Getting value from the workers’ committee

Labour Matters, Davies Ndumiso Sibanda

MANY organisations are not getting value from the workers’ committee because managers are not trained on the role of the workers’ committee in productivity improvement. 

The starting point is having line managers trained on labour relations role and basic labour legislation. 

The training must cover how to get the workers’ committee to add value to the business.

The chief executive has to demonstrate ability to unlock the workers’ energy through effective use of the workers’ committee.

Other than training line managers, the chief executive has to thread effective utilisation of the workers through the workers’ committee.

Supervisors and managers using all other management tools without engaging the workers representatives, will not achieve set goals.

It must be born in mind that employee satisfaction and happiness issues are in the majority of cases presented to the employers through the workers’ committee.

Last week I was in a supermarket queue and two women whose husbands work for the same company were discussing economic challenges families are facing and they were saying that they hope the workers’ committee where their husbands work negotiate for provision of grocery instead of salary increase. 

One of them was saying the workers’ committee usually does a good job as last time it successfully negotiated for children’s school fees assistance.

They went on to say they don’t bother even if their husbands work overtime during weekends as the employer cares. They even mentioned Mahewu given to employees at work as something they cherish. 

Such discussion clearly shows employee satisfaction that extends beyond work meaning that good management decisions cascade downwards to create a supportive environment for employees thus translating to improved productivity at work. 

Every chief executive must ensure all heads of department understand the role of workers’ committee representatives and are able to use them in the interest of the business and workers.

Every head of department and chief executive must fully understand policies and procedures of the organisation, collective bargaining agreements for the industry and all valid works council agreements if they are to add value.

Human resources people should merely be informal consultants and not custodians of those documents.

Further all heads of department who sit at works council must be fully trained on the conduct of works council meetings and all the activities that make the works council business such as conduct of meetings, constitution of the works council and many others. 

All those who supervise members of the workers committee must be trained on how to engage them over issues of employee productivity, employee behaviours, how they will be released to attend works council or workers’ committee meetings, how they will attend to workers who need their help, how they will handle problem employees and many others.

The problem arises when management sees workers’ committee members as enemies deserving victimisation and dismissal. 

Generally, workers also adopt a militant approach resulting in soiled labour relations and loss of productivity. 

In today’s business world, managers who do not have human capital management skills do not last in their jobs as human capital is critical for the achievement of goals.

In conclusion commitment by management to getting the workers’ committee to add value tends to have long term benefits as it creates an environment that allows for growth and development.