South African Employment Relations

Not only is the effective management of employment relations integral to organisational success but it also addresses the socioeconomic needs of all South Africans. Labour, employers and the government have a responsibility to balance, integrate and reconcile their partly common and partly divergent interests. South African employment relations therefore adopts a broader perspective to employment relations as a field by focusing on all aspects of the employment relationship and incorporating wider issues impacting on human resources practice.

This tenth edition of South African employment relations continues to build on its long-standing success, spanning 35 years since the first edition in 1989, by including current events in the South African employment relations and wider socioeconomic and political environments. It incorporates the latest legislative developments and other contemporary issues. Case studies and short inserts entitled “ER in practice” highlight the challenges posed by industry and the business community, with the goal of instilling confidence in daily business and employment relations activities in the real world. While international best practices are embraced, the book also aims to sensitise readers about the African context in which South African organisations operate. The challenges experienced by employment relations practitioners in this unique environment are also highlighted throughout the chapters and incorporated in each chapter’s dedicated case studies.