Bonding at the Workplace

Context

In the year 2006, Santos Mubiru a senior one school dropout and a former hawker of metal scrap

started Santos Metal Works. The business is located at Wampeewo along Gayaza road in Wakiso

district. It deals in fabrication and welding of metal products such as windows, doors, gates, beds

among others. Today the business employs about 35 youths coming from across all regions in the

country and his wife as the deputy director.

Santos had a high level of skill and experience in metal fabrication obtained in his early years as

an apprentice in several metal workshops. On starting out he says, “I aimed at employing young

listening and hardworking people. In turn, my business strived to satisfy their needs”. However,

the youth employed had different backgrounds and varied manners. Some were drug addicts,

thieves but majorly school dropouts. They could hide to take drugs during work time and would

become hostile. At times, they would end up sleeping for long hours, which wasted a lot of time

meant for work. Fights were a usual occurrence at Santos Metal Works, which compromised the

image of the business.

Workers stole tools such as tape measures, overalls and axel blades; and sold them to nearby

metal workshops. They stole the remaining pieces of metal, equipment from customer sites and

connived to steal money for small welding orders. These orders included welding saving boxes,

metallic tap units and other small fixtures. Some of them completely left work after stealing and

efforts to trace them were fruitless. Complaints over unavailability of tools were common and

work would be on hold over missing tools and equipment.

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They would abuse one another over small matters such as mobile phones and tools. Many of

them were bigheaded and hardly adhered to instructions from their boss. They reported late for

work, those who came early spent more time taking tea and conversing. This resulted into delays

in delivering orders for the customers.

Although Santos gave his workers a monthly pay, whenever he was away buying materials and

visiting customer sites, they did not work. They spent most of the time arguing about football

matches, relaxing and went to bating houses. Others would leave work early and some were

often absent without notification; few employees did the work. A lot of time meant for work was

wasted and financially the business was constrained.

The work at Santos Metal Works rotated around cutting metals, welding, finishing and spraying

done in that order. Some employees for those who welded to do their work cut metals to the right

measurements. Whereas those who sprayed had to ensure their colleagues did finishing properly.

However, workers who cut metals and did welding took longer than expected and often teased

colleagues who sprayed for doing minor work at the workshop. Workers who welded gates

bragged that they brought in more money to the business compared to those who did other tasks

such as welding windows. This created redundancy, divisions, hatred and mistrust among

workers.

Majority of these workers hardly knew what to do; they had obsolete skills such as welding

ordinary windows and doors that are hard to open, and untidy rough works. They could not do

fine finishing and spraying on welded works. Embracing new trendy designs such as making

modified wide sliding windows, doors and gates that easily opened was hard. Santos spent a lot

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of time teaching them what to do which resulted into failure to meet customer deadlines,

compromised the quality of the products and sales declined.

The old workers hesitated to teach their new colleagues designs that Santos had trained them.

They refereed them to Santos saying, “after all he had hired them”. Whenever Santos was away,

new employees would be stuck with work or they would do shoddy work. This led to divisions

among employees, which further delayed completion of works for customers.

Santos turned down invitations from workers to attend birthday parties or introduction parties

and he neither invited them. When they lost relatives, he never attended burial ceremonies and

did not allow other employees to go along. The business opened daily without fail and they

would close late. Workers felt unhappy and feared to inform him when they had challenges both

at home and work.

However, some workers moved to other workshops that promised them a better pay and others

even opted to start their own workshops. Nevertheless, they left at a time when the business

would have benefited from them by training others. Nearby competitors replicated Santos’s

unique designs without any hassles.

The competition from mushrooming metal fabrication workshops in the area drastically checked

his profits. Given this poor performance of his business, Santos sought for ways he could

improve and make his business better.

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Actions

He attended a training organized by Uganda Manufacturers Association at Lugogo for managers

and owners of small businesses in Uganda. They taught them about the value of employees in

their businesses, how to work together and to treat them well for the business to succeed.

He held meetings and cautioned workers to restrain from their bad habits of taking drugs,

stealing and bating. He told them about the associated dangers and reminded them that they were

still young people who had to work hard but also had a stake in the business. “This business and

everything in it belongs to all of us”, Santos said.

Every time there was a disagreement, they met to resolve it and encouraged employees to respect

one another despite their different backgrounds. He emphasized that they needed one another;

those who cut metals wanted someone else to weld and those who finished required others to

spray. He encouraged those in wrong to apologize to their colleagues and everyone approached

him whenever they had a problem. During such meetings, workers opened up and expressed

discontentment about issues that affect them. . For example, workers voiced out their concerns

about the quality of food prepared at the workshop.

Santos started paying his workers daily based on the work they did but allowed them to give

their opinions about the rates for every activity. These ranged from minor welding orders, cutting

the metals, welding, finishing and spraying to installation at customer sites. Every evening, he

paid them accordingly but kept money for those who preferred so. In case of any changes in

rates, he informed them on time and paid advance those who approached him with challenges.

He required every new worker to provide an identity card, a letter confirming residence from

Local Council Chairman and disclosed his or her next of kin. He started attending functions such

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as birthday parties, introduction ceremonies of his employees and gave a hand when necessary.

He identified someone to supply food for lunch and whenever he was around, he ate together

with the workers. He sympathized with them when they had challenges; for instance, one

employee confessed; “when I lost my grandmother in Luweero, Santos provided vehicles with

fuel and attended the burial ceremony with other workers”.

At the end of the year, Santos held a thanks-giving party at his home to celebrate the milestones

of Santos Metal Works and all employees were invited. Such milestones included hitting sales

targets for the year and for the increased customers who gave them business. He gave gifts to

employees for the good work and served them with eats and drinks. He also invited workers and

their children for his children’s birthdays and told them to relax, feel at home and have fun.

Santos being a hands-on boss, he set up an open workshop where all employees work together

and he worked side by side with them. “I cannot keep away from the actual work that made me

what I am today, I have got to roll up my sleeves”, Santos said. He moved around thanking those

who did a good job and guided on reworks where necessary. He engaged in discourse with

workers; occasionally initiated jokes and advised on the viability of new ideas.

Santos put employees in groups and took them through trainings of new trendy designs in the

metal fabrication industry. For instance, he trained them how to make modified wide sliding

windows, doors and gates that were soft and opened with ease. He also took them through the

basics of cutting metals to the right measurements, welding, fine finishing and spraying in their

respective groups. He cautioned those who welded to ensure that their colleagues who cut metals

did it as required and those who sprayed to check out for proper finishing.

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Santos started rotating employees with whom he travelled to customer sites and gave everyone

chance to. He negotiated with the customer in their presence and took measurements at the site

with them. Every morning, he distributed work to employees and discussed with them the needs

of the customer in each particular task. He apportioned work fairly among workers and cautioned

them about the customer deadlines.

He told new workers to consult as much as possible and encouraged the old workers to spare

time and train their new colleagues. “Namwe mwaliko abapya”, said Santos whenever he

introduced new workers, which meant that someone else had spared time for old workers. He

involved old workers in hiring and attached new employees to anyone who was part of their

recruitment.

Results

Santos Metal Works is family and employees feel happy and energized working for such an

understanding boss. About eight employees have stayed in the business for over 7 years and one

of them confessed, “so far, I have no reason to leave, I am part of this business”.

There is high collegiality among workers as they consult one another during work and old

workers are willing to teach new ones. They attend parties of their workmates and stand by each

other during challenging times. For instance, they visit sick colleagues and in case one is absent,

they are quick to check on them.

Workers now respect and accept one another despite their differences. One employee confessed;

“none of us is good at everything, we need each other”. Whenever there is a task, they share the

work equally depending on their abilities in their respective groups.

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Santos is proud of a team of young skilled and experienced employees with new trendy designs

in Metal fabrication. Santos says, “even if I was away for a month, my boys have the capacity to

do any work to the required standards”. They possess a high level of expertise in cutting metals,

welding, finishing and spraying of metal products. They have the ability to modify metal and suit

the needs of all customers. Each one of them is good at something; there those excellent at

making windows, some are superb at making doors while others are outstanding when it comes

to gates.

Workers respect Santos; appreciate that he has many years of experience, and can always offer a

better perspective. Workers take his feedback positively and whenever they encounter challenges

at work, they easily consult him. They have confidence in him and can rely on him when they

experience problems.

They look at him as a humble boss but at the same time as a colleague working together towards

the same goal. They refer to him as “Santos” and his usual wears are jeans, fitting t-shirts and

sneakers, a usual outfit for his employees. Workers credit him for his work ethic; he is the best

example they have as he was once in their shoes.

Employees are now working hard, they report early, take their meals in time and cases of

absenteeism have reduced. Support one another to ensure that they complete tasks in time, meet

customer deadlines and can now work in Santos’ absence. They have transformed from bad

habits into responsible citizens who value work and can support others.

Working at Santos Metal Works is fun; workers freely interact with one another and can confide

in their boss when they have challenges. Santos acknowledges, “much as I want them to work for

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me, as young people they have to enjoy their lives. They are also prone to challenges in life”. He

listens to them when they notify him that they are unable to report for work

Today, Santos Metal Works is a recognized brand in the metal fabrication industry. The business

contested in the New Vision 2017 Annual Pakasa Youth Awards competition. Early this year, the

business emerged as the winner for the most portfolio entrepreneur and given a certificate and an

award.

The business is reputable in the eyes of the public for its superior quality products with trendy

designs that are distinct. The business thrives on the urge to meet the needs of customers as

Santos acknowledges, “it is not all about money but giving a customer value for their money”. It

serves a wide a market both locally and internationally.

Santos now has three branches located in Wampeewo, Gayaza-Bulamu and Manyangwa. It has a

wide product range from mere metal fabricated products to concrete and hardware. The business

purchases materials used in welding from their own hardware, which has increased the

business’s profitability.