Inter-union rivalry sets the scene for tough wage negotiations, writes Karl Gernetzky LAST year began with the ghosts of the Marikana massacre still clearly etched, with inter-union rivalry, declining membership and tough economic conditions all factors predicted to contribute to a tough year for wage negotiations in a number of sectors.Threatened and actual industrial action have not yet come to an end, with the standoff between mines and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) continuing in the gold and platinum sectors, and a fresh strike threatening to again bruise the automotive sector.The beginning of the year sees business as usual in a country ranked by the World Economic Forum as 113th out of 144 countries in labour market efficiency, 143rd for rigid hiring and firing practices, 140th for a lack of flexibility in wage determination and 144th for tensions in labour relations.Last year began inauspiciously, with the prospect of a flare-up of violence in t...
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