Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Zululand, 2002. / The main focus of the study will be based on strike action. Strikes cannot exist without conflict. This reflects that "strike action" and "conflict" are two related concepts.
Labour disruptions have been the single most important contributing factor to the record low production figures in the mining industry in the last five years. Prior to the 1994 elections, most strikes were politically inspired and therefore little attention was paid to the needs of the workers. However, management have since realised the importance of seeing to the needs of the workers. A worker who is satisfied with the job and working conditions is less likely to strike than one who is not satisfied.
The importance of labour and specifically labour relations has been realised. Labour relations cannot be regarded in isolation. There are a number of external factors which influence labour relations and have to be brought into consideration when reviewing the labour relations climate.
The study device certain general guidelines for management to follow when handling strike situations. Amongst the more important findings was the fact that there must be a greater awareness of worker needs, values and objectives. The best way to handle strikes is to prevent them from occurring in the first place. To do this management need to proactively investigate and manage the grievances of the workers.
The diversity of cultures in the mining industry contributes to labour unrest in various ways. Workers become frustrated by what some groups consider as the norm.
Furthermore, in chapter five research methodology. The questionnaires was distributed to respondents in Spitzkop coal mining industry. Stratified sampling technique was also applied in this research to minimize loss of data from respondents and economize in terms of spending money. This method only uses the readily available respondents (stratum form). In data analysis frequency and chi-square statistics was used to demonstrate management and worker responses and attitudes to the strike.
Management need to have a formalised strike plan, which would contribute towards more efficient handling of strikes. Management should be proactive in their approach to strikes, rather than reactive.
Part of this proactive process by management is the constant monitoring of working conditions to see what further types of improvements can be introduces to minimize adverse effects of strike. There should be good communication between management and workers at all times. Open communication is strengthened by worker involvement in decision-making.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uzulu/oai:uzspace.unizulu.ac.za:10530/205 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Twala, Mandla Alfred |
| Contributors | Glass, H.G.L. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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