DTCB union petition management

EPHRAIM KEORENG
Staff Writer | Monday October 11, 2010 00:00

 

When handing the petition, DTCB union chairman Kabelo Kelepile said DTCB management fails to handle the performance management system, noting that the leadership ignores it.

'Performance management is an ongoing communication process, undertaken in partnership between an employee and his or her line manager (at grade five pay scale) that involves establishing clear expectations and understanding on the essential job functions the employees are expected to do, how the employees' job contributes to the goals of the organisation... and identifying barriers to performance and removing them,' he said.

The union leader said they are disturbed by the incompetence of management in failing to follow the PMS circle.He said his union will not tolerate 'the incompetence of the managers to derail our lives.  The management has failed to set objectives with employees at the beginning of the year as per the business strategic plan which entails PMS. Furthermore we realise that these managers are being used as a scapegoat,' he said.

He said the managers are being manipulated, adding that gone are the days when managers used to give directives without consulting.

Kelepile said the management has disobeyed procedures for PMS as set in the manuals more so that the year 2010 is coming to a close. He said they expected managers to have capabilities to drive PMS.

'We make strides to try and close the educational deficiencies on our managers but we are very much disappointed to realise that instead they are taken on leisure trips in the context of having outside classes,' he said.

He called for the suspension of all managers who fail to perform their duties diligently, especially in the running of the PMS circle.

'As a union we have resolved that we shall not try to run the organisation, but management is silent on the issue of PMS objective setting for 2010/2011.

We are equally concerned as employees that for the better part of 2010 we have not been able to set objectives and have midterm reviews save for the schedule of activities sent by the human resource people. This is a worrying trend especially that our merit increase are tied to PMS calibrated scores and not the company performance,' he said. The chairman said they have realised that instead of using PMS as a motivating tool, they have observed that some managers use it as a punitive tool. He said it is the worst form of oppression that they have seen in the company.

The employees, through their union (the DTCB Union) have expressed concern that sorters and valuators who are at the lowest stratum of the pay structure are hard-hit by inflation.  Kelepile said commodities like clothing and footwear, housing, water and fuel prices have been on a sharp rise, thereby digging deep into their pockets. DTCB spokesman, Kago Mmopi, received the petition and are studying it at the moment.