Page 46 - Countertrade

c) The recognition of the human resource as the critical element in
the life of an enterprise and one which influences every operational
and strategic decision

The average age of employees in the enterprise was 52 years. Labour
turnover rates were very low. In the immediate past no new visually

disabled employees were taken on. This was mostly because the
cessation of the Afghan War meant that there were fewer instances of
this disability. The actual number of visually disabled people is
determined by the Employment and Medical Commission. From 1994 a
number of physically disabled workers were employed.

For VOS as a whole this change in the composition of the workforce - in
particular the fall-off in the provision of the number of working places for
the partially sighted - led to a regrouping of resources. Prior to 1993 a
reduction in places would have meant that those over 70 and, possibly,
those over 60 would have been retired. After 1993 the aim was to
encourage the young visually disabled to go into business for
themselves. Of a loss of 16,000 places, 8,000 of those concerned

started their own businesses. Despite this VOS still hoped the
government would restore the lost places.

The ability of the enterprise to change product design was limited by the
availability of technology and by the adaptability of the workforce. When
a new product or process was introduced visually disabled employees
were allowed one month to master it. No output norms are applied

during this month. If the employee is sighted the period was reduced to
two weeks.

Alexander recognised that such changes impacted directly on
employees and showed his concern by ensuring that he saw some of his
workers every day and by touring the factory at least once a week. He
held regular meetings with the workers to inform them of plans and

developments. He regularly met the trade union representative who kept
him informed of workers’ views. Despite the limited power of the trade
union and its mainly social role Alexander continued to use it as a
channel of communication to and from the workforce.