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EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS

THEME 6

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND EMPLOYEE

PARTICIPATION

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COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

Characteristics

Process

Conflict and commonality

Power

Content and extent

Procedural

Substantive

'Any matter of mutual concern between employer andemployee'

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COLLECTIVE BARGAINING(2)

Objectives

Provision of institutionalised structures and processes

for conflict resolution

Negotiation of collective agreements

Enhancement of employee participation in decision-

making that affects employees

Enhancement of democracy, labour peace andeconomic development

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COLLECTIVE BARGAINING (3)

Bargaining levels

Centralised (national and sectoral)

Decentralised (plant level)

Variables influencing bargaining levels

Trade union representation, organisation and strategy Preference of members

Inter-union rivalry

Bargaining items

Management organisation and policy

Labour legislation

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COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN SOUTH AFRICA

Freedom of association

Organisational rights

Bargaining councils

Bargaining at plant level

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EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION: INTRODUCTION

Definition

Employee participation is a process recognising the needs

and rights of employees, individually and collectively, to

participate with management in organisational decision-making

Considerations for introducing employee participation

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EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION: TYPES

Direct employee participation

Disclosure of information

Teams

Financial participation

Co-operatives

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EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION: TYPES (2)

Indirect employee participation

Works councils

Workplace forums

Collective bargaining

Representation at board level

Participation in policy development at national level

(NEDLAC)

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EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION: MANAGEMENT AND

UNION PERSPECTIVES

General

Diverse expectations regarding purpose and form

Organic process

Management

Consensus

Limited influence

Little/no influence on strategic decisions

Participation paradox (planning versus implementation)

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EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION: MANAGEMENT AND

UNION PERSPECTIVES (2)

Trade unions

Management emphasises intrinsic rewards (increased job

satisfaction) rather than extrinsic rewards

Management motive the improvement of productivity rather

than increasing the employee's role in decision-making

Direct form of participation regarded as an attempt to

undermine the representational role of the union

Co-option within the system

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EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION: MANAGEMENT AND

UNION PERSPECTIVES (3)

Trade unions

Eradication of traditional boundaries between unionised

and non-unionised employees (loss of power)

Role conflict experienced by trade union representatives

Participative versus collective bargaining issues

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EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION: OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunities

greater competitiveness through improved quality and

productivity

better communication and co-operation

greater legitimisation of decision-making

individual employee development

improved conflict handling

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EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION: REQUIREMENTS

Requirements

trust

new vision and commitment from management

a shift in frame of reference from adversarial to less confrontational

modes of interaction

new information flow

new skills

on-going training

appropriate fit of participative forms to the goals and capacities ofthose involved

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EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION:

CONCLUDING REMARKS

Employee participation is a philosophy, not a particular institutional form.

Employee participation can take place in any organisational framework.

Employee participation requires management to be genuinely and

unreservedly prepared to share responsibility for the decision-making

process with employees and/or their representatives.

Management favour direct forms of participation, whilst trade unions

favour indirect forms of participation.

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EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION:

CONCLUDING REMARKS (2)

The most effective structure of employee participation within an organisation is acombination of direct employee involvement in decisions relating to their immediate

work situation with indirect participation at the strategic level on organisational

decisions, while not undermining the collective bargaining representational role of

established trade unions.