The Effect of Industrial Action by Municipal Employees on Service Delivery: A Case of Greater Letaba Municipality, Limpopo Province

Abstract

Employees all over the world engage in the industrial action to demonstrate dissatisfaction with organisations, mostly on disagreements about basic conditions of employment. Section 23 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guarantees workers the right to petition, strike or demonstrate provided that it is within the confines of the law. A qualitative research study conducted in Greater Letaba Municipality (GLM) exposes paradigm of industrial action-service delivery lag effect. Analysis and interpretation of both literature and interview collected data revealed the paradigm has multiple consequential effects. The findings show these consequential effects moving from industrial actions and along gradual effects of service delivery lag, unsustainable spending-underspending split over, unrecoverable service delivery gap, leading into continuous community protests, social unrest and potential fully-fledged social revolt. In summary and conclusion, the study proclaims paradigm of industrial action-service delivery lag effect placing GLM as a threatened public entity against its constitutional existence rights. Implicit and explicit study significance unravels potential service delivery extinction; constitutional entity existence idealism, and academic research scope limits extension within public service delivery field. The study recommends for organisational strategies and management principles of adhocracy, special capacity building, restructuring and rationalisation, mitigation and contingency special budgetary allowances, culturing adherence to policy based operations and stakeholder management principles