ILO Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa, Harare

Public Policy and Trade Disputes in the Public Service - Need for policy Coherence

The policy framework for the employment relationship and hence for dispute resolution is, in all the countries, derived from specific labour codes that outline organizational rights and obligations of employers and workers, generally in both the private and public sectors.7 In this context the thrust of public policy has been towards a common approach to the management of trade disputes, particularly in the private sector. The policy approach in the public service is fundamentally different in several countries, because in addition to the general labour code in each country, the nature and scope of the employment relationship are elaborated in legislation specifically made for the public service.