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Tiger Brands Limited integrated annual report
2015 55
Employee benefits
Tiger Brands generally offers employees benefits in excess
of statutory requirements:
Retirement funding
– we have designed our retirement
funding based on employee requirements and worker
category. These are being reviewed in line with imminent
legislative changes.
Medical aid
– we offer a closed scheme medical aid to
which employees can elect to belong. This is structured on
a benefit cost analysis as a very competitive proposition to
employees. We have also limited our annual increase to
single digits consistently below medical aid inflation over
the last three years.
Employees wellness
– realising the value of this benefit for
our people, we have recently reviewed the offering to
extend its reach and further enhance benefits that support
employee wellbeing.
Group personal accident
– in addition to normal death and
disability benefits in each of the retirement funds, we also
offer accident cover for all employees.
Leave
– we have recently reviewed our policy to include
leading practice on parenting leave, for example adoption
and paternity leave.
Discounted deals
– capitalising on the group’s purchasing
power, employees enjoy preferential rates for a spectrum of
lifestyle purchases.
Tiger Brands regularly tracks market trends, legislation and
best practice to ensure our employee benefits remain
relevant and competitive to support our people strategy.
Labour relations
To ensure a constructive, safe and fair working environment
for all our people, we work closely with employee
bargaining units to ensure that all employees have a voice
in matters that affect them daily.
Our employees enjoy full freedom of association. Some
62% of employees belong to 33 unions (including three*
major unions) at South African sites, with site management
and shop stewards meeting monthly. At each site, unions
are represented on forums that monitor employment equity,
skills development and any other issues requiring
management attention.
Clear communication between staff and management helps
to ensure that disputes are resolved and grievances are dealt
with appropriately by all parties. Our disciplinary code
serves as a guideline to all managers and employees to:
❍❍
create a fair and equitable structure for dealing with
misconduct; and
❍❍
encourage timely corrective action in the event of an
employee’s behaviour or conduct being unsatisfactory
or unacceptable.
As part of our workplace culture, scheduled meetings are
held daily at production sites. These focus on pertinent
issues that improve productivity and safety, and provide
a regular opportunity for feedback from our employees.
Health and safety
The safety of our workers, visitors to our operations, and the
public is key to our long-term success. We believe a safe
and healthy workplace is both the fundamental right of
every person and a business imperative.
The group health and safety policy stipulates our
responsibility for maintaining productive workplaces across
our company by minimising the risk of accidents, injury and
exposure to health hazards for our own people, associates
and contractors.
The chief executive officer is accountable for the safety
of employees while the risk and sustainability committee
maintains oversight on behalf of the board on health
and safety issues. Health and safety committees, led
by supply chain executives and site management, are
responsible for implementing health and safety measures
at manufacturing sites.
Our policies and standards for managing safety, the
environment and quality are defined in operating
requirements throughout the group. Our manufacturing
facilities continue to adopt the requirements and principles
of the internationally recognised Occupational Health and
Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) 18001 standard as the
framework of an occupational health and safety
management system.
Generally accepted food manufacturing standards are
rigorously applied and food safety at all facilities is regularly
audited by independent assurance providers.
* SACCAWU (South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union), FAWU (Food and Allied Workers Union) and AMITU (African
Meat Industry and Allied Trade Union).