THE COMPULSORY COVID VACCINATION CONTROVERSY

THE COMPULSORY COVID VACCINATION CONTROVERSY

Earlier this year I wrote an article warning of the dangers of enforcing compulsory Covid vaccinations at the workplace. Despite this, a trend towards compulsory vaccination has begun. This is because Covid is still spreading, far too many people are still resisting...
BEWARE OF DISMISSALS BASED ON SPITE

BEWARE OF DISMISSALS BASED ON SPITE

Feelings of spite arise at work for a variety of reasons such as:  Resentment due to the lodging of grievances  Power struggles between managers  Racial and other prejudices  Scapegoating  Managers feeling threatened by other managers or senior staff  Sexual affairs ...
DISMISSALS ARE UNFAIR IF EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP IS STILL TOLERABLE

DISMISSALS ARE UNFAIR IF EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP IS STILL TOLERABLE

Schedule 8 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) says that dismissal is only appropriate for those serious offences that make “a continued employment relationship intolerable”. Such serious offences could include, for example, gross insubordination, endangering the safety...
RETRENCHMENTS AND MUTUAL TERMINATIONS ARE FUELING JOB LOSSES

RETRENCHMENTS AND MUTUAL TERMINATIONS ARE FUELING JOB LOSSES

South Africa’s unemployment rate is at an all time high with 43% of working age people being unemployed. This is the harsh reality, despite government’s so called ‘growth’ plans. While retrenchments have risen to alarming levels over the past four years, mutually...
HEAVY PENALTIES FOR DEFAULTING EMPLOYERS

HEAVY PENALTIES FOR DEFAULTING EMPLOYERS

The Labour Relations Act (LRA) in conjunction with the Arbitration Act gives the CCMA, bargaining councils, Labour Court, Labour Appeal Court and private arbitrators the power to take very strong action against employers who commit unfair labour practices or unfair...
GAPS IN THE LABOUR RELATIONS ACT LEAVE PARTIES GUESSING

GAPS IN THE LABOUR RELATIONS ACT LEAVE PARTIES GUESSING

In the mid 1990s the old labour legislation was repealed and replaced by our current Labour Relations Act (LRA) negotiated between government, employers and trade unions. Due to the fact that parties had substantially different agendas they were often unable to agree...
BEWARE DISMISSING FOR CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

BEWARE DISMISSING FOR CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

Common law recognises an employee’s right to look after his/her own interests. However, the law also balances out this right, by stating that it is the employee’s obligation to ensure that the satisfaction of his/her interests does not conflict with those of the...
HANDLE SHOP STEWARDS WITH CARE

HANDLE SHOP STEWARDS WITH CARE

The trade union movement in South Africa is very powerful. This is not only because of the relatively high number of unionised employees and because of the extremely strong legislation supporting unionisation, but also because of the political alliance between the...
DISMISS POOR PERFORMERS WITH CARE

DISMISS POOR PERFORMERS WITH CARE

Employees’ level of work performance is a crucial factor in the advancement of South Africa’s economy and in the success of each enterprise. This is one reason why the law allows employers to dismiss employees who fail to perform according to performance...
STRIKES CAN BE PREVENTED THROUGH PRIVATE ARBITRATION

STRIKES CAN BE PREVENTED THROUGH PRIVATE ARBITRATION

The huge losses that can result from strikes raise the question of how strikes can be prevented. The consequences of strikes can include:  The employer’s loss of clients  Financial losses for businesses  Closure of businesses  Industrial sabotage  Loss of pay and...