PPC believes that positive results are achievable only when employees across all levels are engaged, empowered and held accountable. Accordingly, active involvement and communication takes place frequently and across the organisation, with entrenched organisational systems and processes in place to facilitate this. Participation and communication efforts are encapsulated in PPC’s Kambuku process, which has various components. Two key elements are:

Key leader summits: These are regular gatherings held per plant or site throughout the organisation, involving all appointed, elected and informal leaders. Employees meet to discuss plant or site performance, strategic initiatives, challenges and opportunities.

Invocoms^®: These are team-based discussions which take place on a daily basis for teams at shop floor level, on a weekly basis at sectional supervisory level, and monthly at departmental level. Invocoms are held throughout PPC at all levels and across all functions of the business. There are 350 Invocoms in operation in PPC and, based on the annual Invocom audit results for 2007, it is evident that all Invocoms are functioning at an ‘above the standard’ level of effectiveness.

PPC’s vision is to be a world-class company while remaining truly South African in terms of race, gender and organisational culture. Entrenched in this process is a commitment to transformation, and creating an organisation where diversity is valued and harnessed in the spirited drive towards achieving workplace equity.

For PPC, achieving compliance with the Employment Equity (EE) Act and related legislation is just one dimension of employment equity. Equally important is the pursuit of compliance with the letter and spirit of the Act, which has seen PPC initiate various programmes and processes.

To add the ‘action’ to the strategy, PPC employment equity forums have been established, comprising representatives of all levels and categories of employees for cross-functional input, consultation, planning and the co-ordination of various employment equity implementation activities – including the preparation of reports to the Director General of The Department of Labour.

The objectives of the forums are to facilitate the consultative process across all constituencies within PPC, and enable the effective implementation of employment equity and aspects relating to the Act.

The forum represents the interests of all groups as listed in the Act, being the designated groups (African, Indian and Coloured employees, female employees and employees with a disability), non-designated employees (White males) and employees at all levels and in all occupational categories.

PPC’s succession strategy is designed to secure the continual, readily available supply of talent to key positions in the organisation. The company’s succession planning policy model outlines succession plans at group level and at each site, and details the succession guidelines to be followed in terms of the total number of succession candidates, fast tracking, readiness programme, requirements for mobility within PPC, key positions, mentorship and qualifications.

PPC’s succession plan is aligned with the company’s EE targets and plans. In 2007, the succession plan for senior management comprised 64% EE candidates; in all, the company has 71% EE representation across the business and 36% of general managers (operations and sales & marketing) is made up of EE candidates. Of these, 60% were internal promotions and 40% represented EE designated women.

PPC provides benefits in line with best practice in the market. Medical aid and retirement funds were redressed in 2007.

This year, due to the unbundling of PPC from Barloworld, all PPC employees that were on the Barloworld Retirement Fund were successfully transferred to the PPC Retirement Fund.

All PPC members of the Barloworld medical aid were successfully transferred to PPC selected market medical aids. This resulted in contribution savings.

- Branding -
A benefit branding intervention was conducted through the creation of a “My Benefits, My Better Life” campaign.

Through this campaign communication was improved via regular benefits bulletins, member booklets for retirement and medical aid and other branding kits and aids.

Regular Learning for Growth sessions were held around the country to improve key learnings on benefits.

PPC’s individual perception monitor (IPM) score for benefits increased from 90% to 93%.

To ensure a better life for everyone at PPC, the company provides benefits to all employees beyond the mandatory framework. These benefits include healthcare, disability, education and retirement. The cost of benefits for South Africa totalled over R85 million and Pula 790 000 for Botswana.

Various types of tests, including blood pressure, eye, cholesterol and glucose, were conducted for interested employees. PPC also offers primary care and occupational healthcare to employees via an on-site clinic system at the manufacturing sites. These services are offered free of charge to all employees, irrespective of whether they are on a permanent or temporary contract.

The HIV/Aids support programme continues at all sites, especially for employees not on medical aid. In 2007 PPC rolled out further awareness sessions and opportunities for voluntary counselling and testing. Just over 95% of PPC South African employees know their HIV status.

PPC conducted audits of the Aids management system at four sites and an improvement plan of action was adopted.

Anti-retroviral treatment is accessed through the medical aid programme to all employees on medical aid. Confidentiality is maintained at all times.

PPC partnered with organisations such as NOAH to provide care, education and support to orphans of HIV/Aids in the community through contribution to the Barloworld CSI programme and through other CSI initiatives.

If PPC is to grow the potential of every person on its team through its academy, then every person needs an equal and fair start on the ladder of learning. That start is ABET – Adult Basic Education & Training. “ABET is very close to our hearts – we have a passion for developing our people to read and write – but greater still, to witness the moment that our learners truly understand the words they read and write,” is the sentiment of PPC’s Learning for Growth team. It echoes the genuine national commitment of ABET trainers at regional centres throughout PPC.

‘Speed of learning’ is cited internally as one of PPC’s key competitive advantages. With 64% of the workforce currently assessed for ABET training, PPC is well on its way to achieving the target of ‘all employees attaining minimum ABET Level 4 in communication and numeracy by 2010’.

Focus combined with quality training is the true key to the speed of learning at PPC. A third of PPC’s workforce has either completed training, or are active learners – a progressive milestone when considering that ABET was first identified as a learning for growth priority only 24 months ago, in late 2005.

To date, 1 468 employees were profiled against ABET and 348 employees were placed on various ABET programmes across the company – 93% of these being EE candidates. The ABET programmes have proven highly successful with a current pass rate of 95%.

Success stories abound, with many PPC employees achieving life-long dreams through the programme.