'Ports need regional autonomy in labour negotiations'

THE LABOUR relations practice at the port of Cape Town leaves a lot to be desired, according to a survey of recent events by independent labour relations experts.
The prime instigator of the recent labour unrest, according to Charles Kingon, chairman of the ASL (Association of Shipping Lines) in the mother city, was the April 1 withdrawal of a R500 monthly bonus incentive to workers. This was a flat rate, unrelated to increased productivity targets, paid to all workers. - and a replacement scheme is still being negotiated with labour.
When the bonus scheme was withdrawn, the labour was understandably upset, said Kingon.
Another unnamed source told FTW that this situation reflected naivety and stupidity on the part of Portnet. Who would accept having R500 removed from their pockets with only the promise of something undefined to come, he said. The April 1 deadline came-and-went, and nothing happened. And, with the wage negotiations coming up in July, what reaction would you expect?
And the Cape Town Portnet management escape some of the blame, according to our experts, as long as the port authorities - and their parent company, Transnet - continue to indulge in centralised decision-making on labour relations matters. This, as they see it, is because of the repercussions that could occur throughout the corporation's labour structure if regionally-independent decisions were allowed.
But regional autonomy is a vital part of successful operation of the ports, according to our outside sources.
It is the opinion of ASL that local port management is not sufficiently empowered to make effective decisions as to the running of their own ports, said Kingon.
Said our anonymous commentator: I believe that they should allow for regional responsibility, and that - in issues like incentives - the port management should be allowed to manipulate them locally within chosen percentage parameters.
It's very archaic industrial relations, according to Cape Town-based labour relations consultant, Michael Bagraim. If you have centralised management like that, then you've got a problem, he said. If local management don't have the power, then the unions will see them talking through a telephone - and I can think of nothing more off-putting to smooth industrial relations practice.
They should follow the growing international trend to mediation and negotiation in such matters, he added.
They're not into the new era of labour relations, Bagraim told FTW. On-going discussions on a regular basis; work place forums to discuss daily issues; and joint management control between workers and management. Those are the things to look at.
Finding out what the problem is, is a main part of the solution.
The long-term answer, he added, had to be in training. Train both management and workers on how to deal amicably with a problem, said Bagraim, and your longer-term future should be considerably more stable than the volatile stand-off of the moment.