Volume: Volume 19 - 2015

Article type: Refereed article

Author/s: Tenza, Mlungisi

The incidence of violence during strikes has become a problem not only for employers but also for the economy.  It remains difficult to address the issue of violent strikes in South Africa using the existing labour law. The bargaining system does not make provision for mechanisms that can be used to deal with the issue of strike related violence. The eruption of violence during a strike affects members of society who are in no way part of the dispute between the employer and the union. It seems that the system somehow fails the people of South Africa when it comes to strikes and consequential violence. The question this article considers is whether and how the law may be used to address violence during strike action.

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