Partnership deals - signposts to the future?

It was reported in November 1998 that the number of company/trade union agreements which come under the broad definition of "partnership" used in Ireland's three-year Partnership 2000 national agreement, are still relatively few in number, yet they are seen as significant signposts to a new set of relationships in the workplace.

Over 20 "partnership"-style agreements have been reported in detail in the independent Dublin-based publication, Industrial Relations News (IRN), over the two years up until November 1998. These vary considerably in scope and ambition, but all have some aspirations towards the realisation of the partnership idea as spelled out in Partnership 2000 (P2000), Ireland's current three-year agreement between the social partners at national level (IE9702103F).

Many of the cases include one or more of the type of issues considered "appropriate for discussion" at enterprise level in chapter 9 of P2000, such as: "employee involvement for competitiveness"; "training, personal development and support"; "equality of opportunities"; "representational arrangements"; "forms of financial involvement"; "occupational health and safety in the work environment"; "composition of the workforce"; "cooperation with change including new forms of work organisation"; "problem solving"; and "conflict avoidance and adaptability, flexibility and innovation".

The forms of financial involvement referred to have included: additional remuneration (ie pay increases in addition to those agreed nationally in P2000); gainsharing and profitsharing; skill-based pay; and changes in "fringe" benefits. Other key items include: "World Class Manufacturing" (WCM); teamworking; and joint management/union working parties on specific issues.

The 21 companies featured in IRN are: ABS Pumps;Avery Dennison;Basta Hardware; Bausch & Lomb (IE9802242N):Boxmore Plastics;Braun (I);Ezy Koter;Flair International; Harris (I);Harty Steeline; Habsbro; Henniges Elastomers;Howmedica (IE9711236N);Lapple;Norton;Olympus Diagnostica;SIFA;Taconic;Tarkett; Union Camp and Wessell Cable.

In some cases, the agreements refer directly to P2000 and its largely aspirational chapter on partnership, entitled Action through partnership for competitive enterprises. The broad definition given of "partnership" in P2000 is as follows:

"Partnership is an active relationship based on recognition of a common interest to secure the competitiveness, viability and prosperity of the enterprise. It involves a continuing commitment by employees to improvements in quality and efficiency; and the acceptance by employers of employees as stake holders with rights and interests to be considered in the context of major decisions affecting their employment."

"Partnership involves common ownership of the resolution of challenges, involving the direct participation of employees/representatives and an investment in their training, development and working environment."

Assessing the quality of the partnership in the 21 agreements is difficult at such an early stage. The sort of areas considered "appropriate for discussion" in P2000 often involve an aspirational element, which can only be fully tested over time. However, it would appear that a genuine effort is being made by management and employee representatives to push forward and realise partnership-based strategies (IE9807120F).