18-09-2013, 08:09 PM
Pretoria – South Africa had a dramatic increase in the number of strikes in 2012 compared to the previous four years, according to the Annual Industrial Action Report.
The report, released on Wednesday by the Department of Labour Director General, Nkosinathi Nhleko, showed that last year, strikes increased significantly, with 99 strikes recorded compared to 67 in 2011, 74 in 2010, 51 in 2009 and 57 in 2008.
Unprotected strikes accounted for 44% of the industrial action and 57.5% of workers involved in strikes were from the mining sector.
Nhleko said the number of working days lost amounted to 3.3 million compared to 2.8 million in 2011.
“In terms of wages lost, R6.6 billion was lost in wages of striking workers during 2012,†Nhleko said.
The report noted that Gauteng continues to account for the largest number of work stoppages, with 42 strikes experienced in the province in 2012, a 27.3% increase from the 33 strikes in 2011.
The protest march against the implementation of e-tolling, according to the report, had a major impact on the province, although it was not a strike, but a protest action.
The Northern Cape, one of the smallest provinces in relation to economic output, continues to record fewer strikes than other provinces.
A feature of industrial action during 2012 was the heightened violence that accompanied strike action, particularly in the mining and transport sectors.
Violence in strikes a concern
Nhleko also noted the violence and damage to property that was evident in the agricultural sector, although they were protest actions and not strictly strike action.
He said the issue of violence in strikes was worrying, and that social partners needed to engage on how to deal with it and how to prevent incidents from taking place.
“The issue of how parties in the dispute conduct themselves hinges largely around the issue of exercise in leadership. When we cite leadership as a factor, it is also informed by the fact that when these things begin to happen, it gets one to [think] that the level of exercise in leadership … has not been handled properly,†Nhleko said.
He added that while the department will continue to monitor and report on industrial action, it will also continue to work with its social partners to minimise unprocedural action and to counter violence associated with strike action.
In a bid to restore peace and stability in the mining sector during and following the events in Marikana in August 2012, the department, together with other government departments participated in a number of initiatives.
The most recent of these initiatives was the Deputy President’s Stability Framework Agreement agreed to by organised business, organised labour and government in July 2013.
Minister of Labour Mildred Oliphant has condemned violence in any industrial action, warning that it has no place in society whose foundation as democracy is based on intensive social dialogue.
“Nothing yet has proven to work better than the ability to negotiate and reach consensus…†– SAnews.gov.za
The report, released on Wednesday by the Department of Labour Director General, Nkosinathi Nhleko, showed that last year, strikes increased significantly, with 99 strikes recorded compared to 67 in 2011, 74 in 2010, 51 in 2009 and 57 in 2008.
Unprotected strikes accounted for 44% of the industrial action and 57.5% of workers involved in strikes were from the mining sector.
Nhleko said the number of working days lost amounted to 3.3 million compared to 2.8 million in 2011.
“In terms of wages lost, R6.6 billion was lost in wages of striking workers during 2012,†Nhleko said.
The report noted that Gauteng continues to account for the largest number of work stoppages, with 42 strikes experienced in the province in 2012, a 27.3% increase from the 33 strikes in 2011.
The protest march against the implementation of e-tolling, according to the report, had a major impact on the province, although it was not a strike, but a protest action.
The Northern Cape, one of the smallest provinces in relation to economic output, continues to record fewer strikes than other provinces.
A feature of industrial action during 2012 was the heightened violence that accompanied strike action, particularly in the mining and transport sectors.
Violence in strikes a concern
Nhleko also noted the violence and damage to property that was evident in the agricultural sector, although they were protest actions and not strictly strike action.
He said the issue of violence in strikes was worrying, and that social partners needed to engage on how to deal with it and how to prevent incidents from taking place.
“The issue of how parties in the dispute conduct themselves hinges largely around the issue of exercise in leadership. When we cite leadership as a factor, it is also informed by the fact that when these things begin to happen, it gets one to [think] that the level of exercise in leadership … has not been handled properly,†Nhleko said.
He added that while the department will continue to monitor and report on industrial action, it will also continue to work with its social partners to minimise unprocedural action and to counter violence associated with strike action.
In a bid to restore peace and stability in the mining sector during and following the events in Marikana in August 2012, the department, together with other government departments participated in a number of initiatives.
The most recent of these initiatives was the Deputy President’s Stability Framework Agreement agreed to by organised business, organised labour and government in July 2013.
Minister of Labour Mildred Oliphant has condemned violence in any industrial action, warning that it has no place in society whose foundation as democracy is based on intensive social dialogue.
“Nothing yet has proven to work better than the ability to negotiate and reach consensus…†– SAnews.gov.za