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Our minimum wage earners enjoyed their P20 pay increase for exactly
one week. Starting last Wednesdays, prices of goods shot up even
more as transportation fare increased. It is a vicious cycle. Now
they are spending more than the increase they got, which is still
subject to tax.
Talking of something pleasant, it is very
obvious to me that South Africa has made big strides in the way they
conduct and manage their business from the five times I’ve been
there before. And I am very happy to come across two books that
chronicle and recognize companies and leaders who have made
significant contributions to the burgeoning commerce and industry
this part of Africa. Through these books, the publishers honor them
and encourage others by their example to emulate their laudable
corporate behavior.
One book is Best Employers of South Africa, with
foreword by Quentin Wray, deputy editor of Business Report, and
published by CRF South Africa, 2007.
Wray writes that although society clearly
benefits from good employers—after all, happy, well-paid employees
are more likely to contribute to their communities than those who
feel aggrieved every day at work—being a good employer is not just
about altruism. “Ultima-tely, employers need to focus on ensuring
that workers at all levels are able to meet the needs of customers
who will otherwise take their business elsewhere. A properly trained
and motivated workforce is far more capable of meeting the needs of
customers than a poorly qualified and apathetic one. J. Paul Getty
once said that the employer generally gets the employees he
deserves.”
Jacob de Villiers, executive director of
Afrikaanse Handel-sinstituut, asserts, “People are the cornerstone
of every business success. Often in the light of a com-pany’s
achievement and recog-nition, it is easy to lose sight of the
importance of the human resource team responsible for securing,
supporting and establishing the firm’s employees.
One outstanding company is Exxaro:
Exxaro has a diversified resource portfolio that
includes coal, mineral sand, base metals, industrial minerals, an
interest in iron ore and is the only producer of zinc in South
Africa.
Exxaro spends approximately 6 percent of its
wage bill on development programs at all levels of employees and
focuses on learnerships. There are currently 500 learners completing
programs in mining and engineering. This is fed through a deliberate
system of recruitment, performance management and leadership
mentoring.
Emerging from a merger of two established
organizations, Exxaro announced its vision, mission and values after
an inclusive, intense development process. This are rolled out
through an interactive series of CEO-led road shows to each business
unit. Their leaders believe that values are the basis of a strong
organization and employees are measured against their adherence to
the values.
Part of their culture is encouraging employees
to ask why and to challenge. This fosters explanation and, in turn,
leads to an easier acceptance and change.
Finally, Exxaro provides an exciting work
environment for individuals who are competent, willing,
ethics-driven, enjoy working in teams and across boundaries, and
whose values match that of the company.
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