The perceptions of management and workers on worker participation programmes.

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to investigate

different forms of worker participation programmes and their

implementation in selected countries including South

Africa. Another objective was to study perceptions of

managers and workers on forms of participation at two mining

companies in South Africa, namely Vaal Reefs and Ergo Mines.

The two mines were selected because they had dissimilar

characteristics which would affect attitudes differently.

Vaal Reefs Mine had a well established trade union movement

whereas Ergo Mine was not very strongly unionised.

The study focused on a comparison between the attitudes of

managers and supervisors toward worker participation, at

both mines. At Ergo Mine there was no statistically

significant difference between the mean scores of managers

and supervisors on a large number of variables which was not

the case at Vaal Reefs Mine. The results seem to indicate

that at Vaal Reefs, supervisors tended to identify with

workers on the shop-floor. Workers at Ergo Mine seemed to

prefer direct forms of participation whereas the workers at

Vaal Reefs Mine seemed to want to participate in management

decision through trade union representation and other forms

of indirect participation.

The main conclusion was that the form of worker

participation in a particular environment depends to a large

extent, on historical and prevailing conditions.