Maphorisa sells techno-driven services to unions
Chakalisa Dube | Wednesday December 13, 2017 17:34
Across the world, the rapid change in technology has often rendered some people jobless. There is fear that should the government fully adopt the use of technology within its structures, it will render many people jobless.
However, the director of the directorate of public service management (DPSM), Ruth Maphorisa has highlighted that the full introduction of technology-driven services by government in the near future is unavoidable.
Maphorisa made the remarks when addressing the National Amalgamated Local and Central Government and Parastatal Manual Workers Union (NALCGPMWU) delegate conference recently.
“It is a fact that the introduction of services backed by technology often lead to job losses. However, the best thing that trade unions can do is to come up with ways that can help their members cope with the impact that may be brought by the introduction of such services instead of opposing their introduction,” she said.
Maphorisa said unions should effectively deliberate on the impact that may be brought by technology driven services as it will help their members prepare themselves to deal with the anticipated changes (of introducing technology-driven services) should they be affected.
She said if unions are well-prepared for changes that may be brought by technology it will also reduce friction between them and the government.
Those in support of technology-driven services have often opined that the major sectors of the economy in advanced countries have reached their peak as a result of embracing new technology.
She further said: “If we are not innovative and continue using conventional methods of providing services, members of the public will lose confidence in our ability to serve them”.
Maphorisa said the full adoption of technology by government will also help the country to maintain its economic competitiveness in the global village.
“If you go to growing countries like Rwanda you will realise that technology has played a significant role in their spectacular rise to economic stardom. We have to emulate them. You (trade unions) should look at the introduction of technology broadly not solely as a way of taking jobs away from your members,” she said.
Yesterday, the manual workers union chief executive Johnson Motshwarakgole acknowledged that the introduction of technology is something that trade unions will have to embrace as it is unavoidable.
Motshwarakgole, who is also BOFEPUSU labour secretary, said despite lower wages, the federation often encouraged its members to venture into various empowerment initiatives, which are offered by individual unions within the federation.
He explained that, amongst others, such initiatives are meant to ensure that their members are not found wanting when the government implements strategies such as the adoption of technology, which can result in them losing their jobs.
“My only gripe is that most of the time is when issues relating to the impact of the introduction of technology driven services are mostly directed towards industrial class employees and others who are in the lower cadres.
“Our view is that it should be directed to all employees across the government employment structure including directors because when the workforce shrinks there is no need to have many directors or other high positions within the government structure.”
He added that as the employer government should also take the lead in sensitising employees about the impact that may be brought by the adoption of the use of technology within the various government organisations.