The right to free collective bargaining, with a right to freedom of association and freedom from victimisation, has been protected by labour legislation in South Africa The Labour Relations Act, 1995 (LRA) (Act 66 of 1995) regulates collective bargaining in South Africa and all collective agreements are now binding and enforceable in terms of this Act. Prior to the LRA, state employees did not have access to the labour courts and statutory bargaining mechanisms and their conditions of service were regulated by separate acts such as the Public Service Act and regulations issued under this Act. Labour issues in the public sector are now regulated by the LRA. The process of creating public sector bargaining councils began with the creation of a bargaining council for the public sector as a whole, known as the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council, with functions and responsibilities identical to those in the private sector. Th