Talking advocated

Press, 16 June 1979, Page 6

Talking advocated

Serious dialogue between employers and employees will be an increasingly significant factor in dealing with industrial relations, according to the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce. This was the main theme at a staff communications seminar, held by the Canterbury chamber in Christchurch. It was the fourth such seminar this year organised by Chambers of Commerce throughout New Zealand to promote better relations between employers and workers. Several more are planned. About 100 delegates attended the seminar and heard papers entitled “Exports and Staff Communication” by Mr Alan Topham, an advisor for Export Year; “Job Security and the

Need for Profit” by Mr M. C Gorman, the senior consultant with PA Management Consultants, Ltd; and “What the Employee Needs to Know,” by Mr Rob Campbell, an industrial officer with the New Zealand Shop Employees’ and Drivers' Federation. The executive vice-presi-dent of the Chambers of Commerce (Mr Alan Simm) said there was a real need for management and workers to work more closely when dealing with each other. One way of doing this was to involve the worker more with the running of the company. The chambers had been running such programmes of education for four years, said Mr Simm. The results had been most encouraging.