Abstract
M.A. (Labor Relations)
The South African Clothing and Textile Workers Unions (SACTWU) has since 1991, with the adoption of a resolution at its National congress, campaigned vigorously for a
National Industrial council for the Textile Industry. This campaign reached its climax when specific proposals were made to Textile employers on 28 August 1991 and 9 September 1991 respectively to make known their particular needs. In employer groupings several attacks were made on centralized bargaining, essentially arguing that this form of bargaining has introduced rigidities into the labour market and has contributed to the poor competitiveness of the industry. In consideration of the SACTWU demand, the study focused on the restructuring of collective bargaining in the industry in the establishment of a bargaining framework, where the level and structure of bargaining were to be shaped by the goals of economic effectiveness and social equity. Beyond
this aim, the study also seeked to change the nature and quality of bargaining. Adversarial bargaining is to be replaced with co-operation, as the former will not build the economy, nor promote social equity. various aspects dealing with collective bargaining was examined to obtain a perspective on the complexities, mechanisms, structures arid processes of the bargaining system, and particularly the perceived differences in attitude towards centralized bargaining.