Social dialogue

More than in any other sector, social partners in commerce recognize a very direct link between customer and employee satisfaction. Because commerce workers, especially in retail trade, interact extensively with shoppers, a happy employee usually makes for a happier customer, and customer service is a fundamental differentiator across the industry. Broken customer service promises are, conversely, unlikely to be tolerated by consumers. There is therefore acceptance by both employers on one hand, their workers and trade unions on the other, that cooperative labour-management relations are critical. In this regard, social dialogue is increasingly recognized as an important tool for maintaining and enhancing a harmonious industrial relations climate, most especially in managing change.

The focus of the sectoral social dialogue in recent years has been on its value in change management, whether as a result of globalization and restructuring, mergers and acquisitions-related restructuring or the labour effects of technological innovations. The key issues for social dialogue revolve around: a) how to maintain workers’ employability, training, education and health in the long term; b) how to enhance customer service and customer satisfaction, while improving business efficiency, productivity and profitability through the redeployment of staff to jobs involving new skills; and c) how to assist staff to obtain new skills required by dynamic labour markets and thus remain employed with adequate wages.