A sociological analysis of industrial action among blue-collar workers at South African universities with reference to two campuses in the Free State

Abstract

English: In recent years, the South African university sector has come to be characterised by trade union and student backlash. The roots of the crises lie in the need to transform this sector. The acceptability and effectiveness of tertiary education institution rest fundamentally on visible institutional change that parallels the change the country is currently undergoing. One of the flashpoints in the transformation process in this sector has been a wave of industrial action by the blue-collar workers amidst the arbitrary and often paternalistic authority of almost an all white management in virtually all the university campuses nationally. The 2nd of February 1990, however, brought into the scene the whole array of changes that overhauled the draconian-type social policy of the apartheid regime. The constitutional talks in the Convention for Democratic South Africa (CODESA) gave way to democratic elections that resulted in the Government of National Unity (GNU). In the first five years in office, the African National Congress (ANC) led government introduced far-reaching legislative mechanisms including the supreme law of the land, (the Constitution) within which transformation and nation building objectives were envisaged. Part of these vicissitudes relates to democratisation of labour relations in South Africa. Applicable pieces of legislation were accordingly revised. The most fundamental change is the introduction and implementation of the new Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (LRA) which became operational in November 1996. The labour movement and management view these changes differently. The blue-collar workers on the one hand have certain expectations about these changes. They expect that things would change for the better at their respective workplaces/campuses, that their working conditions and security of their jobs would improve. The university management on the other hand views itself as being hard-pressed by imposing government directives that prescribe inflexible preconditions to transform their institutions. The protracted labour disputes and accelerated incidences of industrial action in this sector were largely propelled by abysmal conditions perpetrated by banditry oriented policies of the past system. The current labour disputes especially in the early nineties between the bluecollar workers and management authorities should be seen in this context. This study undertook an investigation, clarification and delineation of the full range of factors (i.e. social, economic, political, organisational, institutional, ete) causing labour disputes and industrial action at South African universities. The _ investigation was performed both through the literature and empirical studies. Two university campuses in the Free State, the University of the Orange Free State (UOFS) and Vista University in Bloemfontein formed case studies for the empirical part of the research. The literature study consists of the reconstruction of the history of labour relations system in South Africa in which the influences that this broad labour relations practice on industrial action -pattern in the South African university sector in particular were evinced. The literature study also covers the historical background of the two case studies as well as background of their labour relations practice. A detailed explication on the objectives of the new Labour Relations Act (LRA) and on how the parties in labour relations practice in this sector would be affected by this law also formed part of the literature study. The main objective of the LRA is to promote productive employment relationships. In the empirical phase of the study, insightful findings regarding labour relations practice were noted on two methodologically relevant case studies, the "historically Black" and "historically White" institutions. The empirical study consists of descriptive and exploratory investigations of the biographical profile of the respondents at both campuses. There has been compelling evidence that generally defines more severe consequences of industrial action in the former category of institutions as opposed to the latter. Although the findings of this study cannot simply be generalised to other campuses, the study provides useful insights that can be drawn to enhance amity in labour relations in the rest of the campuses nationally. The value of the study lies in the sociological contribution it seeks to make in terms of attempting to magnify a deeper understanding of the nature, problems and dynamics of labour relations at South African universities. The study also attempts to make a revelation regarding some of the subtle transformatory factors that have come to riddle labour relations practice in the university sector in South Africa.

Afrikaans: Gedurende die afgelope paar jaar is die Suid-Afrikaanse universiteitsektor toenemend gekenmerk deur vakbonde en studenteopstand. Die oorsake van die krisis is geleë in 'n behoefte om hierdie sektor te transformeer. Die aanvaarbaarheid en effektiwiteit vari tersiêre instellings berus fundamenteel by sigbare institusionele verandering, soortgelyk aan die veranderinge wat tans ook in die land aan die gang is. Een van die kern aspekte van die oorgangsproses in die universiteitsektor, was die golf van bedryfsaksie deur blouboortjiewerkers te midde van arbitrêre en dikwels paternalistiese gesag van 'n bykans eksklusiewe wit bestuur in so te sê al die universiteitskampusse in die land. 'n Hele reeks veranderinge het egter op 2 Februarie 1990 op die toneel verskyn, wat die drakoniese styl van sosiale beleid, eie aan die apartheidsbestel, uiteindelik sou inhaal. Die grondwetlike samesprekings in die Convention for Democratic South Africa (CODESA) het die weg tot In demokratiese verkiesing oopgelê, wat uiteindelik ook die tot stand koming van die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid (RNE) sou moontlik maak. Die African Nationa/ Congress (ANC) het gedurende sy eerste vyf jaar aan bewind verrykende wetgewende meganismes ingestel, waaronder die grondwet transformasie en nasie-bou as baie belangrike oogmerke voorgelê het. 'n Gedeelte van hierdie veranderinge hou ook verband met die demokratisering van arbeidsverhoudinge in Suid-Afrika en gevolglik is toepaslike gedeeltes van bestaande wetgewing diensooreenkomstig hersien. Die mees fundamentele wysiging is die voorstelling en implementering van die nuwe Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge 66 van 1995 wat in November 1996 in aanvang gekom het. Terwyl blouboortjiewerkers sekere verwagtinge in verband met hierdie veranderinge koester, sien die arbeidsbeweging en -bestuur dit anders. Eersgenoemde verwag dat dinge by hulonderskeie werkplekke/kampusse aansienlik sal verbeter en dat werksomstandighede en -sekuriteit 'n positiewe rigting sal inslaan. Aan die ander kant beskou die universiteitsbestuur hulself in 'n moeilike situasie waarin die regering onbuigbare riglyne voorskryf as voorvereistes tot verandering. Die uitgerekte arbeidsonenigheid en die verhoogde insidensie van bedryfsaksie in hierdie sektor, was grootliks voortgedryf deur grondelose omstandighede, veroorsaak deur die selfgesentreerde beleide van die vorige sisteem. Die huidige arbeidsgeskille, veral dié van die vroeë negentigs tussen blouboortjiewerkers en bestuursliggame, behoort dan ook in hierdie konteks gesien te word. Hierdie studie ondersoek, verklaar en skets 'n prentiie van die volledige span van faktore (bv. sosiaal, ekonomies, polities, organisatories, institusioneel, ens.) wat arbeidsgeskille en bedryfsaksies by Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite veroorsaak. Die ondersoek is beide deur middel van literatuur- en empiriese studies uitgevoer. Twee universiteite in die Vrystaat, naamlik, die Universiteit van die Oranje Vrystaat (UOVS) en Vista Universiteit in Bloemfontein, het gevallestudies vir die empiriese gedeelte van die navorsing voorsien. Die literatuurstudie verteenwoordig 'n rekonstruering van die geskiedenis van arbeidsverhoudinge in Suid-Afrika, waartydens die invloed van die breër arbeidsverhoudingspraktyk op die bedryfsaksiepatroon in die Suid-Afrikaanse universitêre sektor, van nader beskou word. Die literatuurstudie omvang verder die historiese agtergrond van die twee gevallestudies, waartydens 'n oorsig van byde universiteite se arbeidsverhouding-geskiedenis aan die leser voorsien word. 'n Gedetaileerde verduideliking wat handelaar die doelwitte van die nuwe Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge, en ook In verklaring van hoe die verskillende partye, betrokke by die arbeidsverhoudingspraktyk deur die nuwe wet geraak sal word, is ook in die literatuurstudie vervat. Die belangrikste doelwit van die nuwe wet is om produktiewe indiensnemingsverhoudinge uit te bou. Insiggewende bevindinge in verband met arbeidsverhoudingpraktyk, het uit die empiriese fase van die studie in die twee metodologies relevante gevallestudies ("histories Swart" en "histories Wit") na vore gekom. Die empiriese studie word eerstens gekenmerk deur s/ beskrywende en verkennende inslag op die biografiese profiel van respondente op byde kampusse. Daar bestaan duidelike bewyse dat bedryfsaksie in "histories Swart" universiteit meer verrykende gevolge meebring as wat die geval by die "histories Wit" universiteit is. Alhoewel die bevindinge van die studie nie bloot na ander kampusse in Suid-Afrika veralgemeen kan word nie, voorsien dit tog bruikbare insigte wat effektief benut kan word om 'n vriendskaplike atmosfeer tussen universiteitskampusse in Suid- Afrika te kweek. Die waarde van die studie is geleë in die sosiologiese bydra wat dit poog om te maak, deur 'n dieper begrip van die aard, probleme en dinamika van arbeidsverhoudinge in Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite by mense tuis te bring. Die studie poog verder ook om sekere meer subtiele oorgangsfaktore, wat dwarsdeur al die Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite besaai lê, te ontbloot.