It looks like the major public sector strike in South Africa might be coming to an end. The government has upped its offer and the unions seem set to accept.
There is a prisoner’s dilemma element of every labor action, of course, but at the end of nearly every one across the globe not ended by force the same question always seems to emerge: Why couldn’t they have reached this compromise from the outset? Of course neither side was willing to do so earlier because in their mind there was so much more to be gained or so much less to be given. Now as both sides claim victory and play nice we can start the clock until the next time . . .
