Tag: Industrial Relations (IR)

In the ever-changing South African labour market, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) has adopted digital transformation to improve accessibility and efficiency. The introduction of an online portal streamlines CCMA referrals, accommodating modern communication demands.

In any workplace, the relationship between management and the workforce can become tense or strained, for any number of reasons. Often, these tensions can escalate into industrial action, which can be severely disruptive to business.

It can be challenging to assemble a reliable, skilled workforce to run large-scale construction projects in rural locations. Often companies need to source and relocate skilled labour from other parts of the country or from within their company to meet project-specific needs.

South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates globally, which results in significant economic challenges. It has also created a growing contingent of discouraged job seekers, who have effectively given up on trying to secure employment, which exacerbates the issue.

Following the rise of a second COVID-19 wave in many countries, vaccines are in high demand. While desperate to resume pre-pandemic operations, businesses in South Africa find themselves in a tricky position. Should they enforce vaccinating workers to ensure a safe work environment, as well as operational continuity? If so, they risk a legal battle with employees who have a constitutional right to refuse the vaccination in order to have their religious customs and beliefs respected.