Commitment to work increases productivity, which is sine qua non for industrial growth of any country. According to Abdul Karim Ansari, Director General, National Institute of Labour Administration and Training (Nilat), one of the most outstanding examples of commitment to increasing productivity is presented by Japan where people do not use cellular phones on working floors, in seminars and in places where they have to concentrate on their work for which they are remunerated.
In his concluding remarks at the end of three-day (June 23-25) training course on 'Participative Management and Productivity', organised by Nilat, he said that productive participation and productivity should go together with the sense of participation in the commitment one owes to his job.
"This investment of commitment in producing goods or services, in fact, is the real force behind the end result which we are discussing as how to improve and increase productivity. The enforcement of laws should be complementary for correction and not punitive as are being conceived for forcing correction," he said.
The DG, Nilat advised all participants that they should continue educating themselves and, with this small course of three days, the actual results would be the implementation of what one has learnt. Various speakers had conveyed their experiences during the course and advised the young people to help the country's economy in which productivity has the highest place to be mentioned.
The themes on which presentations were made included: Industrial Relations Act (IRA) - 2008 which accommodates section 33 - shop steward to act as link between labour and management, section 34 - workers participation in management, section 35 - joint management board. The sections of the law provide suggested working and linkages between employees and employers in expectation of improving productivity.
Engr M A Jabbar, Chairman of Site Association of Industry (SAI), was invited as chief guest to convey the mind of industrialists on IRA - 2008 and on participative management and productivity. He said that the course has been designed to let the participants understand as to what participative management is and how it affects and enhances productivity through establishment of cohesive working relations as laid down in IRA - 2008.
He said that industry does not support laws such as IRA - 2008 "and we have many reservations as it excluded suggestions and amendments proposed by industry during the final legislation". He argued that the whole perspective of participative management should be seen as love for the job and to act with responsibility compounded by best skill through liking the job as the choice and not doing the job as otherwise imposed.
The productivity of Chinese labour comparing to similar conditions is 160 percent more than that of Pakistan's manpower, according to World Bank report. He wondered why a Pakistani is less productive by 160percent. On his query, the answer was that Chinese worker is doing the job with commitment invested by liking. In Pakistan, jobs are not by one's liking but it is the market place which is picked up by the manpower and probably one could find it a reason in case of Pakistan's manpower being so low productive.
The SAI Chairman referred to the incidents of electrocution of even electricians which is manifestation of entry in employment not by one's choice but by the available market space which shows that the job one does not like could cost one's life. He told the participants that engineers and doctors are working as police and district revenue officers. One could see even doctors in the excise and taxation department collecting motor vehicle tax. These examples suffice that there is in-built weakness in the society which is not able to match the skill with education. The choice is also related to lucrative position in which liking is the least but enjoying high profile life is the objective picked up as a choice imposed by the conditions of society.
Jabbar said that the industry nowadays prefers to make self-corrections because the cost of incompetency and its erosion with need to improve the quality have created reasons for seeking self-improvements in the industry. Self-adjustment is through encouraging participative management in which the skill, hard work and efficiency are rewarded by the industrial employer.
The increase in participative management for human capital in industry is not on the basis of counting number of years, as is the practice in public sector. Public sector promotions are subject to passing arithmetic number of years, irrespective of efficiency, hard work and wisdom. Private sector does not promote people on the basis of years but the promotions are subject of what participative role of the employee had towards improving productivity, he said.
He said that exporters under the fierce cost and quality competition are now enforcing quality management systems. The foreign buyers are also pressing the exporters to make social compliances otherwise they would prefer to outsource their materials from other countries or from those in Pakistan who would make social compliances of 8000 series. The industry is now managing ISO certifications, social responsibility certifications, and these are called self-correction against the prevalent trends in the globe.