Exploring factors affecting trust-based collective bargaining: Evidence from a South African mining company

The study sought to explore factors affecting trust-based collective bargaining at a South African mining company given the volatile nature of employment relationship. Lack of trust due to conflicting views, interests and expectations in employment relations mostly results in collective bargaining breakdown. Exploratory qualitative research design was adopted based on interpretivist paradigm in a case study. Participants were targeted from low to senior management levels and trade union officials through a purposive sampling technique. Subsequently, data was collected from twelve participants using semi-structured interviews that allows flexibility with open ended questions. Thematic analysis was used to organise data into six (6) key emerging themes based on participants’ experiences. The study found that the trade union membership and recognition, bargaining structures, bargaining units, trustworthiness as well as managerial and trade union tactics are key factors affecting trust-based collective bargaining. Theoretically, the study contributes a greater understating of how trust-based relationships in collective bargaining leads to improved conditions of employment and business growth. A key limitation of the study is that interviews were not complemented with a content analysis of company documents related to collective bargaining for determining trust-based relationships throughout this stakeholder engagement process.