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Article 21/2024

LabourEdge

Up to now, the traditional approach in respect of collective agreements was that the civil courts do not have jurisdiction in respect of the interpretation or application (inclusive of breaches) of collective agreements – e g Aucamp v South African Revenue Services [2014] 2 BLLR 152 (LC) and Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality v South African Municipality Workers Union [2015] 1 BLLR 34 (LAC).  The supreme court of appeal recently, in MEC for Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Limpopo v Leboho (2022) 33 SALLR 281 (SCA); (2022) 43 ILJ 2695 (SCA), adopted a very different approach that, as is apparent, will in future have an important impact as to the dispute-resolution path selected by a party who alleges non-compliance with a collective agreement.  What does this approach entail?

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  • The supreme court of appeal, with reference to Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of SA obo Tshambi v Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal (2016) 37 ILJ 1839 (LAC), indicated that:
    • a dispute about the interpretation of a collective agreement requires, at a minimum, a difference of opinion about a provision in the agreement
    • a dispute about the application of a collective agreement requires, at the minimum, a difference of opinion as to whether it can be invoked
    • once application is proven and there is no dispute about the interpretation, a party can enforce such an agreement in the civil courts
October 19, 2026

Section 41(2) of the BCEA regulates the entitlement of an employee, dismissed for reasons based on the employer’s operational requirements, to severance pay.

In terms of s41(4) of the BCEA, an employee, who unreasonably refused to accept the employer’s offer of alternative employment with that employer or any other employer, is not entitled to severance pay ito s41(2).

How does the assistance provided by the retrenching employer to a retrenched employee affect such employee’s entitlement to severance pay?

October 12, 2026

What is the short test to be applied to determine whether there is compliance with the reasonable decision-maker test?

When determining whether or not the arbitrator of the CCMA or bargaining council behaved like a reasonable decision-maker, what are the ‘questions to be asked’?

What is the test recently applied to determine whether an arbitration award should be set aside on review?

October 5, 2026

In the scenario where a group of employees, participating in a demonstration, picket, strike, etc, are participating in unlawful conduct, but a number of other employees, who are also participating in such demonstration, picket, strike, etc, are not participating in such unlawful conduct, will the employer be entitled to obtain an interdict against both groups of such employees?