Lessons from a protest turned violent
Labor issues are common causes of crisis around the world. Regardless of what field you’re in, there’s a good chance disputes will arise over pay, benefits, work hours, policy, or any number of other workforce-related issues.
Protests have long been an effective tool for those who disagree with the actions of their employers, and although many are calm and seek to facilitate meetings between opposing parties it would be difficult to ignore the fact that they often hold the potential to become another beast altogether.
Danger, media, and public perception
We saw this earlier in the month when activists protesting proposed job cuts at Air France stormed a meeting at the airline’s headquarters and attacked a number of employees, including a security guard who was knocked unconscious and two executives who were attacked and chased over a fence toward police protection with their clothes hanging in tatters. This was, of course, completely predictable and, therefore, completely preventable.
Another issue that compounds many labor disputes is the way the media portrays them. Although the extreme behavior from the French activists works to discredit them to a certain degree, in typical labor disputes the damage to reputation is magnified by the fact that the public loves loves a David vs. Goliath scenario. And, of course, the media is happy to deliver. This means that, regardless of the facts, the initial view most outsiders will have is that of an evil corporation trying to pull one over on its humble workforce.
Lessening the impact
One key way to mitigate the damage from labor disputes is to keep the lines of communication wide open. If stakeholders feel they’re being heard, the need for public agitation is lessened. If they believe you’re doing what you can to resolve their complaints then the need for major action is removed.
Of course there are things you simply won’t agree on, and you need to be prepared to face the situations, from negative news coverage, information leaks and peaceful protests to equiptment sabotage and direct violence and everything in between, that could arise as a result.
Know how you’ll react to any conceivable issue, understand how you’ll mitigate the damage you can’t avoid, and you’ll find yourself well positioned to steer your organization through a labor dispute. Plan to react on the fly and, well, you might want to practice hopping fences…
Erik & Jonathan Bernstein
www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com