Collective Bargaining Theory Fundamentals Training

Learning Outcomes

• Explain the theoretical foundations and historical development of collective bargaining in South Africa.
• Analyse the roles and strategies of parties involved in collective bargaining, including employers, unions, and state agencies.
• Apply the principles of good faith bargaining and the legal requirements under the Labour Relations Act.
• Evaluate the impact of power dynamics, economic factors, and social context on bargaining outcomes.
• Demonstrate the ability to prepare for and participate in collective bargaining negotiations.
• Assess the effectiveness of dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation, arbitration, and strikes.

Target Audience

This course is designed for trade union representatives, human resource practitioners, labour relations officers, and managers who participate in or oversee collective bargaining processes.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Practical sessions reinforce theoretical concepts through role-play negotiations, drafting collective agreement clauses, and simulated dispute resolution. Learners apply strategies and communication skills in realistic scenarios, building competence in bargaining processes.

Practical Activities

• Practical 1: Negotiation Role-Play — Learners participate in a simulated collective bargaining session, representing either management or union, negotiating a wage agreement. (6h)
• Practical 2: Drafting a Collective Agreement Clause — Learners draft a specific clause (e.g., grievance procedure or wage structure) for a collective agreement based on a given scenario. (4h)
• Practical 3: Dispute Resolution Simulation — Learners simulate a conciliation or arbitration process, presenting arguments and seeking resolution for a workplace dispute. (4h)
• Practical 4: Bargaining Strategy Presentation — Learners develop and present a bargaining strategy for a hypothetical negotiation, justifying their approach. (2h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.