Publications
Partners
IN THE depth of our strike season, a reminder is in order. Consumers do not have to put up with constant strike action, inconvenience, jostling by pickets, intimidation and humiliation. There are alternatives.
Some time ago, my wife and I ran the gauntlet of an aggressive and rowdy picket line to do our shopping. My wife was jostled, became afraid and was then mocked and humiliated by the pickets
The store manager appeared indifferent. There was a strike on. What could he do?
The implication was that law-abiding citizens just have to accept this. Workers have the right to strike. Their leaders have a role in government. Strikers can intimidate, use foul language, cause damage and get away with it. The track record proves it.
Workers can withdraw their labour. For their part, customers can withdraw their custom.
This happened following my picket-line experience. I’ve never been back to that store – the entire chain, not just the local outlet.
Striking back like this is not unusual.
Friends who saved for years to go to La Scala did something similar. They arrived in Milan to find opera performances had been cancelled because of strike action. They vowed never to go to Italy again, and never have.
In another instance, a South African Airways strike grounded me when I should have been flying to a major conference to make an address. I never made it. My personal credibility suffered, so did my business.
I still resent the injury done to me by those SAA strikers, and make sure I’m never in a situation where I have to rely on our national carrier.
Now petrol attendants, municipal employees and others are on strike or preparing to.
We need their labour, but not forever.
Businesses can install self-service petrol pumps or DIY barcoding and payment systems that allow shoppers to buy and pack their own groceries.
Tragically for national prospects, jobs will be lost. It’s already apparent that one worker’s pay rise is another’s redundancy slip. As labour costs rise, greater automation will come in.
In the meantime, what can we do?
Consumers should only go to premises where they feel safe and where managers, supervisors and owners are sympathetic and helpful in the face of labour disruption.
Managers and owners should do everything they can to communicate with suppliers and customers. Many businesses have extensive databases. They can update customers and suppliers on the situation and do what they can to maintain some sort of service.
Being helpful in a crisis is never forgotten. After the bombing of London, some stores displayed signs saying ‘We never closed in the Blitz!’. They were rewarded with loyal custom by a generation of Londoners.
In stressful times, you either bomb out or stand out.
- Fin24
* Aki Kalliatakis is founder of The Leadership LaunchPad, a consultancy that specialises in programmes to raise service standards.
Some time ago, my wife and I ran the gauntlet of an aggressive and rowdy picket line to do our shopping. My wife was jostled, became afraid and was then mocked and humiliated by the pickets
The store manager appeared indifferent. There was a strike on. What could he do?
The implication was that law-abiding citizens just have to accept this. Workers have the right to strike. Their leaders have a role in government. Strikers can intimidate, use foul language, cause damage and get away with it. The track record proves it.
Workers can withdraw their labour. For their part, customers can withdraw their custom.
This happened following my picket-line experience. I’ve never been back to that store – the entire chain, not just the local outlet.
Striking back like this is not unusual.
Friends who saved for years to go to La Scala did something similar. They arrived in Milan to find opera performances had been cancelled because of strike action. They vowed never to go to Italy again, and never have.
In another instance, a South African Airways strike grounded me when I should have been flying to a major conference to make an address. I never made it. My personal credibility suffered, so did my business.
I still resent the injury done to me by those SAA strikers, and make sure I’m never in a situation where I have to rely on our national carrier.
Now petrol attendants, municipal employees and others are on strike or preparing to.
We need their labour, but not forever.
Businesses can install self-service petrol pumps or DIY barcoding and payment systems that allow shoppers to buy and pack their own groceries.
Tragically for national prospects, jobs will be lost. It’s already apparent that one worker’s pay rise is another’s redundancy slip. As labour costs rise, greater automation will come in.
In the meantime, what can we do?
Consumers should only go to premises where they feel safe and where managers, supervisors and owners are sympathetic and helpful in the face of labour disruption.
Managers and owners should do everything they can to communicate with suppliers and customers. Many businesses have extensive databases. They can update customers and suppliers on the situation and do what they can to maintain some sort of service.
Being helpful in a crisis is never forgotten. After the bombing of London, some stores displayed signs saying ‘We never closed in the Blitz!’. They were rewarded with loyal custom by a generation of Londoners.
In stressful times, you either bomb out or stand out.
- Fin24
* Aki Kalliatakis is founder of The Leadership LaunchPad, a consultancy that specialises in programmes to raise service standards.
