ASSESSING THE ROLE OF LABOUR RELATIONS OFFICERS LROs

1

• ASSESSING THE ROLE OF LABOUR RELATIONS OFFICERS
  (LROs)
• IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
• Presentation by the
• Office of the Public Service Commission
• 30 October 2006

2
OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION

• Background
• Purpose
• Research methodology
• The legislative framework
• Broad perspective on the role of LR Officers
• Findings and Observations of the study
• Recommendations and Conclusion

3
BACKGROUND

• The current labour relations environment
  recognizes the evolution of new collective
  bargaining relations between management and
  employees.
• A paradigm shift is necessary to improve the
  manner in in which LROs, shape relations between
  managers and employees.
• The effectiveness of Labour Relations
  practitioners may be limited by a number of
  factors e.g.-
• Role ambiguity
• Role conflict
• Work overload
• Organizational pressures and
• Stress.
• The investigation by the Public Service
  Commission (PSC) therefore explored the role
  played by LROs and the resulting report provides
  recommendations based on best practices that were
  identified during the study.

4
PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

• Not much has been written about the role that
  should be played by the LROs. This leads to LROs
  being utilized as management agents e.g.
• Managing discipline and
• Dealing with problematic employees
• The project attempted to shed light on the role
  that should be played by members of this
  occupational group. The primary objectives of
  this project were to
• Compare the role of LROs in the Public Service
  against that of their counterparts in
  parastatals, the private sector and other
  international organizations.
• Assess the impact of LROs workplace culture and
  service delivery
• To make recommendations on how LROs could be
  utilized to benefit both the employer and
  employees.

5
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

• Scope
• 10 National Departments.
• Four provincial administrations with a sample of
  three departments each, except for Mpumalanga
  where only two departments were studied.
• Nine private companies and parastatals
• Literature study.
• Research instruments Questionnaires used during
  structured interviews with heads of labour
  relations components.
• Evaluation of job descriptions of heads of labour
  relations components for comparative purposes.
• Assessment of information obtained measured
  against information gathered from the literature
  study.

6
THE LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

• In terms of section 27(1) of the Interim
  Constitution,1993 (currently s.23 of the
  Constitution, 1996) everyone shall have the right
  to fair labour practices.
• The Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA) was enacted
  to, inter alia, regulate the fundamental rights
  conferred by section 27 of the Interim
  Constitution.
• The LRA provides a framework within which
  employees and their trade unions, employers and
  employers organizations can bargain
  collectively.
• Section 7(3)(b) of the Public Service Act, 1994
  stipulates that the Head of Department is
  responsible for the efficient management and
  administration of his/her department, including
  the effective utilization and training of staff,
  the maintenance of discipline, the promotion of
  sound labour relations and the proper use and
  care of State property.

7
BROAD PERSPECTIVE ON THE ROLE OF LR OFFICERS

• According to information derived from the
  literature study
• LR Officers should be used as intermediaries in
  order to
• effectively promote the interests of the
  organization as well as its employees
• facilitate relationships between the parties
  and
• be able to interface with people at various
  levels.
• LR Officers should
• be able to handle conflict and train others to do
  the same and
• continually monitor the climate within and
  outside the organization to enable themselves to
  be in position to provide well considered advice
  to all stakeholders.

8
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

• 49 of the sampled departments see LROs as
  disciplinarians or catalysts for management. This
  is as a result of the fact that LROs are involved
  in disciplinary cases, grievances and disputes.
• In 10 of the sampled State Departments, labour
  relations components are not involved in the
  investigation of grievances.
• LR Officers in 63 of the sampled organizations
  represent the employer during conciliation and
  arbitration proceedings at the CCMA and
  bargaining councils.
• 71 of the sampled organizations (including the
  private sector) indicated that LR Officers are
  actively involved in the disciplinary processes
  and not just in a consultative capacity. For
  example
• they investigate misconduct cases
• act as employer representatives and
• act as chairpersons at disciplinary hearings.

9
FINDINGS CONT.

• The LROs involvement in collective bargaining
  depends on the level of the incumbent and the
  complexity of the matter to be negotiated.
• Assessment of workplace behaviour occurs only in
  55 of the sampled organizations.
• 50 of State Departments do not have strike
  contingency plans.
• Training is normally the responsibility of the HR
  component however in 86 of the sampled State
  Departments, labour relations training is
  conducted by labour relations components.
• All private sector respondents indicated that
  there is synergy between labour relations
  training and the rest of the training conducted
  in their organizations. However 38 of sampled
  government departments were of the opinion that
  there is no synergy between training by labour
  Relations components and the rest provided by
  Departments.
• All LROs indicated that they are somehow involved
  in policy development in their respective
  organizations.
• LROs are only in 52 of Departments involved with
  strategic planning as against 80 in the private
  sector.

10
OBSERVATIONS

• LROs in the Public Service are involved in
  functions that are, at the most, the domain of
  managers.
• There is no clarity of role and responsibility
  between line managers and LR Officers.

11
RECOMMENDATIONS

• LR Officers should be seen more as specialists
  and render expert advice.
• LR components should be represented at senior
  management meetings and/or strategic management
  sessions in order to make contributions on sound
  employment relations.
• A Job description has been developed to assist
  departments in developing their own models.
• An accountability matrix has also been developed
  to ensure that role confusion is avoided and
  accountabilities are clearly defined.

12
CONCLUSION

• The success of every organization depends largely
  on its workforce.
• Efforts should be made to ensure that the
  workforce is happy and willing to contribute
  their efforts in the quest to improve
  productivity.
• The Commission trusts that the findings in this
  report will
• assist in progressing a positive change and
  improvement in the current labour relations
  culture in the public service and
• that it will contribute in building upon the
  significant developments which have occurred in
  labour relations over the last decade.