SECTION X SAFETY GRIEVANCES AND THEIR SOLUTIONS Many times during your tenure as a member of the mine safety committee, you will be confronted by some of your associates with problems or grievances that are causing them concern, and, of course, are looking to you for possible solutions. There are many types of safety grievances some of which are real, some of which are exaggerated, and some of which are purely imaginative. A safety grievance, no matter how trivial, can grow to giant proportions, if it is ignored or brushed off, and you then have a serious problem for which to find a solution. Regardless of the type, the time to solve a safety grievance is while it is still in the complaint stage, before it has become important enough to become a major issue. The safety grievance may be real or imagined, but it is still important to the individual. As leaders in your union, you should act quickly to prevent a minor gripe from developing into a major problem. Immediate and sympathetic attention should be given to every safety grievance coming to your attention and thus eliminate the possibility of creating a serious internal problem among your associates. Like all other people, we ourselves complain at times about one thing or another. Like everybody else, we want to have our complaints taken seriously. Nothing rubs us the wrong way more than to have our complaints greeted with a stony silence or passed over with an insincere promise to do something about it. These reactions of ours are no different from the reactions of your people when they come to you with complaints which are not promptly acted upon. Probably half or more of all the major grievances among people have grown out of very minor complaints. Before continuing with our discussion, we need to consider the question, "What is a grievance?" Before answering this particular question, suppose we explore the following: 1. Are grievances only the complaints which come to your attention through the regular grievance procedure? 2. If a man complains to a supervisor informally, is that a grievance? ance? 3. If a man complains to a fellow worker, is that a griev 4. If a man harbors a grudge but makes no complaint, is that a grievance? 5. If a man thinks that something is wrong, but is silent, is that a grievance? The answer to our original question is, of course, that a grievance is anything which an individual thinks is wrong. Remember that as far as the individual is concerned and your concern as a member of the safety committee, in eliminating the trouble, there is no such thing as an imaginary safety grievance. The cause may be imaginary, but the grievance is real. As a member of the mine safety committee, concerned with the safety and well being of your associates, should you be concerned with grievances brought to your attention? Consider the following factors involving reasons for finding quick solutions to mine safety grievances: Does not each of these items affect the attitude of your associates toward their particular work duties, usually of a negative nature and in such a state of mind are more likely to relax their vigilance, forget their safety training, and thus become easy prey for injuries. Any grievances, whether within your particular jurisdiction or not, affects the safety of your fellow men, and you must be concerned and attempt to find a solution. Dealing with Safety Grievances In attacking this sort of problem, there are certain steps that you should follow in developing a solution, such as: 1. Talk with all people concerned to find out just what kind of trouble lies behind the grievance. 2. Make an independent investigation of the reasons given and determine whether they are justified or not. 3. Get the important or decisive facts together and make sure they are pinned down exactly before going any further. 4. If a grievance is justified, do something about it in accordance with the provisions provided in the contractual agreement. 5. After investigating the grievance and weighing the facts, you find no basis of an actual complaint, advise the workman of the true facts with a complete explanation. Don't be satisfied with telling him, you must also sell him. The give-and-take of everyday human relationships are made easier when people are given a chance to express their gripes and opinions. When complaints are handled intelligently and fairly, there is less chance of their developing into troublesome grievances. How does a safety grievance develop? A grievance is formed some what like the old adage of the acorn and the oak tree, usually in a manner according to the following pattern: 1. A situation arises that causes a worker difficulty or which he thinks should be corrected. 2. He makes an effort to adjust it in a normal way, and finds that his actions have failed to get it adjusted. 3. He either complains to other workers, or other workers notice it and begin to talk about it. The grievance becomes crystallized into a state of mind, in which the pride of the worker is at stake. He begins to dwell on the incident which he considers unjust and begins to fight back with such weapons as he has. ५. 6. The grievance spreads to dissatisfaction among other workers. 7. The situation now becomes a serious union and management problem. Types of Safety Grievances There are three basic types of safety grievances that will concern you and the particular category of an individual grievance will not be recognizable until the matter has been thoroughly discussed with all parties concerned. The types are: 1. The malicious grievance, probably the most dangerous and difficult to cope with. This grievance may be in the nature of a You rumor or a premeditated attempt to disrupt the organization. must be exacting in pinning down the source of the grievance to the individuals responsible. You should insist upon exact statements and proof or evidence to support any opinions. 2. The puzzled or frustrated grievance, usually resulting from lack of understanding or rumors that are vague or unfounded. This type of grievance usually shows itself in vague discontent on the part of one or more employees. 3. The grievances of weak, easily influenced, or imaginative people. These individuals are influenced by trouble makers or feel that they are being persecuted or dealt with unfairly. These persons feel that something is wrong and will respond favorably to reasonable, honest thinking and action, and need your help in building up their self-confidence. Discontented Workmen As a member of the mine safety committee, you realize that you have limited control over the satisfactions and frustrations of your fellow workmen. Some of your associates will carry their personal problems and frustrations onto their jobs, which will, quite naturally, affect their attitudes, moods, and job performance. You must also be aware that some orders and changes passed on to your fellow workers by supervisors will be greeted with considerable resentment, either openly or held smoldering within the affected individuals. You must recognize too that discontented workmen will always be a factor in any industrial organization. Discontent of a positive nature is a major factor in advancements and progress but negative forms of discontent can become hindrances to the success of any organization. Why is negative forms of discontent a problem to both a union and management? Consider the following items affecting both safety of individuals and production: How do you determine if there are negative forms of discontent among your fellow workmen? One or more of the following will be evident if discontent is a major factor and a safety problem that should cause you concern: 1. An attitude of indifference. 2. A surly or bitter attitude, a feeling of being "persecuted." 3. Excessive absenteeism. 4. Constant complaints and criticism. 5. Excessive arguments and "friction." 6° Jealousy, gossip, and other evidence of low morale. What are the causes of negative discontent among your associates, and how do you, a member of the mine safety committee, cope with such situations after they become evident? Your jurisdictional authority is, of course, limited but there is still considerable that you can do to gain their cooperation for working safely, which is your prime reason for being a member of the safety committee. In our discussion of the previous section, there is the implication that, to effectively dispatch your responsibilities as a member of the mine safety committee, you must be a good listener. Listening We Active listening Much can be learned from your associates by active listening. use the word "active" in this section also since there is a marked difference between active and passive listening. is listening with your eyes as well as your ears. cerned with what the man is saying to you. According to an authority on listening, the productivity of any department, and this includes safety, can be improved almost automatically by 10 percent with active listening. It is claimed and supported by scientific experiments, that the average audience, such as yourself, forgets from one-third to onehalf of what it hears within 8 hours, and that within 2 months |