Browsing by Author "Raju, Rajandren."

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From adversarialism to co-operation: key implications of the new South African labour dispensation for the library and information sector.
(UNISA, 2007) Raju, Rajandren.; Stilwell, Christine.
The concept of co-determination, which is a fundamental principle underpinning the new South African labour dispensation, is examined. Co-determination represents a deliberate move away from adversarialism to cooperation. As the intention of the legislation is to have employers work together with employees, who are organised collectively into trade unions, the present article examines the effect of the trade union movement on the library and information services (LIS) sector. It identifies factors in the international literature that are seen to have an influence on the growth of trade unionism and traces these within the South African LIS context in relation to four key statutes in the Labour Relations Act. The LIS sector in South Africa is represented by a myriad of "generic" unions and a professional association and this dichotomous system of representation has severely limited its opportunities to exploit the progressive labour dispensation. The sector should therefore re-examine the opportunities offered by the new dispensation. The article focuses in particular on the tertiary education sector.
An investigation into the feasibility of unionising LIS workers: a case study of the tertiary sector.
(LiASA, 2006) Raju, Rajandren.; Stilwell, Christine.; Leach, Athol Brian.
This article reports on the findings of a study that investigated the feasibility of unionizing LIS workers with special reference to the tertiary education sector in South Africa. The primary objectives of the study were to investigate the need for an organisation to address the industrial concerns of LIS employees and to investigate the organization most capable of addressing both the industrial and professional concerns of the sector. The majority of the respondents expressed the view that there is a need for an organisation to address the industrial issues of the LIS sector. The findings also reveal that there is substantial support for the professional association, as opposed to a generic trade union, to address the industrial and professional issues of the LIS sector.
Unionising library and information staff in the tertiary sector : a feasibility study.
(2005) Raju, Rajandren.; Stilwell, Christine.; Leach, Athol Brian.
The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of unionising the employees of the LIS sector in South Africa in the context of the new South African labour dispensation. The study examined the factors that have been identified as having an influence on the growth of trade unionism. The review of the literature revealed that the factors that have influenced unionism were, inter alia, collective bargaining, legislation and employee concentration. The unionism versus professionalism debate also influenced the growth of trade unionism. The factors that were identified as influencing the growth of white collar unionism, at the national and international level, were applied to LIS sector employees to determine their influence on the growth of unionism in this sector. The findings from the survey of employees confirm the findings in the literature with regard to the factors that have influenced trade unionism. While trade unionism has continued to grow and fulfils the industrial needs of the LIS employees in South Africa, professional associations here fulfilled the professional needs of those employed in the LIS tertiary education sector. This study also examined the roles and characteristics of professional library associations in the international arena with particular reference to two African countries. The factors that have influenced the continuance of professional associations amidst pressure from trade unions for the same membership, were also investigated. Self-administered questionnaires were used to survey the views of LIS employees regarding factors that have influenced their affiliation to the different employee representative bodies. Selfadministered questionnaires were also used to survey trade union officials of the three national unions that service the tertiary sector in South Africa, regarding their views on the infra-structural capacity of unions to incorporate a sector specific union. Percentages and frequency distributions as well as content analysis were used to analyse the data collected. The findings from the survey of the LIS employees reveal that the factors that have influenced the growth of trade unionism at the national and international levels are evident in the LIS sector in South Africa. The findings also reveal that factors that have negated the growth of trade unionism in this sector. Further, the employee population expressed preference for a single representative body to represent the industrial and professional interests of the LIS sector. The findings from the survey of the LIS employees revealed a need which could not be accommodated by the current trade union structures. In suggesting a way forward, the researcher proposes a model. The aim of the model is to stimulate discussion about how change can be achieved. The researcher draws conclusions based on the analysis of data and in the context of related literature and proposes a way forward for the tertiary LIS sector in South Africa.