| Social Performance |
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EMPOWERING PEOPLE |
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Management Approach |
Investing in people is very much a part of the Dimo sustainability policy. This includes investments in the people who work for the organisation and investments in the people who form part of the larger community.
Our intellectual capital in the form of our people and processes is one of the Company’s most significant assets. Our goal is to nourish and nurture this intellectual capital to produce sustainable and durable outcomes for all stakeholders including the people themselves.
Dimo’s policy is to produce sustainable and life rewarding outcomes both for the people within the organisation and for those in the community around us. In this section we look at how we build durable value for our employees and for those outside the organisation. |
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Building a Dynamic Workforce through Good Practices |
The Dimo team has been one of the main drivers of sustainable change and the Company makes consistent and substantial investments in their welfare, in their skills and in their future. The Company’s goal is to make work enjoyable, rewarding and productive and to create work spaces that are rich in innovation and new ideas.
Dimo is an equal opportunity provider and the Company ensures that all employees are treated with respect and equality. There were no reported cases of discrimination or unfair dismissal and no court cases were pending, during the year, against the Company.
The right to freedom of religion of all employees is respected and company practices have been adapted so as to allow all employees to practice their religion without any hindrance. |
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| Service Group Analysis (No. of years in Service vs No. of Employees |
| Service Group |
Non-Executive |
Executive |
Total |
| Male |
Female |
Total |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Above 31 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
0 |
8 |
11 |
| 26 - 30 |
14 |
0 |
14 |
22 |
5 |
27 |
41 |
| 21 - 25 |
8 |
0 |
8 |
12 |
5 |
17 |
25 |
| 16 - 20 |
17 |
0 |
17 |
42 |
5 |
47 |
64 |
| 11 - 15 |
58 |
1 |
59 |
45 |
5 |
50 |
109 |
| 05 - 10 |
44 |
2 |
46 |
69 |
12 |
81 |
127 |
| Below 4 |
314 |
24 |
338 |
138 |
14 |
152 |
490 |
| Total |
457 |
28 |
485 |
336 |
46 |
382 |
867 |
|
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| (Source: Human Resources Department Records) |
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Employees’ Personnel Development Plans are discussed each year with their line managers during the time of the performance appraisals and then evaluated at the year end.
The Company is committed to the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining and encourages employees to organise so as to better negotiate their rights. Regular employee meetings are held on a monthly basis to discuss and clarify any problems the staff may be facing in their daily functions. All departments have an ‘open door’ policy where any employee can directly address their superiors.
The Company offers a comprehensive corporate medical service that covers most situations of ill health both for the employees and their families.
Reimbursements of up to Rs 100,000 are provided under this scheme. In some cases the Company covers expenses beyond that sum. Critical illness surgery expenses, including cardiac bypass procedures, are also reimbursed by the Company.
Job related educational expenses and subscriptions for membership of professional bodies are also reimbursed by the Company.
Our remuneration packages are on par with the best in the industry with annual adjustments to take account of inflation and other variables. Performance related incentives are offered by the Company and ‘super performers’ duly rewarded. Longevity of service is given special recognition and treated as a milestone for the employee concerned. Every employee receives comprehensive life assurance and is covered 24 hours a day.
Child Labour
We at Dimo are strictly against the use of child labour. It is our philosophy that all children under the age of 18 should remain in school and not at work. We have extended the same view towards all our suppliers and to any party we deal with.
Health and Safety
Health and safety of our employees is a core concern and the Company provides all the necessary safety equipment to our employees who need them. Every year the Company conducts a health and safety audit which identifies potential hazards and the programmes to put in place to address these. In spite of every measure taken to avoid accidents, last year there was one major accident on the Company premises.
We have taken the following specific measures to ensure employee safety:
• Safety gear in the workshops was replaced this year with the better quality and upgraded versions
• Seven people from our employees took part in the certificate programme on Occupational Safety and Health which was conducted by the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon
• The Company conducted safety audits and took action in accordance with the recommendations of the safety auditors.
•The Company has taken the initiative to organise a safety committee
• Thirty employees successfully completed the certificate programme on first aid which was conducted by
St. John’s Ambulance.
• Regular fire drills are conducted at all branches and all employees are educated on how to act in the case of an emergency.
• Special protective clothing along with eyewear is provided for the employees who need them. The Company is constantly improving the design and the comfort levels of the wearer.
•The equipment in the Company’s workshops is state-of-the-art and they are all equipped with modern safety mechanisms.
Employees participating in the First Aid
programme conducted by St. John’s Ambulance |
Ensuring employees safety - a safety
audit in progress |
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Employee Welfare
The Company currently provides numerous welfare benefits to its employees which include:
• Subsidised gym membership
• Free school books to children of employees
• Uniforms and footwear for drivers and workshop staff
• Meals at subsidised prices
• An annual Christmas party for children of employees
• Annual excursion allowance for all employees
• Free transport four times a day between Colombo and Siyambalape
• A Mercedes-Benz for employee weddings
• A death donation fund where company and employees contribute in equal measure. On the death of an employee or an immediate family member the fund releases Rs. 50,000/- in the case of an employee and Rs. 40,000/- in the case of a family member
• Special awards to recognise the educational achievements of employees’ children
• Medical expenses
• A special programme for school children to enable them to develop a vision for themselves.
• A doctor visits the premises everyday and the employees can consult him free of charge
• In house nursing facilities are provided at both the head office and Siyambalape
• A mobile laboratory visits all our locations twice a week and medical tests are done at no cost to the employees.
• Training and Education
Training
All employees are given the opportunity of participating in training programmes, both local and overseas. Outward Bound Training, training on attitude development, and motivation training are among the programmes that employees were exposed to last year.
The Chairman and the participants at
the annual strategy presentation |
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The annual pirith ceremony held for
employees and families |
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Last year the Company invested Rs. 20 mn on employee training. 26 employees participated in training programmes conducted overseas and 829 employees participated in a variety of programmes locally and internationally.
The Company implements a knowledge sharing scheme where those employees who have undergone training are then required to share this training with co-workers in order to cascade the training to all levels of the organisation.
Job related educational expenses and subscriptions for memberships of professional examination bodies are reimbursed by the Company in a bid to promote greater levels of knowledge acquisition.
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Promoting and Protecting Human Rights |
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Dimo is committed to all those rights contained in the international covenants on human rights and those rights contained in the Constitution of Sri Lanka. The Company is deeply committed to advancing the rights of all those working within the organisation and all those other stakeholders it engages with. The Company attempts at all times to ensure that our suppliers, dealers and other business partners also respect human rights as part of their business practices. |
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Ensuring Equal Opportunity |
| The Company follows a policy of non-discrimination and facilitates equality of opportunity for all its employees. Equal opportunities are provided to all within the Company irrespective of sex, social background, caste, old school tie or other distinction. Promotions are strictly on merit and potential. Dimo’s employment practices have generated a high degree of loyalty: 377 of our employees have been in service for over five years and 250 for over 10 years. |
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Training Programmes Analysis (2007/08) |
| Month |
No. of External
Training
Programmes |
No. of Employees
Participated |
No. of Internal
Training
Programmes |
No. of Employees
Participated |
| April |
1 |
3 |
- |
- |
| May |
11 |
43 |
- |
- |
| June |
7 |
15 |
1 |
55 |
| July |
5 |
13 |
2 |
130 |
| August |
11 |
24 |
3 |
111 |
| September |
2 |
2 |
2 |
61 |
| October |
8 |
24 |
3 |
98 |
| November |
9 |
9 |
4 |
104 |
| December |
1 |
2 |
4 |
67 |
| January |
6 |
17 |
3 |
67 |
| February |
6 |
9 |
2 |
66 |
| March |
3 |
4 |
- |
- |
| Total |
70 |
165 |
24 |
759 |
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Age Group Analysis (Age vs No. of Employees) |
| Age Group |
Non-Executive |
Executive |
Total |
| Male |
Female |
Total |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Above 61 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
11 |
| 51 - 60 |
43 |
1 |
44 |
43 |
5 |
48 |
92 |
| 46 - 50 |
24 |
|
24 |
36 |
7 |
43 |
67 |
| 41 - 45 |
22 |
|
22 |
43 |
5 |
48 |
70 |
| 36 - 40 |
45 |
1 |
46 |
51 |
3 |
54 |
100 |
| 31 - 35 |
48 |
1 |
49 |
74 |
8 |
82 |
131 |
| 26 - 30 |
156 |
6 |
162 |
68 |
11 |
79 |
241 |
| 21 - 25 |
112 |
19 |
131 |
14 |
7 |
21 |
152 |
| Below 20 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| Total |
457 |
28 |
485 |
336 |
46 |
382 |
867 |
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(Source: Human Resources Department Records)
Eliminating gender based discrimination and gender stereotypes at the workplace is very much a part of the Company’s policy on advancing human rights. Women are recruited as automobile mechanics and service advisors, traditionally perceived as male dominated professions. |
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Empowering the Broader Community |
| The Company’s policy is to invest in the welfare of the broader community and to facilitate sustainable futures for them. The following are some of the specific community initiatives the Company has been involved in over the years. |
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Dimo Automobile Training School (DATS) |
Every year the Company enrolls two batches of 16 students each in the Dimo Automobile Training School (DATS). DATS provide the students with a two year world class comprehensive diploma that covers all aspects of the automobile industry.
During the training period the trainees receive a monthly allowance, subsidised meals, uniforms and footwear at the Company’s cost. They are also entitled to medical facilities and insurance cover at the Company’s cost.
The two year course is followed by a competitive examination and exposes them to Mercedes, TATA, Bosch and Japanese vehicle maintenance and the latest developments in automobile technology. The Dimo certificate is well recognised by the Sri Lankan engineering community.
The DATS programme offers the additional advantage of giving trainees the opportunity of spending time with our principals in Germany and being exposed to first-hand training experiences in a high-tech environment.
Depending on the availability of vacancies, on completion of their two year course, DATS trainees are offered a position at Dimo. These trainees are under no obligation to accept such employment and are free to make their career choices if they so wish. |
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Rebuilding of Dikyaya Vidyalaya |
| Dikyaya Vidyalaya is located in the Uva Province in the Badulla District. In August 2007 Dimo took up the challenge of developing the school so as to provide children in the adjoining villages, access to a superior education. In a matter of a few weeks the school has been transformed into a modern and attractive facility with many new additions to its infrastructure. |
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Donations to Maw Sewana |
| Company employees donated commodities to the Maw Sewana child care centre and spent a day entertaining them. They also donated some items to the staff members as well. |
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Students in the midst of their training at
our state-of-the-art
Dimo
Automobile Training School |
Educating our nations children -
school children at the
Dikyaya Vidyalaya
which is supported by Dimo |
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Career Guidance
The Company sponsored a career guidance programme for students at the Sri Jayewardenepura University. The programme was organised by the Marketing Management Association of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura mainly as a fund raiser and as a soft skill development programme for the students. On a special request from the students, the Company participated as a sponsor for the programme.
Dimo displayed the range of Bosch Automotive/Osram Auto/Blaupunkt Car stereo products, and demonstrated Blaupunkt sound effects during the course of the programme.
The Company sponsored a similar career guidance programme at the University of Peradeniya and was also a platinum sponsor at the career guidance day at the University of Moratuwa.
5 S Practices
The Company has previously won several awards for the practice of 5 S principles. During the year under review, Dimo extended this idea to three external garages where 5 S practices were introduced by the Dimo team and training provided to help the staff implement the principles. The system is in full operation in these garages now, and has helped to improve productivity in those locations.
Dimo Gimanhala
Last year the Company invested resources to construct a resting area on the Colombo Kurunegala road. Dimo customers can use this as a ‘pit stop’ when they travel and enjoy the services provide by the Dimo Gimanhala.
Dimo Gimanhala - the ‘pit stop’ and resting
place for all our
customers on the move |
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Blood Donation Campaigns
Two blood donation campaigns were carried out at the Head office and the Siyambalape branch last year. Dimo staff members participated and it was considered a success. The Company hopes to make this an annual event.
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Corruption |
| The Company has a zero policy on corruption. Similarly Dimo does not tolerate ethically unsound or corrupt practices on the part of our business partners either. |
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Anti-Competitive Behaviour |
| Dimo does not engage in anti-competitive behaviour and does not support other organisations engaging in such practices. There have never been any legal actions on this basis against the Company in its 69 years of activity. |
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Ensuring Customer Privacy |
| Dimo considers the privacy of its customers as sacrosanct. Thus we do our utmost to ensure customer privacy is respected fully and customer data and information fully protected as far as it does not undermine the prevalent laws in the country. |
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Product Responsibility |
The Company has modified its practices and takes every possible measure to ensure that its products and services do not cause any harm or injury to the health, safety and well being of its customers and the environment. The Company shares as much information as possible about products with its customers and ensures that customers are well informed should there be any potential risks with regard to use of the Company’s products. The Company’s principals and suppliers also follow similar practices and the Company ensures that its suppliers are highly reputed brands who comply with the highest standards of product responsibility.
The following are some of the specific measures that the Company and our principals have initiated to promote sustainable entrepreneurship: |
• Daimler Chrysler does extensive research on their products and each year registers more than 2000 patents. This has ensured that Daimler Chrysler remains the market leader at the international level in the fields of technology and innovation.
• Osram operates within the context of a ‘global care’ philosophy. This ‘global care’ philosophy represents their commitment to social and environmental responsibility worldwide. As a leader in innovative lighting solutions, Osram is dedicated to products and processes that contribute to solving global sustainability challenges, addressing economic needs and protecting the environment for today and for the future.
• All Mercedes-Benz, jeep, and Chrysler vehicles conform to Euro IV standards.
• All TATA vehicles are fitted with ‘Cummins’ engines known for their low operating cost both with regard to fuel and oil. These engines have a unique emission control mechanism which reduces the emissions coming from the vehicles.
• Osram lighting appliances have an energy efficiency rating of over 80%. This helps to reduce energy consumption by as much as 80%. All Osram lamps can be recycled.
• Siteco lighting solutions make maximum use of natural light and minimise light pollution.
• After years of use, customers can return a Mercedes-Benz to the factory for environmentally friendly disposal in accordance with the ‘end of life’ vehicle law. All Mercedes-Benz vehicles meet the statutory regulations governing the suitability of the vehicle design for reuse and recycling.
• The Komatsu forklifts refurbishment scheme fits electric and LPG engines to their reconditioned machines, eliminating internal combustion. These LPG cars produce 90% fewer particulate emissions and 90% less Nitrogen Oxides than diesel engines.
• The Michelin ‘Green tyres’, which are ISO 14001 certified, make it possible to cut fuel consumption by 3%, reinforce users’ safety (by a stronger grip) and last as long as normal tyres.
• The Bosch power tools recycling system enables dealers to pay for and take back old batteries for recycling. Plastics are also recyclable while the package is also fully recyclable cardboard.
• Dimo was one of the first to introduce non-asbestos clutch plates in Sri Lanka.
• Siemens medical equipments’ radiation levels are on average less than our competitors.
• The KSB pumps we market have energy conservation features.
• The Mahindra & Mahindra tractors are among the most economic in their category.
• YORK refrigeration systems use environmentally friendly refrigerators and are CFC free.
• MTU engines conform to Euro II and III standards.
• Komatsu heavy machinery conforms to Euro II standards.
• Siemens power generation solutions offer renewable power solutions such as wind mills and Biomass generation.
•Siemens building management systems have the ability to reduce power consumption of high rise buildings and industrial applications by significant proportions. |
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Product Labelling |
As is the customers right, nearly all product labels and packaging provide relevant information on the use of products and make mention of any dangers and risks. Icons are also used for those who cannot read. There have been no cases of
non-compliance against the Company. |
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Marketing Communications |
| All marketing campaigns at Dimo are thoroughly screened to ensure that Dimo does not engage in unethical marketing campaigns. |
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Compliance |
Dimo complies with the standards and regulations laid down by the Government of Sri Lanka.
All products that bear the stamp of Dimo contains a message of quality. During the year, Dimo has not been taken to courts on any count for non-compliance with the laws and regulations concerning the provision and use of products and services. |
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