CCMA overhauls process of wage talks to end strikes

THE COMMISSION for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has come up with a new way of conducting wage negotiations which it believes could be the solution to the country’s strike-prone labour industry.

It says the new system has resulted in a wage deal recently being concluded in the private security industry. It is the ninth year that the CCMA has managed to keep the sector stable after a deadly strike in 2006.

Instead of approaching wage talks as a once-off event, the commission has ensured that a forum for the industry has allowed for ongoing talks.

CCMA director Nerine Kahn told The Star yesterday that the new system could potentially change the way collective bargaining was done.

It also comes at a time when the National Economic, Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) is looking at how to improve labour relations in the country.

In 2006, during the security strike, more than 40 people were killed, guards attacked and others thrown off moving trains.

Kahn, who had just taken over as director, said she knew changes were needed to improve labour relations which were often marred by prolonged, violent strikes.

“We realised you don’t have to go on strike, you can get the parties to come along and you can get them to negotiate by ensuring a continuous process, by building trust between the parties, and making sure that it’s an inclusive process.

“Leftover issues also have to be dealt with and cannot still be on the table three years later,” she added.

Khan said the present set-up of the bargaining councils failed to allow for solution-oriented steps to be followed.

The Public Sector Co-ordinating Bargaining Council was an example, she pointed out, because there was no ongoing engagement over contentious issues, such as the housing scheme. These longer-term bottlenecks tended to bog down wage negotiations that could be concluded more speedily.

CCMA national senior commissioner Afzul Soobedaar warned that approaching talks as a once-off event was problematic.

“You can’t afford to engage with the other side only when it comes to wage negotiations. That’s the problem,” he said.

The CCMA established a continuous, voluntary bargaining forum for the multibillion- rand security industry after the 2006 strike. It is all-inclusive, with even the smallest union being represented, which is generally not the case with bargaining councils.

Most councils in the country have threshold requirements, where only unions meeting specific figures are included.

“We created a dispensation for all the unions that didn’t have 5 000 members. Twelve seats were given to unions and 12 to employers. But 11 of those seats were given on the basis of the 5 000 membership and the 12th seat was given jointly to those other unions that did not have the 5 000 membership,” he explained.

The CCMA has now applied for the establishment of a private security sector bargaining council. If approved, the commission hopes that other councils will follow providing for smaller parties as well as continuous engagement.