Shop Steward Development Programme Training Course

Shop Steward Development Programme Training Course

Introduction

Shop Steward Development Programme Training Course is designed to empower employee representatives with advanced collective bargaining skills, labour law compliance knowledge, conflict resolution strategies, and union leadership competencies. In today’s evolving industrial landscape shaped by workplace digitisation, labour rights activism, gig economy expansion, and employee engagement transformation, shop stewards play a critical role in ensuring fair representation, social dialogue, and sustainable industrial harmony.

This programme builds strong capacity in employee advocacy, grievance handling, negotiation excellence, dispute resolution, occupational health and safety (OHS), and organisational communication frameworks. It equips participants to confidently engage management, interpret labour legislation, and drive constructive labour-management relations while fostering productivity, workplace justice, and industrial peace in both unionised and non-unionised environments.

Course Duration

5 days

Course Objectives

1. Develop mastery in labour law interpretation and workplace compliance
2. Strengthen collective bargaining and negotiation techniques
3. Enhance grievance handling and dispute resolution skills
4. Build competence in industrial relations management
5. Improve conflict management and mediation capabilities
6. Understand employee rights and union responsibilities
7. Develop leadership skills for shop steward representation
8. Strengthen communication and stakeholder engagement
9. Promote awareness of occupational health and safety (OHS) standards
10. Build capacity in disciplinary hearing procedures
11. Enhance emotional intelligence for workplace diplomacy
12. Strengthen documentation and reporting skills in labour processes
13. Foster ethical leadership and fair workplace advocacy

Target Audience

1. Newly elected shop stewards 
2. Experienced union representatives 
3. HR practitioners involved in labour relations 
4. Supervisors and line managers in unionised workplaces 
5. Trade union officials and organisers 
6. Employee relations officers 
7. Workplace dispute resolution committees 
8. Public and private sector labour representatives 

Course Modules

Module 1: Foundations of Industrial Relations

• Evolution of labour relations systems 
• Roles of shop stewards in modern workplaces 
• Employer-employee relationship dynamics 
• Labour rights and responsibilities 
• Trade union structures and governance 
• Case Study: A manufacturing plant experiences repeated strikes due to poor communication between union and management—analysis of breakdown in industrial relations.

Module 2: Labour Law and Workplace Compliance

• Key labour legislation frameworks 
• Employee rights vs employer obligations 
• Disciplinary codes and procedures 
• Contractual employment principles 
• Legal compliance audits 
• Case Study: A dismissal dispute arising from alleged misconduct and procedural unfairness in a logistics company.

Module 3: Collective Bargaining Strategies

• Bargaining power dynamics 
• Negotiation planning and preparation 
• Wage negotiation techniques 
• Conflict-to-consensus transformation 
• Agreement drafting fundamentals 
• Case Study: Salary negotiations between a teachers’ union and education authorities leading to nationwide tension.

Module 4: Grievance Handling & Dispute Resolution

• Grievance identification and classification 
• Escalation procedures 
• Mediation and arbitration processes 
• Workplace complaint resolution systems 
• Documentation of grievances 
• Case Study: A workplace harassment complaint escalating into arbitration in a corporate office setting.

Module 5: Conflict Management & Workplace Harmony

• Sources of workplace conflict 
• Negotiation vs confrontation approaches 
• Emotional intelligence in disputes 
• De-escalation techniques 
• Peace-building strategies 
• Case Study: Interdepartmental conflict affecting productivity in a public service institution.

Module 6: Leadership & Shop Steward Effectiveness

• Leadership styles in union environments 
• Decision-making under pressure 
• Representation ethics 
• Team mobilisation strategies 
• Accountability in leadership 
• Case Study: A shop steward facing mistrust from members due to lack of transparency in negotiations.

Module 7: Communication & Stakeholder Engagement

• Effective workplace communication 
• Report writing and documentation 
• Public speaking for union leaders 
• Stakeholder mapping and engagement 
• Persuasion and influence techniques 
• Case Study: Miscommunication between union leadership and employees leading to misinformation and unrest.

Module 8: Occupational Health, Safety & Workplace Welfare

• OHS legal frameworks and standards 
• Hazard identification and risk assessment 
• Workplace wellness programmes 
• Incident reporting systems 
• Safety committee participation 
• Case Study: A construction site accident caused by ignored safety protocols and weak enforcement of OHS standards.

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@fineskilltrainingcenter.org or call +254769199797 

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 Fineskill Training Center account, as indicated in the invoice so as to enable us prepare better for you.