”As we are all aware the organisation is facing some difficult financial challenges. To tackle these challenges we need to improve efficiency and make significant savings. Management will shortly be sitting down with your TU reps to discuss the way forward.
Despite any rumours you may hear no decisions have yet been made and management is committed to consulting on the detail of any proposals once they are clear “ Chief Executive
Management claimed their email was to provide reassurance and squash rumours but this type of communication is guaranteed to raise anxiety about pay and job security. May be that was management’s intension, make people think a set of harsh, drastic changes which threaten people’s jobs are about to be introduced so that when the details are announced they are not as bad as people feared and the response is more relief than anger!
It’s a well established tactic but it not a good industrial relations strategy because the lack of transparency, and use of fear will destroy any trust and goodwill. Management may get there way in the short term but find that passive resistance low morale and high turnover undermines the anticipated gains which as a result are never fully realised.
