ENDEAVOR
Sonny Coloma
One of the “muted” aspects of the aftermath of the triumph of People Power at EDSA 36 years ago was its impact on industrial relations. I wish to share with readers excerpts from an essay that I wrote as co-author of a book published by the People Management Association of the Philippines on Kapwa: Filipino Management Ethos for Workplace Excellence and Global Competitiveness.
During the martial law regime that was overthrown by the triumph of the EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986, the conditions in the body politic were mirrored in companies and communities: as there was no political democracy, this situation engendered the absence of industrial democracy. People empowerment in companies became possible only when People Power brought about the return of political democracy and the restoration of political institutions such as Congress, and of basic political rights such as freedom of the press and freedom of assembly. In 1994, the People Management of the Philippines came up with a retrospective on the evolution of the human resource management profession in the Philippines and noted that, “Since the 1986 EDSA Revolution, popular participation in nation building has become a thriving element of Philippine society” and affirmed a fundamental principle: “People empowerment should breed employee empowerment in a cohesive society.” The insights of a political analyst are instructive in this respect: Socio-politically, it is regarded as contradictory that political democracy should exist in the absence of democracy in economic life. Employees’ interests are affected as directly, if not more so, by the functioning of enterprises as by the political institutions in which they are allowed, as citizens, to participate. Industrial democracy is thus seen as a movement to extend democracy throughout society.” (B.C. Smith, Bureaucracy and Political Power (1988), page 192) That employee empowerment would emerge as a major thread in the development of people management in the Philippines as well as a vital element in the Filipinos’ quest for national maturity and development is emphasized by Amando Doronila, one of the leading Filipino journalists who was imprisoned upon the declaration of martial law in 1972: In short, we should search within ourselves for clues to our destiny. One clue is that we produced (the) EDSA (People Power Revolution). It was not an imitation from other societies in methods of political change. (Amando Doronila, “The EDSA experience: key to growth”, The Manila Chronicle, June 12, 1991, page 15A tribute). In “search(ing) within ourselves for clues to our own destiny,” Dr. Virgilio Enriquez and his fellow advocates of Sikolohiyang Pilipino have laid out an integrated conceptual framework on indigenous Filipino values embodied in kapwa management. Quite a few business corporations have picked up the gauntlet. They are taking on people empowerment as part and parcel of their quest for superior organization. The vignettes that follow give us an idea of their journey: Motorola Philippines, Inc.Rising to the challenge of starting up the Plastic Leadless Chip Carrier (PLCC) line in October 1991, Motorola achieved its targeted benchmark levels of performance by the second quarter of 1992. Its PLCC Hi-Power Team attained, as planned, full three-shift operations by December 1991 and received recognition for achieving global quality standards. The key was in allowing a highly motivated and autonomous self-directed team to push the envelop and break barriers. Indeed, this is “a story of values and vision and the transformation of ordinary folks into a self-directed, high performance team.”
DOLE Philippines, Inc.
Stanfilco Division
In 1987, the Kaibigan Program was started by the Department of Labor and employment (DOLE) Region XI Office and implemented by Stanfilco in Dole Philippines, Inc. as a takeoff point for its quality management program. It was a “perfect tool for the planned cultural revolution” for it brought about employee alignment with the company vision and goals.From 1989 to 1993, almost 200 quality circle projects were launched, focused on achieving higher levels of productivity and quality. These projects won in the National QC Competition in 1992-1993, enabling the company to launch “empowered packing plants” and attain leadership in the Philippine banana industry.
Stanfilco’s empowered workforce act autonomously; their superiors no longer direct nor dictate upon the workers and simply act as coaches.
Victorias Milling Company, Inc.Alongside the recognition of the first labor union, VMC created a Labor Management Council (LMC) and this was institutionalized in their collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The President or the Executive Vice President of VMC chairs the management panel while the Union President leads the labor panel is led by the union president.
“VMC treats its workers as partners in business. This means giving them due respect, recognition, involvement, fair compensation, concern, due training and development, and an opportunity to grow – aligning both their own needs and those of the company.”