Article 15/2021

Labour Edge

Although claims under the LRA and the BCEA are distinct and based upon different causes of action, can they be heard in a single hearing before the labour court?


The labour appeal court recently, in Baise v Mianzo Asset Management (Pty) Ltd (2019) 30 SALLR 158 (LAC), held as follows: Civil claims are entertained because of the concurrent jurisdiction of the labour court with the high court and that competence is not susceptible to being blended with remedies sought under the LRA.  Claims under both regimes can indeed be heard in a single hearing, but the claims themselves remain distinct, along with the need to discern distinct causes of action.

 

 

What alternative claim(s) exist in delict to a statutory automatically unfair dismissal, a statutory constructive dismissal and a statutory unfair discrimination claim?

The scenario is as follows: in terms of a collective agreement between an employers’ organisation and various trade unions, provision is made for the accreditation of medical schemes by the relevant bargaining council, so that employees may enjoy the benefits of selecting and joining a scheme to which their employers contribute.

The labour court is afforded jurisdiction ito s77(1), read with ss77(3), of the BCEA to hear and determine any matter concerning a contract of employment, irrespective of whether a basic condition of employment constitutes a term of contract.