Chapter Four
7. Conclusion
This study aimed to examine the skills question at PDH within the context of the new democratic political dispensation in South Africa and the increasing pressures exerted by globalization. In doing so particular consideration was given to technological changes and increased economic competition as part of globalization (see for instance Erwin and Harry, 2000 and Rosenau, 1980's views on globalization and its impact on national and global economies). Consideration was also given to the Skills Development Legislation introduced recently in South Africa to redress the skills shortages within the South African enterprises and enhance competitiveness. Thus PDH responses to these challenges and pressures were examined in the thesis.
What the study has found is that in response to these pressures, PDH has since the early 1990s started developing strategies to enhance competitiveness and overcome the skills shortage inherited from the previous political system and meet global economic challenges.
Those strategies took the forms of the 1992 "Future View" Plan and later the "Port of Durban Development 2005" project. The actual implementation of the measures to address the issues and problems identified in these strategic plans took the fonn of Portnet Academy and the Cosmos Computer software system. The central objective was to achieve amongst others reduce congestion at the Port, improve the container loading and handling rates, productivity as well as to improve the skills levels in line with the new technological innovations at the Port.
It is however worth noting the resultant technological innovations had both negative and positive impacts. Technological innovation at PDH is praised for leading to improved economies of scales. The impact of the Cosmos system on work operation, on the organization of work and workers is so evident. Isaacs (1997) calls it the information revolution or the communication revolution. It is characterized by a shift from the use of mechanics and electro- mechanics to electronics and computerization. This has helped amongst other things to curb fraud, improve services, ensured safety and changed work operations.
Workers perceived that the introduction of the Cosmos system has improved their lives at work through the changes it has brought about. It has necessitated training for workers so that they could become multi skilled/multi tasked. This implies that management might be succeeding in training workers at the same time locsing workers control over to their side.
The findings of this study demonstrate that the introduction of the Cosmos system has had both negative and positive impact on workers participation and control. This therefore has not only ceded control to workers over their own working lives, thus reducing management control, but has also led to improved efficiency in the Port's operations and increased competitiveness. This finding lends support to the views held by Hodson and Parker (1988) that technological innovation in the workplace leads to improved productivity and Webster (l993) that managerial control is never complete. This is so as management needs workers' skills and experience to oversee the machines. It thus challenges Bravennan (in Amsden, 1989), Child (1984), Yarrow (1988), Shaiken (1988) and Ntuli's (2000) view that technology tends to reduce workers' control over the work process, increase the workers alienation and leads to unemployment. The findings of this study demonstrate that the introduction of the Cosmos system has actually led to increased employment (for instance, the number of drivers in charge of straddle carrier has increased from 169 to 229) and increased workers' control over their work.
In the light of the findings of the study the SDA has played a crucial role in transforming the workplace. The introduction of the SDA, technological revolution and globalization have ushered in a new milieu and terrain at PDH. It has transformed the historically racially segmented labour force at PDH as skills training was extended to all the workers and provided opportunities for upward labour mobility within the organisation. The findings of this study challenges the past view held by Langa (1987), Crankshaw (1997) and Webster (1985) that the South African labour market remain by and large racially segmented as the findings at PDH signify some trend of change.
Based on PDH achievement the SDA has the potential to eliminate forms of segmentation in the labour market and also eradicate forms of discrimination. In this way, argues Maharaj (1999). SDA can be said to be working toward realizing the broader goal of the nation, which is to improve the position of all disadvantaged and marginalized workers, who have suffered because of discrimination or neglect. The SDA strategy advanced by the present government
for the transfonnation of the labour market is re-ordering, shaping and molding the labour market, as seen at PDH. This then calls for the redefinition of the labour market theory, which is characterised by notions of labour market segmentation and labour control. As has been shown in the PDH case, distinctions between primary and secondary labour market are gradually disappearing.
While the SDA has had a somewhat transfonnative impact on POH, there are however numerous constraints. The reality is that the majorities of PDH workers are, and still constrained by a number of factors such as illiteracy and lack of training. Black workers are still disadvantaged in tenns of language and this could continue to exist. The implementation of the SDA is not an event but a process involving a consideration of many diverse factors like the past legacy and illiteracy rate. The future is promising for all PDH workers. In the near future language and productivity problems could disappear. To increase productivity, PDH needs to increase wages as an incentive factor, because according to the workers salary increment serve as a motivational factor. Should these constraints be effectively addressed, dynamic teamwork, multi-skilled, highly motivated workforce, responsible and responsive workers could characterize future PDH workforce.