The Union of Inspectors and Dispatchers believes that there are too many managers for the number of employees at the Capital Transport Network (RTC), and that this is detrimental to the efficiency of the teams.
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The Union published a press release on Monday in which it deplores that the management ratio for the inspectors and dispatchers sector is 1 manager for 6 employees, with 7 managers for 46 people.
For the president of the Union, Éric Poirier, this situation is aberrant and counterproductive, in addition to resulting in additional costs.
“Acute reunionitis”
“It’s terrible. There is an illness at the RTC of acute reunionitis,” he says.
“Employee engagement decreases with the increase in management. Because these managers meet regularly, even all the time, with executives. When employees are in the field and need to speak to their manager, often [ceux-ci sont] in meeting and [ils] disturb them,” testifies the trade unionist.
It happened that two or three executives from the same department attended meetings where he was present. He recalls that the general director had even demanded that half a day per week be free from meetings. “It was the time when the manager had to spend time with his team. I think they failed to maintain that.”
The straw that broke the camel’s back, according to him, was the decision taken by the RTC last week to abolish a unionized position and replace it with a management position. “With all the difficulties due to the lack of drivers and buses, we cannot afford to cut an employee in the field to replace him with a manager,” declared Mr. Poirier.
Possible savings
Instead of always appointing new bosses, management would benefit from putting the expertise of its employees to good use, he argues, since the union members he represents are open to taking responsibility for certain tasks. According to him, cuts among executives would lead to savings.
The Union made this outing the day after the publication of the performance audits of transport companies, unveiled last week.
In their audit, the accountants of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton (RCGT) indicated that “the increase in management positions within the organization was more marked than that of other categories of positions”. RCGT put the management ratio in the organization at 9.7 employees per manager.
The firm, however, explained this trend by several factors, including the establishment of an office on the electrification of the fleet, among others.
The RTC has not responded to our questions at the time of writing.
