<p>The research conducted has been undertaken to engage the stakeholders to explore the possibility of establishing workplace forums. The gains of workplace forums with respect to sharing decision making is a distinct advantage both business and labour seemingly do not realise because of a continued resolve to negotiate conditions of service annually exclusively. The research was undertaken by designing an interview questionnaire for distribution. The population for this research includes a cross section of employers from the industry in the Western Cape, parties to the Hairdressing Beauty and Cosmetology Bargaining Council, the Employers Organisation and the Employees Organisation or Trade Union. The criteria set for the questionnaire anticipate responses of respondents to the challenges before and after the possible incorporation of section 84 of the Act Finally the research results indicate that the parties to a collective agreement in this industry still gravitate towards distributive collective bargaining by negotiating salaries, wages and conditions of employment in Bargaining Councils.</p>

In the nineties, the new political dispensation in South Africa ushered in an era where power and relationship structures of government would be people centered. Section 23 of the Constitution provides for fair labour practices, and subsequent employment laws gives effect to these constitutional rights. Laws introduced new structures and procedures that required greater cooperation. This required a change in mental models, while transcending past unfair labour practices and moving towards more harmonious relationships. Labour Relations is a relatively closed system, because the rule of law is specific about the outcome of a particular action. The Labour Relations Officer is only required to mechanically apply the legislation and policies when providing guidance and support in the organisation. The success of the Labour Relations Officer may be measured by the degree to which they make themselves redundant; that is the extent to which policies, structures, systems and processes instituted and the advice given, allow other managers and supervisors to manage their people on their own. While the transactional role and competencies for Human Resources practice are easy to define, the substantive issues like labour relations are less clear and there is no consistency in the manner in which labour relations is structured, practiced and managed. Prior to the new employment laws, government departments operated on a staff rotation system. Employees were placed in labour relations through the rotation and placement exercise. As a result Labour Relations was staffed with administrators without the appropriate qualifications, skills and experience. Labour Relations is located within the Human Resources Section in the Government Departments in KwaZulu Natal. At the commencement of this study I was employed by the Provincial Department of Housing as an Assistant Manager. The employer and employee relationship was poor, and this was evident by the number of grievances and disputes. Advice was not provided timeously by Labour Relations and advice was also not accepted by management, thereby resulting in disputes. Unions complained that they were not consulted on matters of mutual interest and Labour Relations was accused of being rigid around employment issues. Labour Relations Officials were also viewed as being "partial" because they actively participated in the discipline and arbitration process. The Department of Housing fell under the jurisdiction of the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council, and even collective bargaining was entrenched in the "us and them " mentality. Issues for negotiation were on the agenda for months as the parties were not willing to compromise. The purpose of this study is to explore the emerging set of competencies for Labour Relations Officers operating within the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Chamber in KwaZulu- Natal. Competencies refer to the set of knowledge, skills, abilities and behavior. This qualitative study was undertaken through conversation interviews with Labour Relations Officers, employees and unionists that operate within the jurisdiction of the Bargaining Chamber. The intention of this study is to add value to the practice of labour relations, by assisting Labour Relations Officers to re-invent themselves as the champions of transformation. Furthermore this research would be of value to labour relation's and Human Resource Management staff and students. NOTE: 1. For the purpose of this study the title of Labour Relations Officer and Labour Relations Practitioner are taken to mean the same thing. 2. Reference to the Labour Relations Officer in this study is in the masculine. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

This case study examines a labour relations issue which initially involves teacher employees of the Sagkeeng Education Authority of the Fort Alexander Band on one hand and the Sagkeeng Education Authority and the Fort Alexander Chief and Council on the other. The events of the issue transpire between 1981 and 1986.Teacher employees, concerned with working conditions and job security, organized as a local of the Manitoba Teachers' Society which was certified under the Canada Labour Code. The Chief and Council of the Fort Alexander Band rejected the formation of the local and the applicability of the Canada Labour Code to labour relations on the reserve. Teachers were fired for union activities. Hearings were held by the Canada Labour Relations Board. Orders were issued by the Labour Board and a collective agreement was imposed by the Labour Board. The Chief and Council refused to follow the Labour Board's orders, and contempt of court hearings were held by the Federal Court. Fort Alexander officials, including the Chief and Council, were initially fined and subsequently jailed. The Minister of Indian Affairs, David Crombie, promised to initiate Department studies to examine the possibilities and implications of changing the labour relations regime to reflect Indian self-government. The dispute was eventually settled out of court but the issue of Indian government jurisdiction over labour relations remains unresolved.Conceived and sanctioned by the Manitoba Teachers' Society, the Canada Labour Relations Board and the Federal Court as a labour dispute, the researcher argues that the issue is more readily understood within the context of Indian self-determination and self-government. Concepts concerning philosophical, socio-economic, cultural, legal, political and historical aspects of the relationship between Indian peoples and the Canadian state are brought to bear on the issue. Concepts of group rights versus those of individual rights are examined.It is argued that the current labour relations legal regime is inconsistent with Indian self-determination and self-government. The researcher suggests jurisdiction over labour relations should be determined by First Nations' governments as consistent with the goals of self-determination and self-government. Conceptions of Indian labour relations jurisdiction are suggested.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / The research conducted has been undertaken to engage the stakeholders to explore the possibility of establishing workplace forums. The gains of workplace forums with respect to sharing decision making is a distinct advantage both business and labour seemingly do not realise because of a continued resolve to negotiate conditions of service annually exclusively. The research was undertaken by designing an interview questionnaire for distribution. The population for this research includes a cross section of employers from the industry in the Western Cape, parties to the Hairdressing Beauty and Cosmetology Bargaining Council, the Employers Organisation and the Employees Organisation or Trade Union. The criteria set for the questionnaire anticipate responses of respondents to the challenges before and after the possible incorporation of section 84 of the Act Finally the research results indicate that the parties to a collective agreement in this industry still gravitate towards distributive collective bargaining by negotiating salaries, wages and conditions of employment in Bargaining Councils. / South Africa

Magister Legum - LLM

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin / The emergence of collective bargaining in the public sector is viewed as a product of economic, political, technological and social dynamics regulating the economic relationship between the government as employer and public sector employees. Although public sector employees have been denied the right to organize themselves and to bargain collectively with their respective governments, especially in many African countries, the profound changes during the recent years has dramatically changed labour relations in the public sector. In many African countries, particularly English speaking countries, the process of collective bargaining between the government and public sector employees has gained prominence as the struggle to reconcile the broad interest of the government and its employees has been waged in order to deal effectively with public employment issues. Namibia is one of the many English speaking African countries which is making tremendous efforts to harmonize the employment relationship between the government and the public servants. But these efforts are being hampered by the structural handicaps emanating from the historical legacy of apartheid and its adjunt- authoritarianism (which has found firm roots in the country even after five years of independence).

The solar minimum of 2009 has been identified as an exceptional event with regard to cosmic ray (CR)modulation, since conditions in the heliosphere have reached unprecedented quiet levels. This unique minimum has been observed by the Earth–orbiting satellite, PAMELA, launched in June, 2006, from which vast sets of accurate proton and electron preliminary observations have been made available. These simultaneous measurements from PAMELA provide the ideal opportunity to conduct an in–depth study of CR modulation, in particular charge–sign dependent modulation. In utilizing this opportunity, a three–dimensional, steady–state modulation model was used to reproduce a selection of consecutive PAMELA proton and electron spectra from 2006 to 2009. Thiswas done by assuming full drifts and simplified diffusion coefficients, where the rigidity dependence and absolute value of themean free paths for protons and electrons were sequentially adjusted below 3 GV and 300 MV, respectively. Care has been taken in calculating yearly–averaged current–sheet tilt angle and magnetic field values that correspond to the PAMELA spectra. Following this study where the numerical model was used to investigate the individual effects resulting from changes in the tilt angle, diffusion coefficients, and global drifts, it was found that all these modulation processes played significant roles in contributing to the total increase in CR intensities from 2006 to 2009, as was observed by PAMELA. Furthermore, the effect that drifts has on oppositely charged particles was also evident from the difference between the peak–shaped time profiles of protons and the flatter time profiles of electrons, as is expected for an A < 0 polarity cycle. Since protons, which drift into the heliosphere along the heliospheric current–sheet, haven’t yet reached maximum intensity levels by 2008, their intensities increased notably more than electrons toward the end of 2009. The time and energy dependence of the electron to proton ratios were also studied in order to further illustrate and quantify the effect of drifts during this remarkable solar minimum period. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Sociology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The solar minimum of 2009 has been identified as an exceptional event with regard to cosmic ray (CR)modulation, since conditions in the heliosphere have reached unprecedented quiet levels. This unique minimum has been observed by the Earth–orbiting satellite, PAMELA, launched in June, 2006, from which vast sets of accurate proton and electron preliminary observations have been made available. These simultaneous measurements from PAMELA provide the ideal opportunity to conduct an in–depth study of CR modulation, in particular charge–sign dependent modulation. In utilizing this opportunity, a three–dimensional, steady–state modulation model was used to reproduce a selection of consecutive PAMELA proton and electron spectra from 2006 to 2009. Thiswas done by assuming full drifts and simplified diffusion coefficients, where the rigidity dependence and absolute value of themean free paths for protons and electrons were sequentially adjusted below 3 GV and 300 MV, respectively. Care has been taken in calculating yearly–averaged current–sheet tilt angle and magnetic field values that correspond to the PAMELA spectra. Following this study where the numerical model was used to investigate the individual effects resulting from changes in the tilt angle, diffusion coefficients, and global drifts, it was found that all these modulation processes played significant roles in contributing to the total increase in CR intensities from 2006 to 2009, as was observed by PAMELA. Furthermore, the effect that drifts has on oppositely charged particles was also evident from the difference between the peak–shaped time profiles of protons and the flatter time profiles of electrons, as is expected for an A < 0 polarity cycle. Since protons, which drift into the heliosphere along the heliospheric current–sheet, haven’t yet reached maximum intensity levels by 2008, their intensities increased notably more than electrons toward the end of 2009. The time and energy dependence of the electron to proton ratios were also studied in order to further illustrate and quantify the effect of drifts during this remarkable solar minimum period. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Sociology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil

South Africa’s labour legislation went through significant changes recently, with the changes to section 198 of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 being the most contentious. The purpose of this research was to explore the perceptions of employees in the HR department of an integrated petroleum and chemical company regarding the changes to labour broking and the potential implications of these changes for an integrated petroleum and chemical company and its employees. The qualitative exploratory study was conducted with six employees of a large integrative petroleum and chemical company making use of labour brokers, until data saturation was reached. The data were collected by means of individual interviews and telephonic interviews. The results indicated that the changes to section 198 will have some positive and negative implications. The positive implications for an organisation included more productive employees and the ability to identify high-quality employees more easily. The positive implications for the company's employees are that the lower-income employees will be protected, the new legislation will provide permanent employment and there will be better dispute resolution procedures. The negative implications to the changes to section 198 for the organisation, include for instance higher costs, the drafting of new policies and guidelines and less employment flexibility. Negative implications for the employees include unemployment, negative attitudes towards the organisation, poor employability and a situation where the current and/or permanent employees have to do all the work. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)