Disregard For Disciplinary Procedures Costly
Olefile Serokolo | Monday September 25, 2017 16:22
Rabasimane was addressing a workshop on disciplinary procedures organised by Selebi-Phikwe Town Council (SPTC) recently.
He said due to failure to follow the right procedures, it end up coming as a cost to the government in cases where people go to court fighting for their unfair dismissals. He said this also reflects badly on the government.
Rabasimane stressed the importance of following right disciplinary measures to avoid finding themselves battling with their employees in the court of laws. He noted that most people believe that disciplinary process is easy and end up overlooking other measures in the process.
He said the process is very complex and requires a person to know and understand it. Rabasimane said the Public Service Act (PSA) is the only instrument or principal legislature at the work place that they should abide and follow.
Rabasimane stated that the time he spent with SPTC top management and trade union representatives made him realise that the majority of them were not aware of what is in the Act.
He said this was surprising because the PSA is a tool that they have to use daily in supervising or monitoring their juniors. He said not being familiar with the Act results in them taking decisions of dismissing people unfairly, hence painting a bad picture and costing the government.
He applauded the SPTC for conducting the workshop, noting that it is vital in preventing situations where the council fights the legal battles. “They have invited their management and representatives of trade unions so that they can be equipped with knowledge. When we began I could tell that most of them were not aware of a lot of things concerning the PSA, but now I can realise there is progress and understanding.
I believe that from here they are going to close the performance gaps that are there in their work places and implement this acts properly following the right procedures,” he said.
Rabasimane explained that the role of trade union representatives during disciplinary hearings is not of an attorney on behalf of the employee as the contract of employment is between the employee and the employer. As such, it is the employee who should account for their misconducts not the unions. He however said unions play a major role in making sure that there is compliance and fairness prior to reaching a decision. He said following the right procedures promotes peace between the employer and trade unions. It also improves productivity and the relationship between the employer and the employees, said Rabasimane.
Town Clerk, Godimo Garegope said the workshop helped council management to understand the rules and procedures that must be followed when applying the disciplinary process. He said it gives participants a clear guidance on what to do if they are faced with a disciplinary matter and also build self-confidence when conducting a formal hearing. Garegope said participants would be able to understand the purpose of the disciplinary procedure and be familiar with key stages. He said the overall aim was to resolve issues of misconduct fairly, effectively and in a timely fashion.
The Town Clerk assured that SPTC will, from there, map a way forward on whether to hold such workshops annually as they have realised its importance.