Can a union or employer resort to power play to resolve a wage
dispute after negotiations have broken down?
At a certain time of the year, known as the strike season,
employers and trade unions enter into wage negotiations.
Often these wage negotiations result in the parties reaching a
deadlock, forcing one party to make a move to break the deadlock.
One such move is for the employer to unilaterally implement the
final wage offer to the union.
When parties reach deadlock, they have the option of referring
the matter to conciliation at the Commission for Conciliation,
Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in terms of the Labour Relations
Act (LRA).
If the matter remains unresolved after conciliation the union
has the option to go out on strike on proper notice to the
employer, while the employer has the option of invoking a lockout
after giving proper notice to the union of its intention to do
so.
