Democratising the employment relationship: a conceptual approach to labour law reform and its socio-economic implications

Abstract

Introduction: The constitutional debate in South Africa has place the related issues of democracy and increase production and redistribution of wealth centrally on the agenda. Democratisation of the employment relationship, it will be argued, it is essential to both. At first sight there has been a certain meting of minds between employers and organised labour around this question. The demand for greater democracy in the workplace has been raised increasingly from the side of trade unions and the mass democracy movement in recent years while some employers have taken initiatives of their own to involve workers in decision-making.