Shop Steward Negotiation Skills Training Course

Shop Steward Negotiation Skills Training Course

Introduction

In today’s rapidly evolving industrial relations environment, Shop Stewards play a critical role in maintaining workplace harmony, protecting employee rights, and driving effective collective bargaining outcomes. Shop Steward Negotiation Skills Training Course is designed to equip participants with advanced labor negotiation strategies, conflict resolution techniques, grievance handling skills, and employment law awareness. The program strengthens the ability of shop stewards to confidently represent workers, engage management constructively, and achieve win-win labor relations outcomes in unionized and non-unionized workplaces.

With increasing workplace disputes, rising employee expectations, and dynamic labor laws, there is a strong demand for high-impact negotiation, emotional intelligence in labor relations, strategic communication, and dispute resolution mastery. This course integrates practical simulations, real-world case studies, and role-playing exercises to ensure shop stewards develop persuasive negotiation power, leadership confidence, and industrial relations expertise. Participants will learn how to navigate complex workplace conflicts while ensuring compliance, fairness, and productivity.

Course Duration

5 days

Course Objectives

1. Master collective bargaining strategies for effective labor negotiations 
2. Develop advanced conflict resolution and mediation skills
3. Strengthen industrial relations management capabilities 
4. Apply labor law compliance frameworks in workplace disputes 
5. Enhance grievance handling procedures and documentation 
6. Build emotional intelligence for workplace negotiations
7. Improve communication and persuasion techniques
8. Understand employee rights and union representation laws
9. Develop strategic negotiation planning skills
10. Strengthen leadership skills for shop stewards
11. Apply interest-based bargaining techniques (IBB)
12. Manage disciplinary hearings and workplace conflicts effectively 
13. Drive win-win employer-employee relations outcomes

Target Audience

1. Shop Stewards in unionized organizations 
2. Union Representatives and Labor Officers 
3. HR Managers and Industrial Relations Officers 
4. Employee Relations Specialists 
5. Workplace Union Committee Members 
6. Team Leaders in collective bargaining environments 
7. Public sector employee representatives 
8. Private sector labor relations practitioners 

Course Modules

Module 1: Foundations of Industrial Relations

• Overview of labor relations systems and frameworks 
• Roles and responsibilities of shop stewards 
• Trade union structures and governance 
• Employer-employee relationship dynamics 
• Case Study: Union recognition dispute resolution in manufacturing sector 

Module 2: Collective Bargaining Mastery

• Principles of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) 
• Bargaining power analysis techniques 
• Preparation for negotiation sessions 
• BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) strategy 
• Case Study: Successful wage negotiation in transport union 

Module 3: Advanced Negotiation Skills

• Negotiation styles and strategies 
• Interest-based vs positional bargaining 
• Persuasion and influence techniques 
• Handling deadlocks and impasses 
• Case Study: Resolving salary dispute in healthcare sector 

Module 4: Conflict Resolution & Mediation

• Conflict identification and escalation patterns 
• Mediation and arbitration processes 
• De-escalation techniques 
• Emotional control in high-pressure disputes 
• Case Study: Workplace harassment conflict mediation in retail industry 

Module 5: Grievance Handling Procedures

• Steps in grievance management systems 
• Documentation and evidence gathering 
• Investigation techniques 
• Reporting and escalation channels 
• Case Study: Grievance resolution in public service organization 

Module 6: Labor Law & Compliance

• Overview of employment laws and labor regulations 
• Rights of employees and union protections 
• Disciplinary procedures and legal safeguards 
• Compliance risks and mitigation strategies 
• Case Study: Wrongful termination dispute settlement 

Module 7: Communication & Leadership Skills

• Assertive communication techniques 
• Active listening in negotiations 
• Building trust with management 
• Leadership development for shop stewards 
• Case Study: Improving union-management communication in factory setting 

Module 8: Strategic Industrial Relations Management

• Designing sustainable labor relations frameworks 
• Workplace policy development 
• Crisis negotiation strategies 
• Productivity vs labor welfare balance 
• Case Study: Strike prevention through strategic negotiation planning 

Training Methodology

This course employs a participatory and hands-on approach to ensure practical learning, including:

• Interactive lectures and presentations.
• Group discussions and brainstorming sessions.
• Hands-on exercises using real-world datasets.
• Role-playing and scenario-based simulations.
• Analysis of case studies to bridge theory and practice.
• Peer-to-peer learning and networking.
• Expert-led Q&A sessions.
• Continuous feedback and personalized guidance.

Register as a group from 3 participants for a Discount

Send us an email: info@datastatresearch.org or call +254724527104 

Certification

Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with a globally- recognized certificate.

Tailor-Made Course

 We also offer tailor-made courses based on your needs.

Key Notes

a. The participant must be conversant with English.

b. Upon completion of training the participant will be issued with an Authorized Training Certificate

c. Course duration is flexible and the contents can be modified to fit any number of days.

d. The course fee includes facilitation training materials, 2 coffee breaks, buffet lunch and A Certificate upon successful completion of Training.

e. One-year post-training support Consultation and Coaching provided after the course.

f. Payment should be done at least a week before commence of the training, to DATASTAT CONSULTANCY LTD account, as indicated in the invoice so as to enable us prepare better for you.