What is common between Anna & Starbucks?

Further to my July 30 post 'Eyes on Star-bucks', the Starbucks strike at Chile has ended. In July, the nearly 200-member strong union in Chile launched Starbucks' first strike at company-owned stores, seeking pay that keeps up with inflation, a $100 monthly lunch stipend, as well as other benefits.

Although the strike ended with the company willing to welcome back the unionized partners, the larger issue that this low profile strike stirred has not been lost on many. Experts feel that Starbucks strike in Chilie is a symptom of a larger people movement in that region. Not only starbucks, some other companies have also seen such conflicts. but to read these strikes as organization-specific and only IR-related case would be a huge error. Rosa Luxemburg describes - 'workplace struggles as part of a fabric of broader political struggle against the state and its imperialist wars. She points out how essential it is to see the overlapping between political and economic struggles, to see how struggles for unionization emerge in the context of broader political upheavals. She also points out to the dynamic relationship between economic and political struggle and how they enrich one another.' (source: blackorchids collective)

This is why Anna's movement in India perhaps has a huge significance. More than anything else, the mass-support to Anna's movement is a representative of the angst of people against the corrupt system. The movement also marks yet another major show of real people power and spontaneous support rather than orchestrated show of strength that most of the political parties have been doing in India.

Nations and organizations cannot remain blind to such movements, whether in Chile or India. Engagement of people in any systems can only happen on real and equal terms and by initiating concrete steps towards building both rational and emotional connect with the enterprise.

Eyes on the Star-bucks

Earlier this month, the nearly 200-member strong union in Chile launched Starbucks' first strike at company-owned stores, seeking pay that keeps up with inflation, a $100 monthly lunch stipend, as well as other benefits.

The Seattle-based company operates roughly 17,000 cafes in more than 50 countries around the world. The vast majority of its cafes are not unionized.Union workers account for roughly 30 percent of Starbucks' overall work force of nearly 700 in Chile. Despite the strike, the Starbucks' cafes  have remained open in the country.

Starbucks maintains that its pay and other compensation in Chile -- which includes stock awards, merit increases and comprehensive health coverage for full- and part-time workers -- is "above and beyond" what is offered by the coffee chain's peers in that market.

However as per reports, a Starbucks Corp executive sent a memo to company leaders late on Tuesday, saying the company would welcome back striking workers and that it hopes for an amicable resolution to the ongoing labor dispute.

It will be intresting to note the developments considering that Starbucks is a global brand and given the fact that it is known for its focus on employee engagement.

Back in 2008 when Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz took over as CEO he was was blunt, telling analysts the company had lost sight of its mission and would rededicate itself to "laser-like focus on the customer experience."Schultz strongly believed that respect for employees will translate into better customer service, which ultimately leads to a stronger bottom line. He brought in a belief that engaged employees—those who are committed to the vision and values of their organization—generate higher sales and customer loyalty. Schultz had gone on record to say - "We're in the people business. Of course we sell coffee as a product, but we're in the people business. It's all human connection. We've been able to crack the code at creating an environment where people are treated well, they're respected, and they're valued. Customers come in and can see it's a different kind of environment, almost an oasis."

Watch-out this space for more.