Far from signalling the end of social dialogue, the Marikana massacre underscores the importance of refining and adapting existing peak-level negotiating fora such as the National Economic, Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). To ensure social dialogue remains an integral component of the South African policy-making and national decision-making system, social partners rely on a system of consultation and dialogue to build on a shared national vision. Dialogue is accepted as a means of consolidating a young, democratic but deeply divided South African society. It’s also a medium through which to enhance participation in policy formulation and decision-making. The study reaffirms the critical role that social dialogue plays in a developing economy such as South Africa using the case study of the Marikana massacre to illustrate this point. However, through an analysis of official documents and media reports, as well as selected interviews, the study highlights that the effectiveness of social dialogue through a statutory structure such as Nedlac, is at risk of collapse due to the low levels of commitment of the social partners involved in the Council’s processes. The enhanced maturity of collective bargaining in creating a platform for engagement between labour and business is also emphasised through the outcomes of the research. The research recommends an overhaul of social dialogue principles and practices in order to derive benefit from the numerous benefits inherent in social dialogue. / Mini Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria 2017. / Sociology / MSocSci / Unrestricted

In terms of the South African Constitution, every worker has the right to strike. This right is regulated in the Labour Relations Act. Workers engaged in essential services are prohibited from striking. The prohibition does not apply if a minimum service level agreement, guaranteeing services in the event of a strike, has been concluded between employers and trade unions. The Essential Services Committee, established under the Labour Relations Act ( the Act), must ratify these agreements before they become effective. More than two decades after the LRA was promulgated, very few ratified minimum service level agreements have been concluded in the municipal sector. This study explores the reasons for this and suggests legislative and policy interventions that could be considered on a sector wide basis. The study is by way of a single-case study of a metropolitan municipality. Data were obtained from two sources: 14 semi-structured interviews with participants and from an analysis of documents relevant to the regulation of essential services. The study established that the legislative framework for regulating essential services in South Africa is consistent with the principles and decisions laid down by the International Labour Organisation. It however does not provide guidelines for determining minimum service levels. An apparent unevenness between the representatives of the negotiating counterparts exists in the municipal sector in South Africa. Many of the party representatives negotiating minimum service levels, do not work in designated essential services or possess relevant technical skills. The findings of the study suggest steps that could be taken to strengthen the capacity of the Essential Services Committee to assist parties in the municipal sector to conclude minimum service agreements and build the negotiating capacity of the parties. The study also makes recommendations regarding improved participation by essential service workers and the broader community in the process.

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A dramatic wave of unionizing in the museum world over the past year has sparked new conversations about labor and collective organizing throughout the cultural sector. Yet while those at the forefront of these conversations hope to leverage this moment into a cohesive movement, cultural labor activism has manifested in different ways throughout the cultural sector. This thesis seeks to understand the specific role of public history within the recent movement, through interviews with staff members involved in organizing efforts at their museum/historic site and media coverage of both successful and failed union drives. The goal of this work is to bring together the many disparate threads of conversation surrounding cultural labor activism to highlight the specific ways that public historical work prevents social movements. This thesis will build upon an existing yet nascent scholarship on public historical labor to contextualize this moment in a way that will appeal to a broad cross section of cultural workers. This analysis also offers potential solutions to build on the momentum of this current cultural revolution, such as calling on professional organizations like the National Council of Public History to become a player in the fight for public history labor protections. / History

Incidences of collective bargaining, strikes, and other union activities by public school teachers have multiplied rapidly across this country. By the 1979-1980 school year teacher strikes in this country reached a record high of 242. In addition, teachers had won the right to organize and to bargain collectively by statute in three-fifths of the nation's states by the end of the 1970s. However, in 1977 the Virginia State Supreme Court declared that the state could not delegate to local governing bodies or boards the right to bargain collectively with public employees. The purpose of this study was to investigate the specific attitudes held by public school teachers in Prince William County, Virginia to various forms of collective action. The secondary purpose of this descriptive research was to analyze the relationship between these teachers' attitudes toward collective action and selected demographic variables. A random sample of 322 teachers received the Demographic Questionnaire and Collective Action Survey. Responses were analyzed according to frequency distribution and stepwise multiple regression to determine significance between respondents' attitudes and demographic characteristics. The results of the multiple regression analysis determined that four demographic variables had a statistically significant relationship with scale score or total attitude toward collective action. These variables were political affiliation, social class, degree status, and place of birth. Overall, respondents held attitudes favorably disposed to collective action. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata

The study was an investigation into the motives, policies and practices of the Virginia Governmental Employees Association and the motivations, needs and desires of its membership. This was undertaken to determine the major forces which have prevented change in the operating practices or structure of the association. The research questions examined factors unique to the VGEA: the climate for public sector unionism in the state, the membership's needs and desires, and the practices and policies set forth by the VGEA. These areas represent the external environment, the perceptions of the membership, and the internal environment of the VGEA. A random sampling of the membership by survey was conducted to investigate the factors. Internal documents of the association were scrutinized in order to determine the factors that were specific to the association. Both qualitative and quantitative data was incorporated in the analysis. The study utilized empirical research into unions and associations, a descriptive study of the VGEA itself, and an analysis of the membership's responses to the survey instrument. The analysis concludes by identifying those factors most prevalent in preventing the association from becoming a union. The lack of collective bargaining, the prohibition of striking and right-to-work laws are major factors in the external environment. Internally, the past practices of the association, its reliance upon lobbying and its lack of political action all prevent change from occurring. The membership is not reflective of state employees overall, and the association continues to work only for the needs of its membership. / Master of Science