Minister calls for harmonious relations in the workplace |25 April 2017

Workplace relations should be cooperative, harmonious and productive rather than conflictual.

This statement was made by the Minister for Employment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation Wallace Cosgrow while launching a half-day workers’ symposium yesterday.

The symposium, held at the International Conference Centre of Seychelles (ICCS), was organised by the Seychelles Federation of Workers’ Union (SFWU) in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment, Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation and forms part of activities to mark Labour Day 2017 on May 1.

The aim of the symposium, held under the theme ‘Developing harmonious industrial relations to enhance productivity’, was to educate the delegates on their responsibility in their work related to productivity. This provided an opportunity for discussion, examination and exchange of views and ideas of different experiences in promoting decent work through harmonious industrial relations, their rights and obligations at work, work-life balance and collective bargaining at work place level.

Present at the symposium were member of the National Assembly Gervais Henrie, the principal secretary for Employment Jules Baker, principal secretary for Entrepreneurship Development and Business Innovation Pamela Charlette, secretary general of the SFWU Antoine Robinson and delegates from government ministries, parastatals, agencies and the private sector.

The symposium was facilitated by Marie-Celine Zialor from the Guy Morel Institute who talked on ‘Productivity and workers’ welfare’, Antoine Robinson from SWFU ,who had his presentation on ‘Workers’ rights and responsibilities’,  Egbert Rosalie, a consultant with the SWFU who made his presentation on ‘Workers’ education and development’ and Bernard Adonis, a legal consultant and labour specialist who gave a presentation on ‘Collective bargain and dispute resolution’.

The floor was open for a 20-minute questions and answers after each presentation.

Some recommendations coming out of the symposium will be put forward to the authority for consideration and maybe find their way in the new employment bill being worked on by government.

Launching the symposium, Minister Cosgrow reminded the delegates that we are living in a so-called “era of internationalization” where the internalisation of businesses and rapid changes in technology and markets has increased the need for organisations to review their set-ups and business models, to be more innovative in order to remain competitive and relevant with labour intensive processes being replaced by robotics thus giving rise to the question of what will be the future of work in terms of productivity, responsibility, rights and welfare of workers and negotiations of work conditions without conflicts.

“The stakes are high and the challenges are great. Overcoming these challenges will require sustained  progress across many initiatives and joining of efforts not only from government through legislation but also from you as responsible workers,” he told the delegates.

Minister Cosgrow also noted that government has invested heavily in education in a bid to have an educated and multi-skilled labour force and has introduced a variety of work initiatives, some in collaboration with the private sector, so as to tackle the various challenges of the labour market.

He said that for our economy to grow further, we must have a knowledgeable workforce which is disciplined, motivated to work, healthy, flexible, ready to adapt to a fast changing economic landscape and highly productive and that government values the efforts and hard work by each and every worker and employer to maintain discipline and achieve productivity.

Minister Cosgrow stated that work relationships between management and employees should be more harmonious and cooperative than conflictual, and that government is there to protect both sides especially the workers rights, with leading efforts to improve labour laws and working conditions in collaboration with the private sector and social partners. These efforts are made in close coordination with other agencies and in collaboration with the National Assembly, other stakeholders, as well as the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

“The challenge of managing discipline and productivity on one hand and workers rights and obligations on the other confront us all. Thus, we need to consider and explore an alternate frame; one that doesn’t take ‘the blame game route’ but one of ‘cooperative harmonious and productive workplace relations’,” Minister Cosgrow said.

For his part Mr Robisnson said that even though a lot has been achieved in terms of laws that govern workplace industrial relations, it does not mean that the success for better terms and conditions for the workers are there to stay as some are labelling the success as “overprotection of workers”.

“The variety of benefits such as better wages (introduction of 13-month pay), better remuneration packages such as compensation and schemes of service, paid annual leave, just to mention a few, need to be safeguarded and the workers’ trade unions are the historical watch dog of the legal bastion of workers’ rights  also falling under the UN classification of human rights,” Mr Robinson said.

Mr Robinson remarked the objective of maintaining industrial peace is not to solve conflicts or to settle differences but to develop a sense of mutual confidence, independence and respect and at the same time encouraging employers and workers to come closer to each other to remove misunderstanding, redressing grievances, if any, in a peaceful atmosphere.

He said that harmonious industrial relationships are essential to maintain higher productivity to fulfill the goals of a company and that more communication and dialogue, respect between employer and employee will transform the workplace into a healthier business environment and increase productivity. He wished all delegates a happy Labour Day.