Zimpapers Logo

Davies Ndumiso Sibanda, Labour Matters

MANY chief executives delegate the duty to chair the works council out of ignorance of the role played by the works council in attainment of organisational goals.

One of the key performance areas of every chief executive is to ensure that there is stable labour relations and this can best be achieved through efficient and effective management of the works council.

No matter how hard a chief executive can push for results, without effective management of labour relations, success is likely to be short-lived. The first task of every supervisor at works council is to earn the respect and the trust of worker leaders at works council. This is obviously not easy as on many occasions workers’ committee members are elected to fight for workers’ rights against what is seen as oppressive management.

In addition to trust, there is a need for the chief executive to get workers to understand and buy into the strategic direction of the organisation. This is a duty that cannot be delegated. The chief executive has to do it if goals are to be met.

Why many chief executives delegate the management of the works council because they were not trained in people management and do not have the skills to drive improved performance through getting employees by-in.

I once worked with a boss who was a “terrorist”. We all feared him. He treated us like little boys and handled lower level employees like dirt. Employee dismissals were the order of the day to an extent that the workers dissolved the workers’ committee for fear of victimisation as in works council meetings he shouted at everyone. He got results over a short period and the whole workforce ganged up against him and results disappeared and he also lost his job.

For the chief executive to take his works council role seriously begins with the board of directors setting clear performance targets for the chief executive. The targets must clearly spell out the role of people and how they will add value. The board should see people as assets to be properly managed to be able to correctly sweat and add value. Thus, the chief executive is the board’s means for productively sweating the human asset.

Many boards assume chief executives have people management skills and as a result they are left to drive the works council without adequate training. I have sat in many works council meetings where chief executives exhibit low emotional intelligence, no motivation skills and are weak on other people management skills, a thing that can easily be fixed through appropriate training and coaching as directed by the board.

Once the chief executive is trained, he or she is likely to be able to take the works council responsibility and create an environment where workers will be able to deliver on a long term. The works council is a kind of “workplace parliament” where the workplace politicians meet to work out how work will be done to meet organisational goals in a manner that balances the employers and employees’ interests and at the same time building the workers into one great team.

Further, the works council is a creature of statute, created in terms of section 25A of the Labour Act Chapter 28:01. It is empowered to make labour laws that govern relations at the workplace and it would be irresponsible for the chief executive to delegate such an important body.

In fact, the Labour Act Chapter 28:01 makes it compulsory for the employer to engage workers at works council on use of human capital, equipment and other resources. This makes it important for the most senior person in the organisation to chair and direct its operations.

In conclusion, while there are many organisations where the chairing of the works council has been delegated to senior managers, best practice makes it the responsibility of the chief executive if best results are to be achieved.

• Davies Ndumiso Sibanda can be contacted on: 

email: [email protected].