of the traffic controllers.
3. Induction Process: The formal procedure through which workers shall be oriented with
the standard methodologies in the work.
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Legislation
Currently, there exist no formal onsite agreement between the organization and the traffic
controllers it hires. They are recruited on the basis of a verbal agreement according to the
Building and Construction Onsite Award, 2010. However, in face of the rising complaints from
the workers, because of the above-mentioned conditions, the company policy for traffic
controllers have to be reviewed in context of the legislative framework. The union
representatives of the traffic controllers have decided to take their grievance against the Fair
Work Commission in order to resolve the matter. The Fair Work Act of 2009 indeed lays down
payment standards for jobs on an hourly basis. And Safety Traffic Co.’s current level of payment
is well below the industry standard. Therefore, the organization is violating the legislative
provision.
Procedure
A formal induction process has to be designed for traffic controllers that shall be hired and those
existing currently. This can only be formulated conclusively after a bilateral discussion regarding
the issues have been carried out. However, from the organization’s point of view, certain
standards have to be maintained in order to ensure that the legislative framework is conformed
to.
● The induction process of the workers shall include a written agreement regarding the
wages that shall be offered that the rest hours that each worker is entitled to according to
the legislative provisions of the country.
● There should be a training program conducted that shall make the prospective traffic
controllers familiar with the standard methodologies regarding the handling of traffic and
resolving problems on the road that might arise in their day to day work.
● The training can take place through videos or else manuals can be handed over to them
which they are expected to learn and follow.
● A formal process through which traffic controllers can report their grievances directly to
the management has to be devised.
● Safety tools shall have to be handed to the controllers before they start work and they
shall have to be provided with safety manuals.
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The following checklist tool shall help in providing the required information and training in the
induction process:
Serial
No.
Items to Check Yes/No
1. Has the formal agreement been made? ✓
2. Have the helmet, boots and other safety equipment been provided? ✓
3. Has the safety manual been provided? ✓
4. Has the training procedure completed? ✓
5. Have you been made familiar with the grievance procedure? ✓
Internal details:
The organization has created many protocols in order to ensure the proper implementation of the
procedure. The above checklist is used to maintain the organization within legislative
parameters. The protocols have been created in accordance to the laws that safeguard the rights
of the workers. Moreover, the HR department has been expanded in order to be receptive to the
plight of the traffic controllers.
External details:
The Safety Traffic co. should abide by all the legislative means and industry standards in order to
carry with their further operation and implement the safety plans and others. The company
should make proper arrangements for breaks and rewards and taking safety steps as per the
guidelines of Fair Works Act of 2009 and review the Building and Construction Onsite Award,
2010. Proper official documentation has to be maintained for hiring staffs and workplace safety
has to be ensured as per Fair Work Act 2009 (Cwlth), Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW)
and the Work Health and Safety Regulations Act 2011 (NSW).
Verification
This document has been issued by the Human Resource Manager of Safety Traffic Co. in the
interest of the traffic controllers.
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Part B: Formal Report to the Operational Manager, Ashley
Introduction:
This part mainly deals with the writing of a report to the operational manager in order to develop
a plan for managing the grievances that have come up in the current scenario. They need to be
addressed keeping in line with the organization policies and procedures. Further, a collective
agreement shall be negotiated and implemented in accordance to the details which shall also be
mentioned in the report.
The disputes and relevant actions:
The organization is suffering from a complex situation. Disputes have arisen due to uneven and
low payments made to the traffic controllers. It has been complained by many of the traffic
controllers that they are extremely low paid and the payments are often no match to the scale of
payments maintained by the other companies in the following industry. In reference to the notes
you have kept, most of the traffic controllers have to work more than 40 hours a week, including
the day shifts and the weekend shifts. A total of 1 hours 10 minutes’ break (10 minutes break in
the morning, 30 minutes’ lunch break and 30 minutes for break on overtime shifts) is allotted for
the Traffic controllers as per the Building and Construction General On-site Award, 2010.
However, in practical action, no adherence to the mentioned awards are being taken upon. The
health conditions of many of the traffic controllers have also deteriorated due to this. The
payments are also made in accordance to the Building and Construction General On-site Award,
2010. In the current scenario, no formal work agreements exist between that of the traffic
controllers and the company. The new members are hired on verbal basis and paid in accordance
to the payments that are mentioned in the award. The crude and informal method of hiring the
traffic controllers, absence of their job security, inadequate breaks given and less payments made
to them have all ignited turmoil among the traffic controllers. They have also decided to declare
a strike if revisions are made to their payments. The case of payments, breaks, work hours and
work safety and security comes under the vicinity of Fair Work Act 2009 (Cwlth), Work Health
and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) and the Work Health and Safety Regulations Act 2011 (NSW). The
key parties involved in the dispute are the three site supervisors and the traffic controllers whom
he overheard talking about declaring a strike if the payments and working conditions were not
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reviewed by the company. Another character is Jo, a disgruntled traffic controller from whom
you (Ashley) got a mail regarding the fact that the controller had discussed about the case with
the Union Representative and is fully ready to put forth his grievance before the Fair Work
Commission so that payments and other conditions of the work gets improved somehow.
It can be said that positive actions have to be taken in order to avoid the strike and potential
industrial action. The payments have to be revised and they have to be made as per the industry
median. More traffic controllers have to be hired on formal basis in order to reduce the workload
on the existing traffic controllers. In order to stop the Jo from taking actions and the possible
strike, the legislations and the aforementioned acts have to be checked in order to know about the
award and payments that have to be made to the traffic controllers and the safety measures that
have to be taken in order to make the work environment healthy and satisfactory. This can be
done after verifying about the reliability of disputes from the trusted supervisors of the company.
Addition, some agents have to be hired who shall visit the sites and gather data regarding
grievances from the traffic controllers.
Communication has to be established with traffic controllers (by calling Jo for a meeting with
you and then, sharing them with the direct contact number of the Operation and HR Manager
and) in order to inform them about convocation and negotiate with them about the revised
payments that shall be made henceforth. A meeting has to be called inviting over representatives
of the fair work commissions and other employer associations in order to legally revise the
payments and give formal confirmation regarding their proper follow up in the company. Their
advices have to be taken and legal paperwork has to be made in order to make formal agreements
with all the traffic controllers. The payments shall be revised keeping in mind both welfare of
company and the employees.
Conclusion and recommendation:
The collective agreement shall be implemented by calling a formal meeting and convocation
programme. Further, in order to ensure adherence to the agreed actions and to avoid non-
compliance, weekly feedback has to be taken from the traffic controllers by directly calling them
over phones. This shall ensure proper follow up of the collective agreement.
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Part C: Role play with transcript part
Me (Ashley, Operation Manager): “After reading the report it has become clear to me that
communication has to be established with the traffic controllers in order to know about the
actual issues and the inconvenience that they are facing at work. Apart from the traffic
controllers, training should also be imparted upon the site supervisors as they are in direct
association with the traffic controllers. They should be adroit enough to handle conflicts that
might arise on site.
Further, I would also like to say that the wages should be set only after proper consultation with
the workers and the HR department has to be made more active so that they can engage with
employee issues more thoroughly. It is only hoped that procedure devised be successful in
resolving all the problems that have arisen with respect to the traffic controllers.”
Joe (Employee): “I would also like to say that the Traffic supervisors are pretty harsh on us.
They do not properly listen to or complaints and try to subdue us when we try to demand our
agreed upon awards. I think you should take steps against them and take a step in order to
monitor their actions and demeanor towards us. We should be able to report you directly to your
phone number (as many of the traffic controllers are not highly educated and they are not
capable of writing formal mails every time to you when they face any issue) and report our
grievances regarding work and the supervisors and it should be deemed that all the responses
shall be made timely and grievances shall get resolved properly. I would consider that these
thing will be followed in future, our payments will be revised each year and there will be terms
for our gratuity and PPF. Further, extra payments will be made on overtimes. I would also like
to see new traffic controllers being hired for sharing our job load. Or else, surely this time, I am
going to lodge a formal complaint to the Fair Work Commission regarding this matter.
Kay (HR Manager): “Yes, agreed. It has to be made into a formal agreement and harmony of
the organization restored.”
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