by Natasha Marrian –
THE Department of Labour is examining the introduction of “interest arbitration” in a bid to end protracted strikes.
The five-month strike in the platinum sector this year caused the economy to contract, nearly tipping the country into recession. The government has expressed frustration about its limited capacity to intervene in that strike.
Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant said the Labour Relations Act allowed for mediation and arbitration but it was not binding — employers and unions had to agree to it. The department was looking into the possibility of introducing “interest arbitration” — where arbitrators make a binding ruling on parties if the settlement of the strike is in the broader public interest.
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