From pluralism to corporatism: South Africa's labour relations in transition

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on how and why South Africa's model of labour relations changed in the course of the country's transition to democracy. It discusses and categorises the differing models of labour relations in the 1980s and 1990s within the backdrop of a review of some of the theoretical literature on forms of interest representation. Thereafter, it discusses how corporatism, and its institutions and processes, evolved in South Africa. Finally, the article investigates why political elites and social movements advocated and implemented a transition from a pluralist to a corpo‐ratist model of labour relations.