SENWES Integrated Report 2020 | Page 36

EMPLOYEES To be an employer of choice that pays market-related salaries while providing employees with the opportunity to realise their desired career paths. [ ! ] EMPLOYEE COSTS* R’m 400 300 ISSUES DURING THE YEAR � Sudden Covid-19 developments in the last months of the financial year placed great restraints on the deployment and effective use of skills in various businesses. � A challenging macro-economic environment. � Employment equity compliance remains an issue. 600 500 COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO THESE ISSUES � An emergency response Covid-19 Crisis Committee carefully monitored and guided processes as it unfolded in government and at the various business units. � Senwes hosted its first employee wellness week and a combined year-end function. � Senwes paid short-term incentive bonuses to staff to the value of R48 million. � Formalised wage agreement disputes of both Senwes and Hinterland were referred to the CCMA, where both cases were resolved without escalating into a strike in 2019. The company obtained majority approval from all employees to implement wage increases in 2019. � No employment equity non-compliance certificates were issued anywhere in the group over the last 12 months. New joint ventures registered for employment equity compliance uploads. � A five-year employment equity plan was developed, with full stakeholder engagement and approval, and was submitted to and acknowledged by the Department of Labour. The group is in the second year of this plan. 200 100 - 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 * For the group, excluding JVs and directors’ remuneration ** The notable increase in employee costs is attributable to the acquisition of subsidiaries during the year, namely: KLK Landbou, Falcon Agricultural Equipment and Grainovation. ** 34 ROOTED IN AGRICULTURE