South African business owners can expect an escalation in strike action over the next few years as workers become more militant. According to labour economist and consultant Andrew Levy, whilst the future of unions remains dubious as numbers continued to decrease dramatically, this did not mean that strikes would be a thing of the past.
“Unions, not just in South Africa, are under pressure in the face of decreasing membership and increasing inter-union competition. In South Africa, the union density has dropped from 50% to around 28% and the membership pool continues to shrink.” But in the face of this adversity unions were becoming more militant than ever before. “It is the inevitable result of the competition between unions and the fewer members being attracted. A good union is now judged as the one that is the most militant and the most threatening to the employer, leaving the employer, by and large, without any influence in a fight in its own back yard.”
Levy said in the face of high levels of militancy not only were more strikes expected, but they would also in all probability remain volatile and violent. “We have real problems with leadership in this country, but it is not just the lack of union democracy where the leadership do not heed what the membership said, but there is also contempt for the law – and in the face of that strikes quickly become violent.” He said it was a serious problem that was exacerbated by the fact that from the start of wage negotiations in most sectors employers were too kind and too understanding, resulting in most unions settling at the bargaining table thinking they already have the upper hand.
He said fixing the broken labour environment was a critical step in finding any way forward. “I am delighted to see the duty to bargain in good faith being reintroduced at bargaining tables. It is a powerful weapon for both employers and unions alike.” He said such a code of good practice was a game changer to wage negotiations.
South Africa, whilst having one of the most progressive labour relations frameworks in the world, remained slightly dysfunctional at the practice of collective bargaining.
Strikes will in all probability remain volatile and violent. – Andrew Levy
