An assessment of the effectiveness of trade union participation in municipal decision-making: a case study of the Buffalo City Municipality
- Authors: Apraku, Amos
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Arbitration, Industrial -- South Africa , Labor unions -- South Africa , Local government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9037 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1262 , Arbitration, Industrial -- South Africa , Labor unions -- South Africa , Local government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City Municipality
- Description: The objectives of this study were to first identify the decision-making bodies structures in the Buffalo City Municipality. Secondly, to assess compositions, powers and functions of such identified bodies or structures. The field study was limited to the administrative jurisdictions of the Buffalo City Municipality; however, the findings and recommendations were applicable to all municipalities in South Africa with the same or similar decision-making like the Buffalo City Municipality. In order to achieve the research objectives, a review of the relevant literature was done. It began by first looking at the constitutional and other legislative provisions establishing the Municipal government system or concept. The literature review looked at the powers and functions given to municipal governments by such constitutional provisions and how effective are such powers exercised. The literature further highlighted the role of trade unions participation and civil society groups in the smooth and effective administration of the municipality and in making the Integrated Development Planning a successful one. The data collection was done by means of questionnaire, focus group discussions complimented by face-to-face interviews. Forty respondents were sampled from six different trade unions and top municipal management. The data collected were analysed thematically with the use of frequency tables, pie charts and histograms. The findings of the study showed among other things that, the highest decision-making body in the municipality is the municipal council supported by various committees, boards and directorates. All the legislative and executive powers are vested in the municipal council. Again, it became known that, the municipal workers unions participate effectively in labour related issues whereas the non-municipal workers unions participate poorly in all consultative processes. In conclusion, there is the urgent need to bring all stakeholders including trade unions in the municipality during decision-making processes in order promote sustainable development in the municipality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Apraku, Amos
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Arbitration, Industrial -- South Africa , Labor unions -- South Africa , Local government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9037 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1262 , Arbitration, Industrial -- South Africa , Labor unions -- South Africa , Local government -- South Africa -- Buffalo City Municipality
- Description: The objectives of this study were to first identify the decision-making bodies structures in the Buffalo City Municipality. Secondly, to assess compositions, powers and functions of such identified bodies or structures. The field study was limited to the administrative jurisdictions of the Buffalo City Municipality; however, the findings and recommendations were applicable to all municipalities in South Africa with the same or similar decision-making like the Buffalo City Municipality. In order to achieve the research objectives, a review of the relevant literature was done. It began by first looking at the constitutional and other legislative provisions establishing the Municipal government system or concept. The literature review looked at the powers and functions given to municipal governments by such constitutional provisions and how effective are such powers exercised. The literature further highlighted the role of trade unions participation and civil society groups in the smooth and effective administration of the municipality and in making the Integrated Development Planning a successful one. The data collection was done by means of questionnaire, focus group discussions complimented by face-to-face interviews. Forty respondents were sampled from six different trade unions and top municipal management. The data collected were analysed thematically with the use of frequency tables, pie charts and histograms. The findings of the study showed among other things that, the highest decision-making body in the municipality is the municipal council supported by various committees, boards and directorates. All the legislative and executive powers are vested in the municipal council. Again, it became known that, the municipal workers unions participate effectively in labour related issues whereas the non-municipal workers unions participate poorly in all consultative processes. In conclusion, there is the urgent need to bring all stakeholders including trade unions in the municipality during decision-making processes in order promote sustainable development in the municipality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
Trade unions' attitudes and perceptions towards the Coega Industrial Development Zone
- Authors: Sikaka, Weziwe
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Labor unions -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9085 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/850 , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Labor unions -- South Africa
- Description: In an attempt to create employment opportunities and uplift economic development, government has embarked on industrial development through arms acquisition. The two major Spatial Development Initiatives namely, the Fish River SDI and the Wild Coast SDI were developed to enhance economic development in the Eastern Cape. The Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) is one of the elements of the Fish River SDI aimed at enhancing economic development through industrial development (Haines & Hosking, 2005). The Coega IDZ is one of government’s initiatives under the Industrial Participation program that has gained a lot of recognition. The Coega project has been under a lot of controversy since its conception and was highly linked to the arms deal as this project consumed most of government funds through the arms procurement program (Haines & Hosking 2005). The study therefore will attempt to address aspects premised in objectives of this study from the viewpoint of trade unions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Sikaka, Weziwe
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Labor unions -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9085 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/850 , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Economic development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Labor unions -- South Africa
- Description: In an attempt to create employment opportunities and uplift economic development, government has embarked on industrial development through arms acquisition. The two major Spatial Development Initiatives namely, the Fish River SDI and the Wild Coast SDI were developed to enhance economic development in the Eastern Cape. The Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) is one of the elements of the Fish River SDI aimed at enhancing economic development through industrial development (Haines & Hosking, 2005). The Coega IDZ is one of government’s initiatives under the Industrial Participation program that has gained a lot of recognition. The Coega project has been under a lot of controversy since its conception and was highly linked to the arms deal as this project consumed most of government funds through the arms procurement program (Haines & Hosking 2005). The study therefore will attempt to address aspects premised in objectives of this study from the viewpoint of trade unions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
Unfinished business: current and past trade union leaders' perceptions of the political transition after the first decade of democracy (1994-2004) in South Africa
- Authors: Mpunzima, Kayalethu Wycliff
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Labor unions -- South Africa , Democratization -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:11001 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1284 , Labor unions -- South Africa , Democratization -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Description: The study reviews the political transition after the first decade of democracy from the trade union leaders’ perspectives. It seeks to understand whether trade union leaders see workers as having reaped benefits from their struggles. Interviews were conducted with ten current and past trade union leaders on their perceptions about the political transition. The trade union leaders that were interviewed have rich experience of combining their organisational and mobilising strength with strategies of engagement. Their involvement with trade unions can be traced back during the dark years of Apartheid. Some of them are still active members of trade unions who are deeply involved in policy formulation at national level. Others occupy influential positions in the private and public sectors. The study investigates and analyses the labour movement’s objectives, strategies and struggles from the apartheid, transition, and democratic eras and into the future. It looks at how these objectives were achieved and how the strategies were implemented. The study revealed that progress was made in the political sphere, e.g. a parliamentary office was established to ensure that workers have a voice in parliament. The study found clear evidence of influence by the labour movement in economic and labour legislation through structures like NEDLAC. In the economic arena, the study found that workers’ economic expectations were partially fulfilled. Trade union leaders attributed this to the failure of the government’s GEAR policy to create jobs. They insisted that RDP should be implemented. The study revealed evidence of serious tensions within the ANC/COSATU/SACP Alliance. The study found that the influence of the labour ally, COSATU, in the Tripartite Alliance had been curtailed. The study also found that the strength of the labour movement eroded during the first decade of democracy. The research found that the labour movement took new initiatives such as union investment companies. The research also found support for the theory that COSATU’s obsession with alliance politics was a barrier to labour unity. COSATU was not involved in the merger talks between FEDUSA and NACTU. The respondents generally felt positively about the future prospects. Respondents were mostly optimistic about the political transformation. If there was slow delivery or no delivery by the government or business, the unions vowed to take to the streets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Mpunzima, Kayalethu Wycliff
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Labor unions -- South Africa , Democratization -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:11001 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1284 , Labor unions -- South Africa , Democratization -- South Africa , South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Description: The study reviews the political transition after the first decade of democracy from the trade union leaders’ perspectives. It seeks to understand whether trade union leaders see workers as having reaped benefits from their struggles. Interviews were conducted with ten current and past trade union leaders on their perceptions about the political transition. The trade union leaders that were interviewed have rich experience of combining their organisational and mobilising strength with strategies of engagement. Their involvement with trade unions can be traced back during the dark years of Apartheid. Some of them are still active members of trade unions who are deeply involved in policy formulation at national level. Others occupy influential positions in the private and public sectors. The study investigates and analyses the labour movement’s objectives, strategies and struggles from the apartheid, transition, and democratic eras and into the future. It looks at how these objectives were achieved and how the strategies were implemented. The study revealed that progress was made in the political sphere, e.g. a parliamentary office was established to ensure that workers have a voice in parliament. The study found clear evidence of influence by the labour movement in economic and labour legislation through structures like NEDLAC. In the economic arena, the study found that workers’ economic expectations were partially fulfilled. Trade union leaders attributed this to the failure of the government’s GEAR policy to create jobs. They insisted that RDP should be implemented. The study revealed evidence of serious tensions within the ANC/COSATU/SACP Alliance. The study found that the influence of the labour ally, COSATU, in the Tripartite Alliance had been curtailed. The study also found that the strength of the labour movement eroded during the first decade of democracy. The research found that the labour movement took new initiatives such as union investment companies. The research also found support for the theory that COSATU’s obsession with alliance politics was a barrier to labour unity. COSATU was not involved in the merger talks between FEDUSA and NACTU. The respondents generally felt positively about the future prospects. Respondents were mostly optimistic about the political transformation. If there was slow delivery or no delivery by the government or business, the unions vowed to take to the streets.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
“Workers’ strikes and collective bargaining: a study of the SAMWU municipal worker strike of 2018, Port Elizabeth, South Africa”
- Authors: Gumbo, Eugene
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African Municipal Workers Union , Strikes and lockouts -- Municipal government -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Collective bargaining -- Municipal employees -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Philosophy, Marxist , Labor unions -- South Africa , Labor unions -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Industrial relations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146916 , vital:38576
- Description: The focus of this study centered on investigating the perceptions and opinions surrounding the eruption of strike action and its effectiveness during a collective bargaining process. The case study employed was the 2018 municipal strike in Port Elizabeth, organised by the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU). A Marxist theoretical framework was chosen for this study. It argues that strike action is a means through which workers communicate their dissatisfaction or enforce particular demands, with trade unions playing a protagonist’s role. Strike action, generally, is caused by a plethora of reasons ranging from disciplinary issues and conditions and hours of work, to be mention a few. However, the major force behind strike eruption is the wage agenda, as workers are always striving to get better wages while employers, on the other hand, attempt to reduce them so as to increase profits. South Africa has had its fair share of municipal strike action ever since the apartheid period, the early stages of democracy up to the contemporary times of the 21st century with various strategies, successes and losses being experienced. Democracy in South Africa also saw some developments in the labour sphere in relation to statutes surrounding strike action. The LRA and the Constitution of South Africa inform the right to strike and offer guidelines as well as consequences that steer strike action in a direction that does not jeopardize the workers, employers and the general public. The research found that workers do understand what strike action is, its causes and its various implications. Furthermore, it was discovered that this worker tool has been successful in putting pressure on the negotiation process as well as luring employers back to the negotiation table, for example. However, it was also uncovered that there are present, factors that hampered the impact of strike action during the bargaining procedure in focus. These are namely, the political institutionalization of trade unions, ill-equipped union leaders, a reluctance to implement strike agreements by employers, the use of violence by municipal workers during the strike, to mention but a few. Therefore, when looking at the strike in question, the effectiveness of strike action during the collective bargaining process was found to be easily contestable.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Gumbo, Eugene
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African Municipal Workers Union , Strikes and lockouts -- Municipal government -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Collective bargaining -- Municipal employees -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Philosophy, Marxist , Labor unions -- South Africa , Labor unions -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Industrial relations -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146916 , vital:38576
- Description: The focus of this study centered on investigating the perceptions and opinions surrounding the eruption of strike action and its effectiveness during a collective bargaining process. The case study employed was the 2018 municipal strike in Port Elizabeth, organised by the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU). A Marxist theoretical framework was chosen for this study. It argues that strike action is a means through which workers communicate their dissatisfaction or enforce particular demands, with trade unions playing a protagonist’s role. Strike action, generally, is caused by a plethora of reasons ranging from disciplinary issues and conditions and hours of work, to be mention a few. However, the major force behind strike eruption is the wage agenda, as workers are always striving to get better wages while employers, on the other hand, attempt to reduce them so as to increase profits. South Africa has had its fair share of municipal strike action ever since the apartheid period, the early stages of democracy up to the contemporary times of the 21st century with various strategies, successes and losses being experienced. Democracy in South Africa also saw some developments in the labour sphere in relation to statutes surrounding strike action. The LRA and the Constitution of South Africa inform the right to strike and offer guidelines as well as consequences that steer strike action in a direction that does not jeopardize the workers, employers and the general public. The research found that workers do understand what strike action is, its causes and its various implications. Furthermore, it was discovered that this worker tool has been successful in putting pressure on the negotiation process as well as luring employers back to the negotiation table, for example. However, it was also uncovered that there are present, factors that hampered the impact of strike action during the bargaining procedure in focus. These are namely, the political institutionalization of trade unions, ill-equipped union leaders, a reluctance to implement strike agreements by employers, the use of violence by municipal workers during the strike, to mention but a few. Therefore, when looking at the strike in question, the effectiveness of strike action during the collective bargaining process was found to be easily contestable.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
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