Chief Executive, Human Capital represents junior employee in disciplinary hearing

Days ago the Acting Chief Executive, HUMAN CAPITAL of the SABC represented a junior employee in an internal disciplinary hearing.

How bizarre! The same executive is required in terms of the DAF (Delegation of Authority Framework) of the SABC to approve disciplinary action against the same employee he represented! So how do you decide to discipline an employee but then you go and defend that employee in the hearing? And then you have three of your subordinates sitting on the panel, of whom at least one is reporting to you directly (the HR person on the panel)! Then the accused employee does not appear in person, but only the Chief Executive. And guess what was the outcome. Case dismissed! Assault.

Is this a new strategy to weaken unions at the SABC, I wonder (tongue-in-the-cheek)? You simply go to the Acting Chief Executive, Human Capital who takes days to respond to letters in respect of salary negotiations, (busy office) to represent you in disciplinary hearings which requires lots of time. Or maybe it is a new way of transparency. Glasnost! You pay lip service to DAF, you recommend that disciplinary action be taken, then you go and defend the employee and you win the case. Kind of using your power. At least you can then blame someone else, who has dismissed the case. And you build a very good reputation as the best (paid) employee representative ever! I wonder what one would name such a venture? AGCERMPCS. Acting Group Chief Executive RM Professional Consulting Services maybe? I don’t know.

So Mr. Acting Chief Executive, Human Capital, what about starting to look at the interest of employees at the SABC (not by representing them in hearings) but by creating a pleasant and conducive working environment at the SABC? Like in putting structures in place to award employees for good performance? Something your predecessors has dismally failed to do. Like in concentrate on employee’s career paths and regradings, where loyal, hard working employees have not received any promotion and other than the negotiated increases for years now? Like starting a process to review the draconian personnel regulations of the SABC where for instance employees are prosecuted when they speak to the media about what’s going on at the SABC?