Subject category:
Human Resource Management / Organisational Behaviour
Published by:
Wits Business School - University of the Witwatersrand
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https://casecent.re/p/21046
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Abstract
Thomas Bowler, MD of Pipeco, reflected on what had been an eventful, but unsatisfactory, 12 months. In October 1997, with the support of the Chemical Workers'' Industrial Union (CWIU), which represented workers at Pipeco''s plants, he had taken the company into the Workplace Challenge Project - a productivity improvement initiative devised by the National Economic, Labour and Development Council (NEDLAC). But his attempt to introduce this workplace change project had not been successful. One key incident that came to mind was the workers'' boycott of the Workplace Challenge earlier in the year. As far as Bowler and other managers were aware, employee buy-in had been obtained. But when the CWIU''s local organiser arrived at the Roodekop plant on 26 May for a meeting of the newly established bipartite working group, no shop stewards were present. The workers had mandated their shop steward representatives not to attend the meeting. The boycott lasted two weeks. Bowler felt that if he could understand why the workers had boycotted the Workplace Challenge, then he would better understand how to achieve co-operation between management and workers in South Africa.
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Abstract
Thomas Bowler, MD of Pipeco, reflected on what had been an eventful, but unsatisfactory, 12 months. In October 1997, with the support of the Chemical Workers'' Industrial Union (CWIU), which represented workers at Pipeco''s plants, he had taken the company into the Workplace Challenge Project - a productivity improvement initiative devised by the National Economic, Labour and Development Council (NEDLAC). But his attempt to introduce this workplace change project had not been successful. One key incident that came to mind was the workers'' boycott of the Workplace Challenge earlier in the year. As far as Bowler and other managers were aware, employee buy-in had been obtained. But when the CWIU''s local organiser arrived at the Roodekop plant on 26 May for a meeting of the newly established bipartite working group, no shop stewards were present. The workers had mandated their shop steward representatives not to attend the meeting. The boycott lasted two weeks. Bowler felt that if he could understand why the workers had boycotted the Workplace Challenge, then he would better understand how to achieve co-operation between management and workers in South Africa.