What emerged therefore after the extensive re-examination of the collective bargaining system by the Labour Market Commission in 1995, were two main bargaining structures; bargaining councils and statutory councils. However, an additional mechanism was created to run parallel to the collective bargaining system, and these are workplace forums established under Chapter V of the LRA. Although workplace forums are meant to deal with issues traditionally handled by bargaining councils, such as work organization
and job grading, their focus is less on collective bargaining and more on workplace change. We will now examine the three collective bargaining structures in some depth.