The Concept of Conciliation Machinery

Conciliation is an ancient art.

Conciliation machinery is a legal or political mechanism set up by government or managerial bodies in order to provide a framework for the mediation and reconciliation of disputes. The concept behind preparing such a mechanism is to make disputes as easy and quick to reconcile a situation to each party's satisfaction as possible.

Conciliator or Conciliatory Body

Conciliation machinery usually includes a process by which an independent conciliator or conciliatory body or council can be appointed. This person or body must have no prior ties with either side in the dispute and must be respected by both sides in order for them to able to carry out the work of mediation satisfactorily.

Labor Disputes

Conciliatory machinery is most often set into action during labor disputes between employees, unions and management. When a workforce or union threatens or votes to go on strike, the results can be disruptive to the wider community. For this reason, governments and labor organizations often make contingency plans that include the speedy intervention of expert arbitrators or mediators who can promote communication between both sides and resolve disputes about wages and working conditions to minimize the disruption.

Greater Efficiency

Conciliation machinery is usually aimed at preventing disputes from being played out in the conventional legal system, which can be a lengthy, drawn-out and an expensive process. For instance, in the event of an air-traffic controller's strike, which could cause traffic chaos over a wide area, it is in everyone's best interests to see the dispute resolved as quickly as possible rather than waiting for a series of court rulings and appeals.

References

• Masters of Business Resolution Notes: Conciliation Machinery
• Jamaican Labour Ministry: Labour Ministry to Strengthen Conciliation Machinery
• International Labor Organization: Voluntary Conciliation and Arbitration Recommendation