Tag: Labour Court

An interview with Ivan Israelstam, Chief Executive, Labour Law Management Consulting, and Dr Ivor Blumenthal, CEO, ArkKonsult, discussing whether either party can take a CCMA arbitrator’s conduct on review to the Labour Court if they are able to prove that the arbitrator, in making their award, has materially broken a rule.

Uber drivers are currently classified as independent contractors in South Africa, but there are plans to launch a class action to compel Uber SA to confer several key rights on its drivers, which, if successful, will affect the rights of platform workers.

Either party can take a CCMA arbitrator’s conduct on review to the Labour Court if they are able to prove that the arbitrator, in making his/her award, has materially broken a rule. This is different to an appeal because an appeal is lodged, not against the arbitrator’s conduct, but rather against his/her decision.

The Broadcasting Electronic Media and Allied Workers' Union (BEMAWU) recently launched an urgent application in the Labour Court interdicting the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SOC) Ltd (SABC) from proceeding with retrenchment processes and forcing the SABC to adhere to fair consultation processes [BEMAWU & Others v SABC & Others, in the Labour Court of South Africa, Johannesburg, Case Number J1199/20]. 

The Labour Court in a recent judgment, Mthobisi Mthimkhulu v Standard Bank of South Africa (J928/20) (18 September 2020) considered whether an employee who has been found guilty of serious misconduct can avoid the ultimate sanction of dismissal by resigning before the employer imposes the sanction.

​​​​​​In a recent judgment, Gold One Limited v Madalani and Others (JR 1109/15) [2020] ZALCJHB 180 (9 September 2020), the Labour Court confirmed that intolerability is a high threshold in constructive dismissal matters. Intolerability is more than a working environment or working under employment conditions that are difficult, unpleasant or stressful.

The Code Of Good Practice On The Protection Of Employees During Pregnancy And After The Birth Of A Child (The Code) is aimed at protecting pregnant and post-pregnant employees, and obliges employers to implement a series of appropriate measures to protect pregnant or breast-feeding employees from hazards at the workplace.

The issue is whether an essential service in terms of the Disaster Management Act (DMA) is deemed an essential service for the purposes of the Labour Relations Act (LRA), thus barring employees from engaging in protected strike action.

The issue is whether an employer may utilise Zoom when conducting consultations in a retrenchment exercise. If not, does the continuation of the consultations in such circumstances result in procedural unfairness? The Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (LRA) does not regulate how section 189 consultations are to be held (i.e. in person or via video conference).

The Constitutional Court delivered judgement in the case of Association of Mine Workers and Construction Union and Others v Royal Bafokeng Platinum Mine Limited and Others. In this matter, the constitutionality of Section 189(1) of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) was debated.