Posts Tagged ‘labour Courts’
Court tells Woolworths to reinstate worker after claiming faked sick notes
The court said evidence provided by Woolworths did not meet legal standards as it failed to show the employee knew the doctor was fraudulent A recent judgment by the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) has raised the bar for companies to provide evidence of employees fabricating sick notes to justify their dismissal. The ruling compelled retail…
Read MoreDispute settlement agreement at CCMA rendered restraint of trade annulled
The Labour Appeal Court had to determine whether a settlement agreement concluded at the CCMA, extinguished the rights of the employer in so far as it related to a restraint of trade agreement. The restraint agreement provided as follows: 1. In the event of the termination of my employment with the COMPANY for any reason…
Read MoreUnfairly barred from employment because of a criminal record
Individuals with a criminal record may be faced with significant challenges when seeking employment. In South Africa, employers may legally exclude an applicant from consideration for LexisNexis. As part of the recruitment process, LexisNexis required Mr O’Connor to declare whether he had ever been criminally charged. Mr O’Connor confirmed that he had been convicted, but…
Read MoreDISCRIMINATION
Since the decriminalisation of the cultivation, possession and use of cannabis for private purposes, there have been several cases in which employees have challenged their employers regarding the banning or restriction of cannabis. The Labour Court recently considered a case of alleged discrimination for religious reasons. · In 2018, the Constitutional Court (CC) decriminalised the cultivation,…
Read MoreMisconduct in the workplace: Managing labour relations
Recent rulings in cases such as Mondry Ngobeni and 51 Others v Interspray Durban CC [2024] JS739-18 (LC) and SARS v CCMA [2024] JR 2223-20 (LC) offer valuable insights for employers navigating the complexities of labour relations and misconduct. The Mondry case In Mondry, the employer was experiencing a decline in business and proposed alternatives to retrenchment for employees,…
Read MoreIs any agreement capable of enforcement under the Labour Relations Act
Under section 158(1)(c) of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (LRA), the Labour Court has jurisdiction to, inter alia, make an arbitration award or any settlement agreement an order of court. Over the years, there has been much debate and conflicting judgments on whether a wide or narrow interpretation of “any settlement agreement” should…
Read MoreAgency shop agreements and the principle of fairness
In the recent case of Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union v UASA (Formerly named the United Association of South Africa) and Others [2023] 11 BLLR 1134 (LAC) the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) considered whether members of a minority union that is a bargaining agent recognised within a bargaining council should be liable for the payment of agency…
Read MoreLABOUR COURT JUDGMENT SENDS A STRONG MESSAGE TO UNIONS AND CCMA COMMISSIONERS AHEAD OF THE NEW YEAR
In one of the first reportable judgments of 2024, SAA v NUMSA & SACCA, the Labour Court has sent a strong message to Unions which litigate in the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (“CCMA”) and CCMA Commissioners who consider preliminary issues in the CCMA. Background Facts During December 2019, SAA was placed in voluntary business rescue, as…
Read MoreDID THE COMMISSIONER OVERSTEP HIS AUTHORITY?
In the case of NUM OBO MPETE AND OTHERS V MATYOLO AND ANOTHER (JR 755/2019) [2023] ZALCJHB 62 (14 MARCH 2023) the employees were dismissed in December 2017 for participating in an unprotected strike. The employees referred an unfair dismissal dispute to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). The dispute remained unresolved after…
Read MoreSELECTION CRITERIA: WHAT IS FAIR?
In the case of Koprindjiyska v 80 Westcliff (Pty) Ltd t/a Four Seasons Hotel (JS 994/20) [2022] ZALCJHB 325 (22 November 2022), an employee of the Four Seasons Hotel, employed as a Housekeeping Supervisor, sought an order by the Labour Court (LC) to declare her retrenchment as substantively and procedurally unfair. The employee was retrenched…
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