Edward Davey, the minister for employment relations, has given his public support to mediation within the workplace.

Reacting to the news that the government will launch pilot mediation schemes in Cambridge and Manchester, Davey maintained that the government had always held the opinion that tribunals should be the last step in resolving workplace disputes - with mediation used in the first instance.

"Mediation offers an informal method of dispute resolution and can be used at the point when problems first arise," Davey suggested, according to the Press Association. "For both employers and employees, it can mean avoiding the need for formal discipline and grievance procedures."

If the government's pilot schemes work - which offer a network of trained mediators to small businesses in the selected areas - then the number of tribunal claims seen in the UK could well drop. This may come as a relief to both permanent and interim managers who may have to deal with workplace disputes within their teams.

An adviser for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Mike Emmott, was warm towards the idea. Cited by Morningstaronline.co.uk, he said the move would help the agenda to "migrate from a risk-averse, compliance based culture to one that focuses on informal methods of resolving conflict" move forward.

What's more, a spokesperson for the Civil Mediation Council, Paul Randolph, seemed highly encouraged by Davey's comments.

Comments