Workers may shy away from strikes (part II)
| Thursday May 8, 2014 15:16
There is no easy way for uniting the nation behind the national budget. The emerging budget process reforms which embrace broader consultations should benefit the nation and the labour unions with the passage of time.
Our small population is spread over a large area. Service delivery is unrealistically expensive if state institutions are stretched. There is no easy solution to this because different ethnic groups want to remain where they are and they have that right. Any budget item which takes more funds than is ideal for our small population leaves much less for salaries.The government has made huge strides in improving human resource skills. However the country still suffers from financial resource wastage because of a skills deficit, poor supervision, duplication, bureaucratic lapses and corruption. We are not as bad as some of our neighbours but there can be no denying that the country could do more for its citizens with the current level of GDP.
To achieve a good measure of workers’ needs, union leaders ought to move away from the baggage of militancy because threats lose value if used repeatedly. Asking people to vote out the minister of Presidential affairs and Administration is suicidal and borders on arrogance and possibly an abuse of office at the expense of workers’ rights. Here is why I say so.
Assuming that the minister is indeed voted out, perhaps along with his party, what guarantee do union leaders have that an incoming administration will hike salaries? There is evidence everywhere that politicians say one thing from opposition benches and quite another when they assume power. Find out what a union leader who rose to become the president of his country did during his term just across our border. Read the papers to see how well the ANC has met the demands of the poor and the labour unions. Anyone who thinks Mohamed Morsi of Egypt is an exception is lost.
Our opposition parties certainly have good intentions for now at least. How sure are we that they possess the competency, political will and funds to meet electoral demands? It is not like they will come with billions from Heaven or that they will manufacture some. My guess is that they could easily tell the unions to be patriotic and stop making noise.
Bashing the cabinet is in all respects a go for broke strategy. It may be a well thought out shock tactic but it is dangerously stupid. Let us assume that the Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration is retained in 2014, how do unions hope to do business with him in future?
Will the animosity they are helping to build assist the workers’ cause in any way? From a hunch, I should state here that the chances of this minister being voted out are only as high as the likelihood that an African team will win the 2014 World cup in Brazil. Be careful with what you wish for.
Strategic thinking should be applied to make labour unions more competent. Begin with more training in leadership and negotiation skills. By nature government negotiators tend to be inflexible but this does not mean they cannot compromise.
Therefore the labour unions require thinkers who can keep cool heads amidst adversity. Emotional intelligence, respect for the other party, ability to see the bigger picture and economic skills to scrutinise government spending patterns are critical requirements in wage negotiations. Negotiators must be able to suggest genuine sources of funds and budget restructuring which would be difficult for government to ignore.
Labour unions also have the opportunity to build better working relationships with government. There is room to cooperate with government to make PMS produce better results. It is not impossible to mobilise the civil service to build an exemplary group of state cadres. Malaysia is a case in point but it would not be what it is without forward looking strategies.
If the civil service achieves higher levels of service delivery and the unions are seen to have contributed, the temptation to improve working conditions including salaries would be irresistible. The balanced score card which is at the heart of PMS endorses good working conditions and remuneration. The government cannot be the initiator of the system and turn against it. Unions have a long way to go before they understand their business environment. Until then, they cannot be effective vanguards of workers they represent.
A push in the level of productivity is superior ammunition for seeking a raise in wages beyond the inflation syndrome, especially when we have a results-conscious president and cabinet secretary. This strategic thinking is more likely to win sympathy than the usual disparaging remarks and anger.
Substitute the so-called solidarity of government opponents and the personalising of wage negotiations around the Minister with passionate lobbying of MP’s and all cabinet ministers. Consummate lobbying backed by statistics can be used to show decision-makers that inflation salary adjustments benefit top earners but have a marginal impact on the bulk of the workforce.Hostility has no role in negotiation. Labour unions are justified to consult with anyone in the course of their business activities. Nonetheless, allowing prominent politicians opposed to the ruling party to appear or address an emotionally charged workers’ gathering is a nerve-racking misjudgment. It’s true that workers would find comfort in the subsequent expression of solidarity but what else? At best, the political twist is a case of the tail wagging the dog. Psychological baggage carried to the workplace derails everything targeted by the business strategy. As for the labour union leaders this is nothing more than self aggrandisement.
* Sandy Milanda is an Independent Consultant to continue next week