Digging Deep
Jonathan Goldberg
Entrepreneur & Multiple Business Owner | Employment- & Commercial Negotiating Expert, and Labour Law Expert | Advisor on Business Strategy | Chairman of Numerous Boards and Global Business Solutions | Author
Strikes, protest action and wage negotiation are the words of the moment. The news is full of reports of the back and forth of discussions. Have you noticed that once the storm calms we don't seem to hear any more information?
I feel that we need to start doing some post-strike analysis. We need to gain further information and data to see how many jobs are lost after strikers return to work, we need to understand the long-term impact of protest action - on the economy, on business and on the workforce itself. More than just doing meaningful research, we need to share the information with all constituencies and stakeholders. I don’t think that this information is being researched or shared. We need all parties to be aware of this data in order to inform and guide future decision making.
News tells us today that 'Local coal mining companies and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) yesterday moved closer to reaching a deal that could signal the end of an eight-day wage strike by 30 000 coal miners.'
So the coal mining sector seems to have a new offer on the table. It makes one wonder why this could not have been the case before the strike happened? Many strikes seems to occur as a result of unions positioning themselves in order to secure members, or set themselves in opposition to other unions. This approach has the potential to be hugely damaging to both employers and employees.
The right to strike is protected by our Constitution. But rights come with responsibilities. We need to ensure that all parties are informed as to the true impact of strikes on everyone.
When we do review information after strikes, we get an indication that the settlement reached often seems to be in the region of where a wage arbitration would have ended up. Perhaps we need to start looking at wage arbitration in more sectors as a more appropriate option to strikes and protest action.
We need to be open to other avenues, and we need to dig deep to find meaningful and workable solutions- that limit collateral damage.
Future thinking, now.