National Council Takes Strong Action On Workplace Harassment and Bullying

The National Council has endorsed the implementation of significant policies and procedures for workplace harassment and bullying.

At the recent special meeting, the Council reviewed and discussed three documents that will take, and have already made, specific steps to implement an earlier decision by the Council in November 2013.

“Our union has to have a policy of mutual respect which is spoken about and reminded before every meeting,” National Secretary Paddy Crumlin told the Council. “It is about the language and sexist language patterns. As officials we have to make a conscious decision to make sure that this is thought about and acted on every day. We also have to ensure that those policies are spread throughout every industry our members work in”.

As part of the MUA’s effort to combat workplace harassment and bullying, Mich-Elle Myers, National Women’s Liaison Officer, highlighted key points:

• An EBA template clause and mutual respect policy have been circulated;
• MUA delegate training will now contain a module on Workplace Harassment;
• The Hunterlink contact card will now be in new members packs;
• MUA & Hunterlink are in discussion regarding a similar scheme to ‘mates in construction’, which is mainly suicide prevention but can also be used for bullying and harassment.
• MUA supports the identification of an independent mediator for resolving harassment and bullying incidents and views Hunterlink as the preferred mediator.
• The MUA booklet on workplace behaviour is being developed so that every MUA member can participate in conversations around the workplace. In particular, the Council supported the notion of training for all MUA officials.

At the end of the discussion, National Council resolved to:

1.            Endorse the implementation of the policies and procedures in the three draft documents attached as appendices.

2.            Reaffirms its commitment to the ongoing rollout of consultation with employers to improve the process for Bullying and Harassment issues for all employees and officials.

3.            Endorse the use of Hunterlink as the preferred mediator in the resolution of workplace harassment