Abstract: Labour relations at the workplace raise fundamental issues, including the following: To what extent does the labour relations system recognise and promote the existence and functioning of worker organisations other than trade unions? What is the institutional relationship, if any, between national trade unions and shopfloor workers? Does the labour relations system establish and/or recognise shopfloor collective bargaining? Are there any dispute settlement mechanisms which are specific to the shopfloor? Southern Africa provides a rich display of how labour relations systems respond to these issues. This article analyses shopfloor labour relations in eight Southern African countries and argues that while no uniform system exists, trade unions have been given a firm grip over shopfloor labour relations.
International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations