From Conflict to Collaboration: Rethinking Union-Management Relations

In an era of rapid technological, economic and political change, there is a growing awareness of the challenges of income inequality, employment insecurity and workplace conflict. In this context, positive relationships between management and trade unions offer an opportunity to negotiate change and create fairer and more productive workplaces. In their new book, Debbie Sanders, Joseph Perry and Richard Saundry set out a strategic management guide to employment relations in the unionised workplace.

At this event Debbie, Joseph and Richard will reflect on their experience researching and writing the book, discussing case studies and insights, as well as sharing their thoughts on the future of employment relations at a time when AI, the graduation of digital native Gen Z workers into the workplace and heightened political scrutiny are transforming the world of work.

About the authors

Debbie Sanders

Debbie Sanders is an employment relations specialist with over 30 years’ experience as a consultant, researcher, writer and lecturer in this field. She has led ER teams in unionised companies and been a union official. Today she runs Make Work Better, an employment relations consultancy, working with organisations and unions to build high trust relationships. She designed and delivers an executive education programme for some of the UK’s largest unionised organisations helping to build capability in collective ER. She also runs a strategic ER network for HR and ER leaders focused on collective voice.

Joseph Perry

Joseph Perry has extensive employment relations experience in unionised public, private and third-sector organisations including transport, law enforcement, utilities and politics. He has led HR and ER functions and worked internationally supporting organisations to achieve their goals through the effective management of collective employment relations and high performing teams. Joseph co-delivers the UKs only executive education programme for employment relations. He studied Industrial Relations at the University of Keele.

Richard Saundry

Richard Saundry is Professor of HRM and Employment Relations at the University of Sheffield. He is one of the UKs leading experts in the management of workplace conflict. Richard started his working life at the National Union of Mineworkers where he was Head of Industrial Relations, and subsequently worked at the Universities of Leeds, Central Lancashire and Plymouth. He has taught hundreds of HR practitioners on CIPD accredited Masters’ programmes over the last twenty years and is an author of ‘Managing Employment Relations’ the core CIPD text for Employee Relations.