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SADF Downsizing and Industrial Relations*
DOWNSIZING: AN INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON
Downsizing, rightsizing, reshaping, retrenchment - whatever it is called - is not a local phenomenon or one restricted to the military. Over the last few years it has become an almost daily occurrence to read of companies 'laying-off' workers. It is, unfortunately, an international trend.
There is both good news and bad news in the situation.
The good news is that more businesses, nonprofit groups and state departments (such as the SADF) are becoming unwilling to tolerate the rigidities and costs resulting from steeply hierarchical organisations, over-emphasised bureaucracy, and management structures, which look like a many-layered sponge cake (Tomasko, 1990: xvi).
Further good news is that some organisations have realised that, in a rash of over-enthusiasm, they may have cut too far and are rebounding and adding a little flesh to the bare bones that are left so that the lifeblood can continue to flow and keep the organisation alive.
The bad news is that in many instances serious unintended consequences are arising from inadequately planned cutbacks and hastily implemented downsizing which concentrated on cutting costs by cutting personnel. The SADF is no exception.
Although downsizing is not peculiar to the SADF, the circumstances of its application to the SADF are.
There is a difference between a retrenched soldier and anyone else. It is a difference which puts the retrenched 'soldier' at a major disadvantage in the competitive wider world.
THE PROFILE OF THE PERMANENT FORCE MEMBER
To the general public the SADF is 'the Army' and that term includes the other Arms of the SADF. The Army is the National Service soldier with a rifle. The Air Force, where it is recognised, means 'pilots', usually helicopter pilots. The Navy if it exists at all means 'divers', and oh yes, the Navy has a nice uniform. The Medical Service? Oh, you mean the doctors?
Add to this the stereotype of a soldier 'with a rifle and that's all', the ignorance of the real background and ability of the average member of the Permanent Force, and the pariah status of the SADF and you get a pretty good idea of the problem facing the retrenched member seeking a job commensurate with his or her abilities.
As I will illustrate, the SADF has arguably the best training system in South Africa. It is staffed by well-trained managers, supervisors and instructors. But their real qualifications and abilities are not readily recognised outside the SADF. Many of them now find themselves among the unemployed.
If these skills could be harnessed and the political damnation of the former SADF members could be overcome, then they could contribute significantly to the creation of jobs.
THE SERGEANT-MAJOR
The typical Sergeant-Major is probably about 35 years old, has had seventeen years of experience and is medically fit and highly-disciplined. There is about a 60% chance that he holds a Standard 10 certificate.
He has probably worked an average fourteen-hour day in all that time, starting before six a.m. winter and summer, and that's when he is at home. When he is away from home, which is for about four months each year, his working day is longer.
In his seventeen years he has attended at least ten different courses to qualify him for his job and to keep him up to date. On average 20% to 25% of his time is spent under training.
Apart from the grueling basic training (which every National Serviceman knows) and training in his particular speciality, he has also studied management and leadership, discipline, communication (both written and spoken), organisation, instruction, health and first aid and more recently, industrial relations.
Specialists are not limited to the rifle or infantry weapons. There are more than a hundred specialist categories of employment ranging from artisan to zoo-keeper. Every job one can name in 'Civvy-Street' has an equivalent in the military. Specialist training is not at a low-level either.
Several years ago I had the occasion to have the qualifications of a Torpedo Anti-submarine Instructor equated to formal education qualifications by the Human Sciences Research Council. It turned out that he (holding a Standard 8 in formal terms) had the equivalent of a matric plus two years education in three technical subjects!
If he is a technician, that Sergeant-Major probably holds a National Diploma in his speciality and is registered with the relevant national body.
In practical terms the typical Sergeant-Major has planned, led and managed the activities, of large groups of people (military as well as civilian). He has taught them what is necessary, and guided them in the execution of their tasks. All this usually under very difficult circumstances.
His primary role in the military is that of leader of groups and individuals; of executor of policy, directives and orders; and of trainer and mentor of his subordinates.
THE OFFICER
The officer to whom he reports is probably a Commandant (a Commander in the Navy) who is approximately the same age and has the same length of service.
He has, in all likelihood, a post-matric qualification. This is either a bachelor's degree which he got at the Military Academy or a civilian university or a diploma obtained from a Technikon. In the case of the latter he studied for it in his spare time.
His working day is just as long if not longer than that of the Sergeant-Major. He has probably seen the inside of more classrooms than his subordinate, and has spent roughly 40% of his service years under training.
In this time he has also become a specialist (with as wide-ranging a choice as that of the Sergeant-Major) but with more emphasis on the strategic, tactical and policy-making facets and on the technological, administrative, logistical and transport aspects of the job.
He has undergone at least two 'staff and command courses' where he will have studied and applied strategic and tactical thinking, management and leadership, communication (a great deal of which will be in writing), organisation and organisation structures, training and instruction, military law and various other subjects including industrial relations.
His primary roles, a counter-point to those of the Sergeant-Major, are those of leading people (usually larger groups); developing policies, plans and programmes; performing as a professional officer; and the training of groups rather than individuals.
He, like the Sergeant-Major, is typically a leader and manager who specialises in getting things done on time, below cost and under the most difficult circumstances. Unfortunately many of his qualities and qualifications are not recognised outside of the SADF.
THE RETRENCHMENT PROCESS
In its latest round of retrenchments the SADF lost more than 5 500 persons. These in addition to the previous count of more than 2 500.
As the Navy was the 'leading' organisation in this effort, perhaps their 1990 experience is best described.
Within each unit, under the control of the Officer Commanding and guided by the Personnel Officer or his equivalent, a committee was set up to consider each individual case, those who volunteered for retrenchment and those who did not. Unit activities were consolidated at area- and then at Naval Headquarters level.
It is interesting to note that although the Industrial Relations Act did not apply, the spirit and, to a large extent, the letter of the Act was applied.
Again on a unit basis, outplacement committees were organised to help those who needed assistance with finding alternative employment. These activities were co-ordinated at area and Naval Headquarters level.
Final figures are not yet available but indications are that placement figures of about 40% were realised for the non-commissioned officers (NCO's). The figure for officers is slightly higher. The norm for placements of this kind in these times is approximately 18%. Placements of labourers ran at almost zero.
In speaking to the officers involved in this exercise it became apparent that:
- Most successful placements occurred in the security, technical and clerical or store keeping fields with NCO's in the majority.
- Many (including the majority of officers) were placed in what could be described as managerial or supervisory posts, functionally unrelated to their military occupations; in training or human resources development areas; and a surprising number in consultancies in the engineering, technical, human resources and perhaps strangely, estate agency areas.
- A large number of the inquiries were for persons with skills which were not on the retrenchment lists, or in areas where the particular individuals would not have felt welcome.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND THE SADF
Industrial relations in the SADF is a difficult subject, primarily because of the complexity of the role and the composition of the SADF and the nature of its organisation culture.
ROLE OF THE SADF
The role of any national military force is to ensure the security of the state and its people. To perform this role, the national military force demands that its members sacrifice some of those freedoms which most other citizens enjoy, including some of those defined in labour legislation.
COMPOSITION OF THE SADF
The SADF consists of a relatively small Permanent Force core of uniformed members of the four Arms of the Service. Traditionally, and in terms of the International Labour Organisation's ruling, they are excluded from any labour legislation. They are however subject to the Military Disciplinary Code and SADF Orders, which largely regulate their lives.
The Citizen Force element of the SADF consists of people of all walks of life who, after National Service, are civilians for between 270 (or fewer) and 340 days a year. For the rest of the time they are uniformed members of the SADF and subject to the same disciplinary code and orders as their counterparts in the Permanent Force.
Also in the SADF are uniformed members of the Auxiliary Services in permanent employment who are subject to a different Code of Discipline and to orders and regulations similar to those of the Permanent Force.
A further group of uniformed members of the SADF are those who are under contract for a specific period of time. For that period they are, in industrial relations terms, treated in the same way as members of the Permanent Force.
A final group is that of civilians who are employed in the SADF in terms of the Public Service Code. They are subject to the labour legislation presently being negotiated for the Public Service, as modified for the SADF. Prominent among them is a large group of General Assistants.
These groups function interrelatedly. For example:
- Soldiers in the combat zone are supplied with ammunition which might reach them by air in aircraft flown by uniformed pilots but serviced by civilians in the employ of the SADF. The ammunition is stored in depots commanded by uniformed officers and men supported by civilians in the employ of the SADF.
- Communication with ships at sea is via radio stations manned jointly by uniformed and civilian members of the SADF. The ships are manned by uniformed members but largely repaired by civilians employed in a naval dockyard.
- The administration needed to ensure that the pay, ammunition and supplies reach the combat area is largely executed by civilian personnel in the employ of the SADF.
- Food supplied from the base to soldiers employed in the containment of violence is largely prepared by civilians in the employ of the SADF and private contractors.
Applying 'normal' industrial relations to these unique operations could restrict the freedom needed for the SADF to perform its prescribed role.
In addition to these complications, many of these structures and the manning processes are in transition.
ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE
While the concept of organisational culture (climate, or ethos) is difficult to define, it is generally accepted that such a thing exists. In all organisations there are deep-set ideas and beliefs about the way an organisation should be structured, the way people should be led and managed, the way authority should be exercised, the way people should be rewarded and disciplined, the way they should dress and act, the terminology (or language) used, the rites practised and so on. These things make up the culture of the organisation. The culture reflects a pervasive feeling of life, or a set of norms (Schmikl, 1988:46).
Culture forms a protective blanket around an organisation and enables its members to be developed and deployed to meet its specific needs without overmuch interference from 'outside'.
Culture can be altered by education, training and development, and by legislation but culture change is a time-consuming process which can take five or more years to deliver visible results.
An organisation's culture and its sub-cultures (especially that of a large organisation with a long history) change only slowly. As the leadership projects its own assumptions about the cultural norms and embeds them gradually and consistently in the purpose, structures, objectives and working procedures of the organisation, so the culture will change (Schein, 1987: 317).
Such change in the culture of the SADF to accommodate the changing South Africa is inevitable, and indeed probably to be welcomed. However, to be effective, the change of culture needs to be controlled so that the resulting culture enhances the achievement of the mission of the SADF, and does not work counter to it. Uncontrolled culture change, indeed the wrong culture, could take years to detect and correct, years which our country does not have.
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND THE SADF CULTURE
One of the more significant aspects of the SADF culture is that of 'looking after its people'. In today's context this might be regarded as being paternalistic. However, the unique role of the military has led to the development of an organisation structure which meets not only the combat needs of the organisation but to a large extent the needs of the members. Many of these aspects are largely covered by industrial relations legislation in non-military organisations.
In the case of the uniformed members, in the Army this becomes visible organisationally as the Unit and the Regiment, the Flight in the Air Force and the Division in the Navy.
In the case of the civilian members of the foirces, these aspects are not so clear-cut, and many are members of personnel associations. The specific roles of these organisations are still the subject of negotiations between them and the office of the Commission for Administration. Prior to these negotiations commencing though, the SADF had established a structure to meet the needs of its civilian members.
THE REGIONAL INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMITTEES OF THE SADF
This structure (see the figure above) known as the Regional Industrial Relations Committees (Afr: Streekarbeidsverhoudingskomitees or SAVKOMS) was established in 1987 to deal with what were then the newly-perceived needs of the civilians in the SADF.
This structure may be seen as a communication channel which stretches from the lowest post-level to SA Defence Headquarters and to the Commission for Administration where necessary.
At the lowest level is a Local Unit Committee, the members of which are elected by the civilians in the military unit. Within a geographical area, representatives of the units combine to form Unit Area Committees the chairpersons of which normally the Officers Commanding the units, jointly form the Sub-Regional Industrial Relations Committee.
Within the specified military regions (usually defined as the local Army Command areas), Sub-Regional Committee chairpersons form the Regional Industrial Relations Committees, normally chaired by the senior military officer in the region, a Brigadier or Major-General, with the Senior Staff Officer Personnel of the region in attendance. All Arms of the Service are represented here.
The needs and problems of the civilian members are usually addressed at the point of entry, i.e., at unit level, but those which are generic or which cannot be solved at this level are passed on. The SAVKOMs are thus aware of all the problems and needs of the civilian members, the actions taken, and attempt proactively to identify and resolve factors in the internal and external environments which could give rise to dissatisfaction.
The system exists, the question is 'does it work?'
In a recent study of the SAVKOM system undertaken by the Military Academy (du Plessis and Heinecken, 1992: 20-25) it was reported that:
- The meetings of worker committees draw the most pressing problems to the attention of the Officers Commanding.
- No serious unsolved problems remain hidden within units.
- Where problems are addressed, the solutions contribute measurably to the efficiency of the unit.
- These systems of normal personnel management, of the grievance procedure and communication channels, coupled to modern electronic communication media, make possible the addressing of serious problems relatively quickly at all levels from the ground up to the highest level.
- It is clear that the employment and regulating of workers in the SADF and the articulation of their needs, seen within the context of the institutional framework of the state, is a complex, developing and demanding process which has been managed by the SADF over the past few years with increasing dedication.
THE CHALLENGES FOR THE SADF
SADF downsizing has an impact upon the need to address the composition of the force and the conditions of employment. It also has implications for labour legislation.
Bearing in mind the fact that new employment schemes (notably short-service or term-related contracts) will bring with them a more predictable outflow of trained personnel and an influx of relatively unskilled manpower, the SADF should:
- prepare its departing combat personnel and non-combat personnel for absorption into the civilian sector to the advantage of the nation as a whole;
- adjust its job and career structures (in the non-combat areas) to meet the requirements for recognition outside the SADF;
- adjust its training schemes to ensure the 'mobility' and articulation of qualifications outside the SADF.
In order to help change the perceptions held by the 'outside world' the SADF should:
- Encourage military and civilian personnel to become involved in and apply their talents to the advantage of the community as a whole;
- Encourage their civilian counterparts to become involved in the development of the human resources of the SADF.
On the industrial relations front the SADF should:
- Develop a scheme for dealing with the needs of the members, which is culturally acceptable; and
- which provides the freedom of movement needed for it to perform its legitimate role.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Du Plessis, L and Heinecken, L, 1992. Werkers van die Weermag, referaat by navorsingscolloquium van die SA Vereniging vir Politieke Studies: Broederstroom, 8-9 Oktober 1992.|
Schein, E H, 1985. Organisation, culture and leadership. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
Schmikl, E, 1988. Establishing an effective corporate culture. Seminar Documentation, University of South Africa.
Tomasko, R M, 1990. Downsizing, reshaping the corporation for the future. American Management Association, New York.
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