Cape Town - There has been a huge growth of confidence in the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration's (CCMA) services over the past four years, MPs heard on Wednesday.
This included employers and organised labour, CCMA director Nerine Kahn told the National Assembly's labour committee.
"A classic example of our success in the South African labour market is the improved user confidence, as evidenced by a 94% increase in acceptance of offers of assistance in public interest disputes from 2007 to 2011," she said.
A public interest dispute referred to a matter where an industrial action issue might threaten lives, the economy, or the safety of citizens, and intervention would be in society's interest.
Kahn said other measures instituted by the CCMA to support the economy and promote industrial peace had seen the creation of a voluntary bargaining structure in the private security sector following the crippling industrial action in 2006.
The structure had now ensured constructive bargaining for over six years, and brought industrial peace in an often fraught security sector.
The CCMA had also successfully intervened in major national disputes in the clothing sector in 2009, 2010, and 2011, the civil engineering sector in 2009, Transnet in 2010, Metrorail in 2010, Eskom in 2010, motor industries in 2010, road freight in 2011, and the chemical sector in 2011.
She said the CCMA had also helped maintain relative industrial peace in the run-up to and during the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
"This was achieved through implementing a structure, process, and monitoring mechanisms to deal with disputes that had potential to impact negatively on the event."
Regarding the training layoff scheme initiated by the labour department to help companies in distress, Kahn said training had been completed in 17 businesses with over 6000 employees.
"Training is currently under way in 32 businesses, translating to close to 3 000 employees. Equally important is to state that active applications of the scheme involve 85 companies and over 12 000 employees," she said.
This included employers and organised labour, CCMA director Nerine Kahn told the National Assembly's labour committee.
"A classic example of our success in the South African labour market is the improved user confidence, as evidenced by a 94% increase in acceptance of offers of assistance in public interest disputes from 2007 to 2011," she said.
A public interest dispute referred to a matter where an industrial action issue might threaten lives, the economy, or the safety of citizens, and intervention would be in society's interest.
Kahn said other measures instituted by the CCMA to support the economy and promote industrial peace had seen the creation of a voluntary bargaining structure in the private security sector following the crippling industrial action in 2006.
The structure had now ensured constructive bargaining for over six years, and brought industrial peace in an often fraught security sector.
The CCMA had also successfully intervened in major national disputes in the clothing sector in 2009, 2010, and 2011, the civil engineering sector in 2009, Transnet in 2010, Metrorail in 2010, Eskom in 2010, motor industries in 2010, road freight in 2011, and the chemical sector in 2011.
She said the CCMA had also helped maintain relative industrial peace in the run-up to and during the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
"This was achieved through implementing a structure, process, and monitoring mechanisms to deal with disputes that had potential to impact negatively on the event."
Regarding the training layoff scheme initiated by the labour department to help companies in distress, Kahn said training had been completed in 17 businesses with over 6000 employees.
"Training is currently under way in 32 businesses, translating to close to 3 000 employees. Equally important is to state that active applications of the scheme involve 85 companies and over 12 000 employees," she said.