SLP
Social & Labour Planing
|
Social & Labour Plan (SLP) policies form part of the operations contract between MCC and its clients and contracting companies and, as such, are binding on all signatories. They add value as guidelines for subordinate policies and procedures. As such, the policies provide a shared framework for Human Resources (Labour) and Social practices, to facilitate the achievement of maximum, sustainable productivity through:-
- Commonality of purpose amongst all employers and employees;
- Competent and committed employees;
- Harmonious and productive working relationships;
- Consistent, congruent and fair labour practices;
- Legal compliance; and
- Sound community relationships.
Reference made throughout this document to the “workforce” and/or “employees” refers to MCC’s own employees as well as employees of appointed contracting companies at each of the operations.
“Operations” refers to all sites MCC Contracts and MCC Plant Hire operate within.
OVERALL PRINCIPLES
This policy requires that:-
The application of policies is the responsibility of the management of the relevant sites and contracting companies.
Where contracting companies have different detailed policies applied on the same site, this should not create the potential for labour dissatisfaction or dispute on the site overall.
The managers of contracting companies should actively co-operate to ensure the successful achievement of the intent of these policies.
Notwithstanding anything contained in the following policies, all contracting companies will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the letter, intent and codes of practice of all relevant legislation and regulations. This legislation includes, but is not limited to, the following, which are either currently legislated or will be legislated in the future:-
- The Labour Relations Act
- The Basic Conditions of Employment Act
- The Skills Development Bill
- The Employment Equity Bill
- The Mines Health and Safety Act
- The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act
- The Occupational Safety and Health Act
This commitment requires the following from all signatories:-
- Continuous analysis of all labour related legislation impacting on policies and practices at MCC Head Office and all it’s Sites/Branches.
- Demonstration of the compliance of all policies and practices with related legislation. Proactive modification of policies, procedures and practices as labour legislation is amended or new legislation formulated.
- In order to facilitate ongoing communication between MCC management and contracting companies, a site management committee will be established which should meet monthly and, if necessary, on an ad hoc basis to discuss matters associated with HR policies and practices.
- A spirit of openness and sharing of information between contractors is considered essential to the success of the project.
- MCC management and/or their agents should have access on request to all records and practices to monitor compliance with the policies.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Policy Objectives
It is in the interest of MCC to be perceived as a socially responsible neighbour to its local communities, particularly to villages adjacent to its operations.
Policy Principles
To achieve this, MCC site management will participate in a community forum convened by client management. This is to provide a vehicle for communication and co-operation with the representatives of those communities recognised as stakeholders in the mining operation. Frank and comprehensive briefings will cover all aspects of the operations of concern, particularly the physical environment and social impacts.
There is also a requirement for participation in any regional activities of this nature in collaboration with other mine management.
An overarching communication theme of ‘MCC Cares’ be built around:-
- the management of the physical environment
- employees’ and their dependants’ well being
- social investment and community benefit
- pro-active closure planning.
|
|
MENTORING OF EMPOWERMENT GROUPS
MCC has and continues to assist empowerment groups though informal, ad hoc mechanisms in line with its corporate social investment programme and its procurement processes amongst local service providers.This policy seeks to formalise a mentoring process that will promote capacity building within local communities and empowerment groups.
Policy objectives
The implementation of formal mentoring processes within local community structures and empowerment groups provides a feasible process for achieving a number of objectives:
- Developing talent and entrepreneurial endeavour;
- By helping communities/empowerment groups set and strive for more ambitious yet realistic goals, mentoring is a means of releasing potential;
- Through lateral communication, networking and self-development mentoring demonstrates new ways of working.
- Helping community structures and empowerment groups recognise and understand their personal needs, values, problems, alternatives and goals in their operating context.
Policy Principles
- Through continued involvement, MCC offers support, guidance and assistance to the Community structures or Empowerment groups.
- The Mentorship must have a clear purpose and objectives.
- The climate in which mentorship operates must be supportive and meet the needs of the empowerment group/community structure.
- The relationship should be sustainable.
- The mentorship programmes must grow and change with the changing needs and priorities of the empowerment groups/community structures.
- Measures must be established to sustain the momentum generated at the establishment of the programme.
Strategic Principles
- An analysis of the needs of the relevant organisations/communities.
- Consultation with relevant stakeholders.
- Implementation of programmes and support is planned with all the relevant stakeholders.
- The programmes can include support in a number of areas including logistical, training, information, literacy and numeracy programmes, life skills etc that build capacity or provide assistance to ensure more effective/sustainable use of resources, greater productivity or organisational effectiveness.
- Development support is ongoing and focuses around competencies such as committee skills, critical thinking, planning and organising; problem solving; decision-making; team work; communicative ability; using technical and mathematical knowledge; budget control and planning and the transfer of information to the broader community. Such support is needs based and seen as a process that is guided by the principle of experiential learning and adult learning whereby existing knowledge; skills and social norms are incorporated and built on.
- Success stories are celebrated.
- The programmes are monitored and improvements made.
- MCC Group will extend ABET programmes to encompass local communities by providing development support and facilitating literacy, numeracy, management and life skills training for employees from local communities, thereby empowering communities for benefit of all.
CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT
MCC is committed to both acting as a responsible employer and corporate citizen and to encouraging sustainability within the communities in which it operates. This policy is intended to summarise the principles under which CSI activities will take place at MCC operations as well as inform the broad mechanisms which must be established to plan, implement, manage and report on these CSI activities.
Principles of the Policy
MCC is committed to assist, where possible, in the social and economic upliftment of communities within its immediate vicinity, particularly those that will be directly or indirectly impacted by the construction and mining activities, as well as the key labour sending communities of its operations.
MCC will attempt to work through the relevant established developmental forums (Local Economic Development (LED) and Integrated Development Programme (IDP) Forums) at District and Local Municipality levels where-ever possible. Further in this regard, MCC will, through its clients, interact and collaborate with identified councillors in the relevant regions and to utilise these individuals where possible as the appropriate communication channel with the target communities.
Focus areas of CSI
Focus areas of CSI projects will largely be determined by the needs of the target community. Should the IDP of the relevant area prove insufficient in identifying these needs, an appropriate needs assessment will be carried out to inform the development of specific CSI projects.
Notwithstanding, MCC sees the following areas as high priority in terms of South African developmental needs and will pay particular attention to these areas when identifying projects for their support:
HIV/Aids
Education & skills development
Job creation
Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) development (Seta Projects)
The fundamental objective behind any identified projects will be to ensure the community is assisted to assist themselves towards sustainable development which is not dependent on MCC.
Project Implementation Principles
All identified projects and assistance will be developed through a consultative forum with key local stakeholders and will utilize appropriate public and private development facilitators through the companies support for the concept of public-private partnerships in local economic development.
Appropriate communication structures will be established in order to ensure any corporate social investment activity is in line with the needs of the target community, and where-ever possible, is managed and implemented by the recipients to ensure effectiveness and appropriateness.
Any assistance provided in the form of training will be through accredited training providers and will result in appropriate accreditation for the successful candidates.
Project Reporting
All CSI planning and implementation activities will be documented for record and reporting purposes.
Project progress must be monitored and recorded on a regular (quarterly) basis indicating information such as the number of jobs created, the number of beneficiaries and the financial expenditure on the projects. Both quantitative and qualitative information will be required within this reporting mechanism. The LED Project Report Sheet (available in quarterly reports) will be utilised for this purpose.
The purpose of the CSI reporting mechanism is to facilitate:
- internal (MCC) communication of projects, their status and results on a regular basis (quarterly);
- communication of projects amongst key stakeholders on a regular (quarterly) basis (stakeholders may include but are not limited to: local communities, councillors, IDP managers, LED/IDP Forums, industry forums, government authorities);
- communication of projects amongst contractors’ workforce at each operation (to be carried out in conjunction with the SLP Future Forum structure once established);
- annual feedback through the clients to the Department of Minerals Resources (DMR) on LED involvement at the mine level in compliance with the Social and Labour Plan (SLP) provisions;
- All CSI expenditure at mine level will be documented for financial reporting purposes.