Online Course on Conciliation/Mediation of Labour Disputes
Online
Online Course on Conciliation/Mediation of Labour Disputes
6–24 June 2022
The course is available in English
Introduction to the course
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges and difficulties for the world of work and exacerbated the existing ones.
In such a crisis context, consensus-based conflict resolution methods can offer quick and effective solutions to labour disputes. Conciliation/mediation plays an important role in the way in which employers, workers and their organisations, find agreed solutions to common problems at the workplace or sectoral level.
The place of adversarial rights-based processes such as labour tribunals or arbitration is not in dispute, but at the same time, there is growing recognition of the value of effective consensus-based dispute resolution methods, including conciliation and mediation.
Conciliation / mediation skills are not innate. They require study, self-reflection and practice. To reduce the extent and the likelihood of conflict between the parties, conciliators / mediators are required to apply professional gesture. Their competencies will make the difference in the resolving of the disputes and in fostering cooperation rather than competition among the parties.
Guided by the principles and values of the ILO, this course aims to provide participants with a set of solid skills and thorough knowledge on conflict resolution, with a specific focus on conciliation / mediation. Participants will explore the conflict dynamic. They will learn the different approaches to conflict resolution and the key principles of conciliation/mediation. Furthermore, they will have the chance to get familiarized with a four-step suggested conciliation/mediation process and to develop and refine their soft skills.
Who attends this course?
- Staff of labour disputes agencies;
- staff of ministries of labour involved in dispute prevention and resolution;
- employers' and workers' representatives;
- industrial relations experts and practitioners;
- labour lawyers.
Course structure and methodology
The course will be conducted online, from 4 to 22 April 2022 and will last three weeks. The overall time involvement is of approximately 35 hours.
Participants will be given access to a dedicated e-platform on the E-Campus, the e-learning portal of the ITCILO, accessible through a laptop or any portable device.
On this e-platform, participants will find the resources and the activities related to the five modules of the course. Every module includes pre-recorded videos, reading material, interactive resources, practical exercises and other group activities linked to conciliation/mediation.
The learning will be interactive and facilitated by a tutor, who will provide guidance and clarifications on topics and activities.
Every week, between two and three live webinars (one per module) will be organised using Zoom. The webinars will last two hours each and will include theoretical explanations complemented by individual reflection activities, plenary discussions, group works and other highly. Webinars will be facilitated and animated by experienced conciliators/mediators.
The participation to the webinars is not mandatory. For those participants who are not in the position to join the live sessions, recordings will be made available on the e-platform.
At the end of the course, participants will be asked to complete a final course work consisting of an essay, which will offer them the possibility to receive a Certificate of Participation.
For those participants interested in obtaining a Certificate of Achievement in Conciliation/Mediation of Labour Disputes by the ITCILO, there is the possibility to complement this learning journey by attending the Certification Course on Conciliation/Mediation of Labour Disputes A9714759. For further information, please visit the course page: https://www.itcilo.org/courses/certification-course-conciliationmediation-labour-disputes
Objectives
This course aims to:
- Provide sound theoretical and practical knowledge of the key principles of the conciliation/mediation processes;
- Strengthen the understanding and analyse the role and functions of the conciliator/mediator;
- Provide techniques and guidance on how to improve the role of conciliators/mediators;
- Foster knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices related to conciliation/mediation;
- Promote the application of key ILO principles and values on this matter.
Content
- Introduction to conciliation/mediation;
- The conflict dynamic;
- Social dialogue, ILO Conventions and Recommendations;
- Process management skills;
- Problem management skills;
- Effective people skills;
- Effective qualities and skills of a conciliator/mediator;
- The process of conciliation/mediation.
