Pretoria - Public Service and Administration Minister Richard Baloyi has urged all parties in the public service to commit to rules of engagement during labour negotiation processes.
Speaking at the 2nd Biannual Labour Relations Conference in Kempton Park on Tuesday, Baloyi said dialogue remained the only viable way of settling disputes and that the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) was well placed to conduct peaceful negotiations.
"The PSCBC remains a pillar of dialogue and a reliable provider of democracy in the workplace. Its ability to work independently and enforce rules of negotiation without fear or favour needs to be acknowledged and upheld by all," Baloyi said.
The three-day summit, which is jointly organised by PSCBC and the Public Service Commission (PSC), is attended by delegates representing diverse stakeholders in the public service, including COSATU and the Independent Labour Caucus, among others.
The theme of the conference is "Sustaining dialogue on the integration and coordination of labour relations in the public sector."
Topics up for discussion include the consolidation of labour peace, dispute referral trends and dispute prevention interventions in the public service, and dealing with enforcement of collective agreements in the public sector.
The conference is expected to provide a platform for social dialogue within the public service to ensure a coordinated approach in steps taken to improve the quality of recruitment and selection processes, managing of performance and discipline and developing employees.
The conference will also review, evaluate and institutionalise proper mechanisms that will address the area of human resource management and development, in order to positively impact on service delivery.
The conference started on Monday and ends tomorrow.
