Redefining the Role of Local Labour Forums in Municipalities

Good Labour Relations in Local Government is a legislative imperative that municipalities have to nurture and sustain at all costs. Failure to maintain good labour relations could have a direct impact on the levels and quality of service delivery. If municipal employees embark on endless strikes, this would obviously translate into no delivery of basic services to the communities that so desperately need them. The 2009 State of Local Government Report that was published by the Department of Corporative Government and Traditional Affairs (DCoG) indicates a breakdown of functional labour relationships in many municipalities. Related to this is the poor functionality of Local Labour Forums and the lack of trust between management and organized labour due to the latter’s role in reporting cases of alleged corruption and nepotism.