Participatory Democracy

1
Participatory Democracy Good Governance for
Labor Leaders
Presentation at NANNM Orientation Program for
Labor Leaders by E.O.ICHIMA,AMNIM,AMIMC,CMC LD
Consultant, Skillpath Consulting Abuja 09 780 32
86 0803 339 8100 0808 046
5510 skillpath_at_hotmail.com / www.scsnigeria.com
the origin of the right to participation is
labor - ILO
2
Ground Rules

• Switch Off Mobile Phones or Put Them on Meeting
  Mode
• No Unnecessary Movements/ Distraction
• Listen Carefully
• Talk One Person at a Time
• Contribute to Improve the Program
• Share Ideas/Participate
• Socialize to Dissipate Stress

3
Background

• This paper will be delivered in three sub-modular
  format broken into
• Participatory Democracy
• Good Governance
• Labor Leadership
• Then a QA segment to round out the presentation
  will follow

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Your Expectations from this Paper

• Individually list one thing you expect to gain
  from this module and state why it is important to
  you!
• __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  ______________________________________

Write your response down in the jotter provided
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Goals of Management

• The Management Wants
• To survive and remain competitive
• To grow and prosper
• To achieve a favorable return on its investment
• To effectively use human resources

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Goals of Management

• The Management Wants 2
• To attract, retain, and motivate employees
• To protect managements rights to make decisions
  and retain flexibility
• To obtain a commitment from the union that there
  will be no strike

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Goals of the Union

• The Union Wants
• The union to survive and remain secure
• The establishment to grow and prosper as well as
  the union
• To obtain a commitment from the establishment
  that there will be no lockout
• The establishment to achieve a favorable return
  on its investment and return fair wages to
  employees

8
Goals of the Union

• The Union Wants2
• The establishment to effectively use human
  resources within the rules and policies of the
  agreement and to achieve job security and
  employment opportunities for members
• The establishment to attract, retain, and
  motivate employees within the rules and policies
  of the agreement
• To protect union and employee rights that were
  negotiated and included in the labor agreement

If these goals are at variance, the case for
participatory democracy makes a lot of sense!
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Sub Module 1

• Participatory Democracy

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Definition and Overview

• Participatory Democracy aka representation of
  interest
• To participate means to contribute, chip in, take
  part, play a part
• Concept has been over flogged and understood
• Our concern is translate talk to action e.g.
  how can NANNM and government fashion out a
  better way of achieving MDGs related to health?
• Where state or federal governments involve NANNM
  in participation, are these interactions open and
  predicated on transparency, full disclosure etc?

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Definition and Overview 2

• What was/is NANNMs input into the 2008 budget at
  states and federal levels?
• Democracy - social equality or consensus
• Democracy involves the process of power
  acquisition through popular mandate
• Social dialogue among actors in the
  bipartite/tripartite process to reach a decision
  everyone is comfortable with

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Definition and Overview 3

• Is NANNM or NLC prepared to re-engage governments
  to build capacity in areas of common good?

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Participatory Democracy

• Representation of interests
• A process of working together to achieve mutual
  goals
• Mobilization of constituencies to input into the
  decision making engine
• Social dialogue among the social partners
  government, labor and business
•  

See more on interest next slide
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Interests
UnionParticipationJob SecurityFair
WagesProtected RightsNo lockouts
ManagementControlEfficiencyEffectivenessFlexib
ilityNo strikes
Common InterestsSurvivalCompetitivenessProfitab
ilityEquity
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Key Question

• Can there be Democracy without Participation?
• Democracy without Participation Dictatorship
• Dictatorship breeds corruption, see the
  corruption equation
• (MD) (AIT) C

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How is AIT Achieved?

• Consultations
• Media Publicity/Newsletters
• Adherence to the principle of consent with
  consent
• Holding regular meetings at which leaders account
  for their stewardship
• Campaign against evil culture of nepotism,
  partiality, bias, discrimination within the trade
  union movement and government circles
• Ensure that trade union and government programs
  are conducted in the open

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Contd

• Ensure that both parties abide within the
  framework of union constitution and government
  democratic bylaws
• Put aside/budget for enough resources for union
  activities during the budget
• Provide education and value re-orientation
• Increase active involvement of women and remove
  barriers

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Why Participation?

• When left to decide what a father would consider
  good for a child, the father is never entirely
  cooperative
• Emerging pressures downsizing, rightsizing etc
• To include Unions in awareness-raising campaigns
• To add voice, contribute to control of
  corruption, ensure accountability, governance
  effectiveness GAIT
• Nurses elsewhere vs. nurses here are there gaps
  in IT skills, do they have standard CPD programs,
  special incentives?

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Why Participation? 2

• Lobbying and when necessary compelling government
  to listen/change their policies by developing
  position papers esp. when and where core labor
  standards are ignored
• A forum to link the role of unions in collective
  bargaining to aims of sustainable development as
  a measure of policy coherence
• Compare notes state by state, nation A and B
  globalised economy

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Why Participation? 3

• Make a case for ongoing research and learning as
  adopted by the global unions in year 2000
• When negotiations ends in 50/50 or Either/Or
  Situations
• Privatization of social goods e.g. health and
  water

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Aspects of Participation

• Problem Solving
• Awareness Raising
• Shared sovereignty in decision making
• Opportunities to participate in decision making
• Access to complete information necessary to make
  a decision
• Guaranteed equal rights and respect for dignity
• The right to minimum economic, health and safety,
  and environment standards
• The right to a share in the economic value
  created by ones work

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Factors Inhibiting the Flourishing of Trade Union
Participation With Government/Employers

• Dictatorial tendencies on the part of some labor
  leaders that angers government and its
  representatives
• Resources constraints - lack of employee
  involvement
• Corruption -
• Abuse of power tendency to become
  autocratic/act solely on the basis of self
  desire, self aspiration (climbers)
• Pride and impunity

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Some ILO conventions that relate to Participation

• C.87 - freedom of association and protection of
  the right to organize
• C.98 - the right to organize and to bargain
  collectively
• C.100 - Equal Remuneration Convention
• C.111 - discrimination in respect of employment
  and occupation
• Others are Conventions 29,105,138 and 182

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Tasks/Concerns for NANNM on Participation

• When we participate, is there any written
  guarantee that this participation will not lead
  to lay offs?
• Is there any written guarantee right of
  protection from reprisal for employees/labor
  leaders who voice criticism on government?
• Are state government health institutions
  implementing policies in accordance with the
  Yaradua six point agenda?
• Is there a balance between Union and Management
  Goals?
• Is your state governed by a do-it-my way or else
  man?

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Sub Module 2
Good Governance
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Good Governance

• Public good and the promotion of overall welfare
  of society
• How will people respond when your name is
  mentioned after your tenure?
• As a leader, are you democratic, do you allow
  true participation
• In the Union circle for example, it includes
• does the state chairman carry his other officers
  along?
• Does he/she seek the blessing of the national
  secretariat before taking certain actions?

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Good Governance

• Are state or national officers accountable or can
  be held accountable?
• Is there a measureable level of trust ?
• Are these leaders competent, men of character and
  integrity?
• At or during meetings, are they in charge?
• announce the intended duration
• Set up ground rules
• Allow all to speak
• Sum up and leave the issue

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Good Governance

• Are you in constant touch with what is happening
  in every level of the Union/Association?
• Do you think win win?
• Can you apply/integrate BATNA and WATNA to
  achieve ZOPA?

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Good Governance Fundamentals

• According to Bello Imam (2004)good governance
  includes
• Accountability of Leadership
• Transparency in Decision Making
• Openness in transaction
• Observance of the rule of law
• Popular participation in decision making -
  vibrancy of trade unions/third alternative

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Bad Governance Indicators

• I know it all dont dare to question me or my
  judgment
• Arrogance and constant self defense
• People dont believe what you say
• No open discussion or involvement
• People will not tell you truth or provide you
  with vital information that might help you make
  better decisions
• People will avoid implementing your ideas and
  subvert you authority

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Sub Module 3

• Labor Leadership

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Sound Labor Leadership

• What is sound labor leadership?
• What kind of leaders is NANNM looking for?
• Is it those that collect union dues and pocket it
• Is it those that collect check off dues and
  refuse to send what belongs to the National
  Secretariat/National Labor Centre?
• Is it a cabal that are not Gender sensitive?

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Sound Labor Leadership 2

• Did you study the contract or negotiation clause
  very well ask yourself, ask what does this
  phrase really mean? Only lawyers benefit from
  vague wording
• Avoid lies and half-truths among your members
  remember, credibility once lost, can be
  impossible to repair

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Sound Labor Leadership 3

• At meetings, emphasize the things you agreed
  these are the points of common ground remember
  you need these agreements to solve disagreements
• Control emotion when provoked anger kills
• Avoid apologizing and adding a but qualifier
• Accept apologies by others resist the urge to
  score points

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Enemies of Union Leadership

• Listening without hearing
• Holding back not willing to commit yourself
• Being locked in a box
• Use of killer phrases weve already tried
  that
• Showing off what do you know in this matter
• Lack of appreciation know that appreciation is
  a wonderful thing it makes what is excellent in
  others to belong to us as well it enables us to
  know how long the rainbow will last

36
Exercise

• Rearrange the following in order of priority
  during labor election
• Education level of the contestant
• Physique of the contestant
• Relationship of the contestant with
  government/management
• Tribe
• Experience in Leading people
• Age of the contestant
• Recommendation from management
• Sex male or female

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Duties of Labor Leaders at Work

• As leaders representing a large number of people
  you have a duty of care for your members. These
  include
• To accept responsibility for members compliance
  with laid down rules and regulations
• To advance, promote and defend the interest of
  members
• To regulate terms and conditions of employment
  with employers
• To cooperate with management to create industrial
  harmony at work
• Handling of demands to educate command group

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Duties of Labor Leaders at Work 2

• To keep its members in check from going on
  illegal strikes
• Continued duty to bargain
• Educate members to obey every lawful order and
  ethics of the nursing profession
• Ensure that members use due care and skill
  commensurate with the standard they claim to
  possess and not to engage in anything that
  conflict with employers business

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Loyalty to Your Union

• In your own words, what does loyalty really mean?
  
• Are you loyal/seen as loyal by your career and
  association bosses?
• Do you discuss with the national office problems
  as they arise?
• Are you managing the branch resources profitably?

One common example telephone
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Phrases that Make/Mar Leadership

• The six most important words I admit I made a
  mistake
• The five most important words You did a good
  job
• The four most important words What is your
  opinion?
• The three most important words If you please
• The two most important words Thank you
• The one most important word We
• The least important word I

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Summary

• For participatory democracy to take root at
  national and branch levels, elected persons must
  display elements of Good Governance through open
  and honest Leadership
• Labor leadership character, competence and
  trust
• The origin of the right to participate is labor
• Democracy without participation Dictatorship

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Final Word

• The future depends on what we do in the
  present.
• -- Mahatma Ghandi

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Any Questions?
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About Presenter

• Since 1991, E.O. ICHIMA has been in the
  training and career development sector providing
  structured hands-on programs, packaging,
  developing and involved in the delivery of
  learning documentations.
• He works as the Chief Executive Officer of
  Skillpath Consulting Service
  Inc an independent
  management consulting company based in
  Abuja Nigeria