Human ResourcesIndustrial Relations and Collective Bargaining
Collective bargaining is where the employment relationship is either stabilised for a period or broken, and organisations that treat it as an annual argument about a percentage tend to get exactly that. This course covers the wider discipline. Delegates work through the legal framework governing organisational rights, recognition and bargaining, the bargaining unit and the levels at which negotiation happens, and preparation including the mandate, the costing and the concession plan. Negotiation at the table is practised. Deadlock, conciliation and the lawful strike and lockout procedures are covered in full. The course closes on agreement drafting and implementation, and on the relationship between rounds, which is where most of the work actually is.
Course objectives
- Apply the legal framework on organisational rights and recognition
- Define a bargaining unit and choose the level of negotiation
- Prepare a mandate, cost proposals and plan concessions
- Negotiate effectively at the table
- Handle deadlock and conciliation correctly
- Manage a lawful strike or lockout and its aftermath
- Draft, implement and live with a collective agreement
Who should attend
- Industrial and employee relations practitioners
- Human resources managers and business partners
- Line managers in unionised environments
- Union officials and shop stewards
- Executives who set the bargaining mandate
Course outline
- 01An annual argument against a managed relationship
- 02Legal framework, organisational rights and recognition
- 03Bargaining units and levels
- 04Preparation, mandate and costing
- 05Negotiation at the table
- 06Deadlock and conciliation
- 07Lawful strikes, lockouts and their aftermath
- 08Agreement drafting, implementation and between rounds
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 to 23 September 2026 | Nairobi, Kenya | Classroom | USD 995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 14 to 16 December 2026 | Durban, South Africa | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |
| 20 to 22 January 2027 | Online | Online | R6,500 per delegate | Register Now |
| 17 to 19 February 2027 | Harare, Zimbabwe | Classroom | USD 995 per delegate | Register Now |
| 3 to 5 March 2027 | Pretoria, South Africa | Classroom | R14,950 per delegate | Register Now |