Senior Specialist: Employee Relations (ER) at Transnet

• Provide strategic leadership and guidance in building and maintaining stable and productive relationships with management, employees and labour to ensure a stable and productive workforce within Transnet Property
• Develop, implement and manage a business-focused employee relations strategy within Transnet Property that meets the needs of the various stakeholder groups in a way that fosters accountability, collaboration and sound employee relations
• Provide employee relations expertise and support to the Head: People Management, as well as managers and employees within Transnet Property in the management of discipline, grievances, dispute prevention and resolution, investigations, ER governance, as well as potential initiatives required
• Provide strategic and tactical support to the Head in driving strategic people management initiatives to ensure that sound employee relations are maintained across Transnet Property through engagement and effective communication

Position outputs:

• Develop and implement a progressive, business-focused employee relations strategy and plan for Transnet Property in alignment with the overall Group ER strategy
• Review and ensure that ER policies and processes are relevant, current and conform to employment legislation
• Identify and implement employee relations programmes or interventions in consultation with relevant stakeholders that will lead to a more motivated and efficient workforce
• Monitor ER-related initiatives undertaken within Transnet Property ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, alignment with the strategic imperatives of Transnet, and that it does not detract from Group performance
• Contribute to the continued improvement of the health of the organisation by monitoring key performance indicators including level/number of grievances, disciplines, disputes and absenteeism, and developing initiatives and solutions in collaboration with the other People Management specialists to enable positive trends
• Consult with recognised labour unions when required on behalf of the Head: People Management with a view to achieving positive outcomes. Engage with labour on employee grievances and disputes, organisational and structural changes and other matters as required
• Provide responsive and quality support, training and advice to managers and employees within the Transnet Property to ensure appropriate management of all employee relations issues including change management, grievances, disciplinary action and management of union engagement in this regard
• Manage the employee relations aspects of proposed changes in organisational structures that are important for supporting the delivery of Transnet Property business objectives, namely job evaluation, reward, redeployment, redundancy, and employment contracts
• Serve as a principal point of liaison with external legal advisors /private arbitrators, labour and the CCMA about possible labour relations issues within the Corporate Centre to ensure proper briefing and management of external parties regarding the company’s business and its employment practices
• Drive, measure and monitor key performance indicators and business analytics on an ongoing basis to ensure a productive workforce, and to enable the identification of possible issues at an early stage
• Produce regular reports that include incidents, trends, risks, benchmarking and best practice for submission to the Head:
• People Management to alert / inform the Head of potential strategic and operational ER issues within the Transnet Property
• Manage ER expenditure in alignment with business priorities and within budgetary constraints
• Coach, guide and mentor employees as required

Qualifications & Experience:

• B-degree in Labour Law/ Industrial Relation/ HR Management/Social Sciences/HR Management or other relevant
• A post graduate qualification in Business Management or other relevant is an advantage
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in Employee Relations Management in a large corporate environment of which at least 3 years at a senior managerial level
• Experience in using data analytics to support management decision making
• Requirement of trust and honesty in the handling of finances as per the National Credit Act Amendment 19
• Standard Job Requirements
• Driver’s license code 08
• Travel as required by the business

Competencies:
Technical:

• Strategy Thought Partner
• HR Expertise
• Human Capital Intelligence Manager
• Custodian of Leadership
• Custodian of Change
• Operational Excellence Driver
• Compliance
• Culture Champion
• Inclusivity Champion

Behavioural:

• Strategy & Sustainability
• Inspirational Leadership
• Business Performance and Delivery
• Relationship Management
• Corporate Governance & Compliance
• Personal Mastery

Knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of Labour Law and Industrial Relations management
• In-depth knowledge of disciplinary and grievance processes
• Sound knowledge of BCEA and Labour Relations Act
• Sound knowledge of the Basic Conditions of Employment and Employment Equity Acts
• Employee Relations Management
• Stakeholder Relations Management
• Strategy and business plan development and execution
• Sound knowledge of Corporate Governance
• Project Management
• Contract Management