SACAA Annual Report 2022_23

PART D I Human Resource Management

efficiency in the workplace and mandate employers to decide on matters of mutual interest, based on a consensus with the employee representatives. The SACAA engaged with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), which is the recognised union in the organisation, to develop a two-year Labour Engagement Plan with several initiatives to ensure sound employee relations within the SACAA. The two-year Labour Engagement Plan was successfully implemented, which includes amongst others, bilateral meetings and DCA strategic sessions with organised labour. b) Employee Relations Training The ER training was designed with the objective of providing employees with an advanced understanding of the basic principles of the Labour Relations Act, an understanding of the role of Employee Relations in the workplace, as well as an understanding of various SACAA policies and procedures. To this end, the ER Training Plan for Year Two, which included training for both employees and managers, was successfully implemented in the reporting period. c) Essential Service Designation Following the designation of certain services as essential services by the Essential Services Committee (ESC) of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) on 12 October 2021, NUMSA and the SACAA are engaged in negotiations to conclude a Minimum Service Agreement (MSA) with the assistance of the CCMA.

motivate the right, diverse talent required to achieve the long-term sustainability of the organisation. In the period under review, the SACAA managed to reward its employees with the first performance bonus after the challenging period emanating from COVID-19, and implemented annual increases for all eligible employees, in accordance with and after the Board approval. In line with our commitment to provide competitive benefits, the SACAA continuously reviews the remuneration policies and practices to ensure that they remain fit for purpose. In the light of this, the SACAA will in the next financial year conduct an external benchmarking exercise with comparable organisations to keep abreast with best practices in remuneration and benefits trends, and to ensure competitive remuneration and benefits within the parameters of affordability, as far as is achievable and sustainable. 1.3. Employee Relations Employee Relations (ER) is entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that there is a sound employment relationship between the employer and the employees, including organised labour. Employee Relations also support the interaction between employers and employees, including labour, which is managed through employment contracts, labour engagement forums as well as compliance with company policies, labour legislation and the Recognition Agreement (RA) signed with the labour union. a) Labour Engagement South African labour law allows the establishment of labour engagement consultative forums at the organisational level. The primary objective of these engagements is to promote the interests of both the employer and all employees (through their representative) in the workplace, including non-trade union members. They also seek greater

142 I Annual Report 2022/23 I Human Resource Management