Die bestuur van arbeidsverhoudinge binne die konteks van die nuwe, veranderende onderwyssisteem in Suid-Afrika

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The main object of this research is not only to create awareness and knowledge of industrial relations issues across the spectrum of participants in the educational process, but can also be seen as a guideline for all the relevant participants on how to cope with and how to manage industrial relations to such an extent that the relationships between employers and employees can benefit from it. The relevance of this research is that its contents reflect a view of industrial relations that is based on what amounts to an ideological assumption namely that in South Africa, collective bargaining is at present the generally accepted statutory procedure for managing the relationship between employers and employees. This thesis does not pretend to be anything more than an introduction to what the researcher see as the bare necessities of the subject. It is directed at everyone that is involved in the educational process although school principals may find it all the more relevant in the light of industrial relations conflict and the motives of the actors involved, namely employers, workers, unions and the state. STRUCTURES AND PROCEDURES IN INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS It is a fact that conflict will continue to characterise the work environment in our society. It should be remembered that the conflict will continue to exist not only between labour and management but also between different companies (schools?) and between rival unions. To prevent the conflict from becoming totally destructive, employers and unions generally reach a consensus on how to manage the conflict so that its resolution may be sought against a background of rules. Various structures are set up by the parties through which the negotiation of acceptable solutions to various issues may take place. Negotiating structures must always be capable of adapting to external pressures if they are to fulfill their function. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING Collective bargaining structures provide a context within which disputes may be handled and conflicts resolved. However the mere existence of structures does not always ensure peace. The process of negotiation between worker representatives and management is full of difficulties. Poor communication between the parties is usual and both parties may use tactics that escalate rather than defuse conflict. RESPONDING TO CHANGE There are very few voices today defending traditional education values and systems. More directly germane to us in South Africa is that the education profession is not seriously enough involved in the debate as to how education should respond to change. Parents, once the great defenders of education status quo, are becoming more and more silent. One senses that the public - parents, taxpayers, employers, young people - have lost confidence in education to perform its normal social function, preparing young people for the future. The initiative for change has been seized by the senior public servants responsible for finance and planning in national economics, taken away from a once powerful education and teacher community. The question that remains unanswered is this. What role, if any will teachers in their professional capacity play in giving direction to education change in future? In order to significantly influence educational development in the new dispensation and to insure a decent standard of living, teachers will have to think seriously about merging into one single national organization. There is no paradox here! The long history of teacher organization activity in South Africa, plus the high regard that government has for the profession makes a unified teacher body possible. One that can look after terms and conditions of service while significantly influencing the course and direction of educational change in the nation. Transition is a new and unique opportunity given to South African educators to design new modes of education for all levels, in concert with the international community waiting to help us. Whatever its final configuration, South African education must be accessible, democratic and responsive to priorities set u under the new Constitution. The human resources that will need the most development are first, the educators (micro level) and second the education establishment (macro level). One can make a strong case that teacher trade unions, preoccupied with "bread and butter" issues, have been bought off with reasonable, inflation-adjusted salary increases in exchange for not getting involved in the structure, philosophy or direction of educational change. THE ROLE OF MULTI-CULTURAL EDUCATION The scope that exists for those who would wish to promote own or autogenous education also exists for those who promote a different kind of education: multilingual school, multi-national schools, multi-cultural schools and even multi-religious schools. It may not be our choice, we may even have doubts about aspects thereof, but in a democracy, the choice of the ethos in education cannot be enforced by the state. THE PERSONNEL REALITY Teachers are the principal agents in making an education system succeed or fail. There is no substitute for the competent principal and the competent teacher: in bold terms, if you do not have competent principals and teachers, education cannot succeed. Personnel are our most significant resource, and the way schools are managed and run determines very largely what community perceptions are about, whether the education system satisfies their needs or not. In industrial relations it is necessary to identify the parties and the roles adopts by each, and to discover not only how they interact but why they interact in that manner. In education the mode of interaction will be largely determined by the interactive effect of custom and tradition, legal determination , mutual agreement, societal influences and ethical considerations, among the most important of which are integrity, trust and concept of fairness. THE POSITION OF TEACHERS' SOCIETIES IN THE NEW DISPENSATION The following question may well be asked. "What will the position of the Teachers' Societies be in the new dispensation?" According to the general view, they will have to adapt to a new dispensation, and come to their own accommodation regarding method and scope of function. One would hope that they will continue to exist and that they will continue to represent the interest of the teacher the authorities. But we need to realise that there will be more players, talking to a rather different education authority than has been the case in the past. RECOMMENDATIONS Good management and good labour relations are inseparable, a fact that should be stressed and school principals continiously be made aware of. It is necessary that attention be paid to the different parties involved in the South African labour relations system. It will thus be possible to determine what methods can be used satisfactorily to manage labour relations in the South African education system. CONCLUSION Effective management of industrial relations in the education system is an absolute must. School principals must be instructed and educated through special courses in labour relations so that they will be able to create proper structures in their schools' system whereby everyone involved could benefit. The responsible authorities must make every effort to expedite the processes of establishing effective administrations of education departments so that a climate can be created in which educators in schools will develop a confidence in education administration - a confidence which at present is lacking.