2. Labour Relations Act Flashcards

1
Q

When did it come into effect?

A

11 November 1996

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2
Q

What is it based on?

A

The Constitution

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3
Q

What does it provide?

A

Basic legal framework for the SA labour relations system

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4
Q

Main objectives

A

• Enforce fundaments rights grantees by section 23 Constitution
• Enforce SA’s international obligations - member of International Labour Organisation
• Provide framework collective bargaining - trade and employees
• Promote effective resolution of labour disputes - employee particulars decision making in workplace

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5
Q

What does the Act contain?

A

Basic rules and mechanisms - use control communication, bargain or negotiate relationships between employers and employees

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6
Q

Who does the Act apply to?

A

Every employer and employee

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7
Q

Who does the Act not apply to?

A

National Defence Force, National Intelligence Agency and South African Secret Service

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8
Q

What issues does the Act contain?

A

Freedom of association, Trade Unions, strikes and lockouts, collective bargaining, dispute resolution to unfair labour practice, unfair dismissal

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9
Q

What is it founded on?

A

Common-law contract of employment (individual relationship)

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10
Q

What is the content described in?

A

Statues and collective agreements that are negotiated between employers and trade unions

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11
Q

What are individual and collective relationships subject to?

A

International labour standards and provisions of the South African Constitution of 1996

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12
Q

What is the highest law of South Africa?

A

The Constitution

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13
Q

Whats up can’t the state do with rights?

A

Not able to pass legislation which takes rights in the Constitution away

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14
Q

Instead what can they do with these rights?

A

Place restrictions on how rights are exercised

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15
Q

Define trade union

A

Any number of employees in a particular undertaking, industry, trade or occupation associated together for the purpose of regulating relations in that undertaking, industry, trade or occupation between employees and employers

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16
Q

Define employer organisation

A

Enables employees to work together to negotiate with trade unions in a specific industry

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17
Q

What does the Constitution guarantee?

A

Principle of Freedom of Association

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18
Q

What does the Freedom of Association allow?

A

Employees the right to join a trade union of choice
Vice versa

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19
Q

How can trade unions and employer organisations make use of procedures?

A

Registered

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20
Q

Registration requirements of trade unions and employer organisations

A
  1. Proper constitution
  2. Constitution must be consistent with LRA
  3. Union not formed to evade law or not affiliated to any political party
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21
Q

Why is registration important?

A

Gives certain rights to trade unions

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22
Q

What is an important right of trade unions?

A

Allow to be party to Bargaining and Statutory council

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23
Q

What does a Statutory council mean?

A

Wages and conditions of employment can be negotiated that may be made binding by law

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24
Q

How does an employee pay a trade union?

A

Deduct trade union membership fee from wages of employees

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25
Q

How does an employee pay a trade union?

A

Deduct trade union membership fee from wages of employees

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26
Q

What actions may the employer not prevent with trade unions?

A

Engage in union action and hold meetings at work place

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27
Q

What is the main aim of the trade union?

A

Engage in collective bargaining with employers on behalf of members

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28
Q

What will the trade union advise?

A

Advise and represent members on conditions of service, grievances and disciplinary issues, labour relations issues

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29
Q

Name functions of trade unions

A
  1. Protecting rights of workers, ensure fair treatment workers
  2. Improve conditions of employment
  3. Represent members in negotiations w employers
  4. Represent employees in disciplinary issues
  5. Advising employees in labour relations issues
  6. Strive achieve industrial peace while influencing policies and decisions regarding labour issues
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30
Q

Improving conditions of service/employment

A

• Salaries
• Employee benefits
• Job security
• Physical work environment (safety)

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31
Q

What is the best interest of a healthy economy?

A

Maintain industrial peace through effective Industrial Relations (IR)

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32
Q

What two issues does collective bargaining cover?

A
  1. Contract negotiations between employers (Employer organisations)
  2. Trade Unions (handling of grievances)
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33
Q

Define strike

A

Temporary, collective refusal of employees to work in order to put pressure on the employer to agree to the demands of the workers

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34
Q

Define go-slow

A

Workers continue to work but slow down to reduce productivity

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35
Q

What pre-empts a full strike?

A

Go slow

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36
Q

Define work to rule

A

Workers stick to the letter of their contracts, reducing productivity

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37
Q

Define picketing

A

Group of employees demonstrating outside the place of work to show their dissatisfaction with a certain issues

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38
Q

Does picketing disrupt work?

A

No work is disrupted

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39
Q

Define lock-out

A

Refusal on part of an employer to allow employees to continue to work unless they expect certain conditions of employer

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40
Q

What was the major develops on the Labour front?

A

National Economic Development and Labour Council

41
Q

NEDLAC

A

National Economic Development and Labour Council

42
Q

What does NEDLAC ensure?

A

Government, organised labour and employers are in agreement prior to labour policies that will impact social and economical levels are submitted to government

43
Q

What is one of the aims of NEDLAC?

A

Function as a body to promote economic growth, reach consensus (labour legislation) and promote social and economic polices (significant improvements for labour on social economic terrain)

44
Q

How will trade unions participate in the economy? NEDLAC

A

Through more institutionalised approach

45
Q

Why must trade unions participate in the economy?

A

Ensure increased competitiveness on a global scale while continuing to achieve long term socioeconomic development and maintain political stability

46
Q

What does NEDLAC do at a national level?

A

Brings employers, employees and government together

47
Q

Why is there collective bargaining between trade unions and employers/organisations?

A

• Determine wages, terms and conditions of employment and other matters of mutual interest
• Formulate industrial policy

48
Q

Name the three collective bargaining structures

A
  1. Bargaining councils
  2. Statutory councils
  3. Workplace forums
49
Q

What is the function of a bargaining council?

A

Help establish collective agreements for a certain sector or industry

50
Q

Where are statutory councils established ?

A

Sectors and areas where there are no bargaining councils

51
Q

What are the three main functions of statutory councils?

A
  1. Solve disputes within area of jurisdiction
  2. Establish training and education schemes
  3. Establish and administer pension funds, provident funds, medical aid and unemployment schemes
52
Q

What does the workplace forum do?

A

Grass root level labour relations and shits focus of joint problem solving and decision making to workplace

53
Q

What does the Labour Relations Act force the employer to do with the workplace forum?

A

Employer to conduct intensively with the workplace forum over a wide range of matters of mutual interest

54
Q

How can employees access bargaining structures?

A

Part of the Grievance Procedure if they have problem with employer

55
Q

Define grievance procedure

A

Route of communication that must be followed by worker who wants to lodge a formal complaint

56
Q

Who does the worker consult before submitting a complaint?

A

Shop steward

57
Q

What is a shop steward?

A

Trade union representative in business

58
Q

How do you submit a complaint?

A

Writing

59
Q

What happens if the grievance cannot be resolved within the department?

A

Communicated upwards through different levels of authority or industrial relations structures outside of company

60
Q

Name industrial relations structures

A

Bargaining councils, CCMA, Labour Court, Labour Appeal Court

61
Q

How does the Labour Relations Act resolve disputes quickly?

A

Provide basic two step procedure

62
Q

What is step one?

A

Conciliation

63
Q

When does step two occur?

A

If step one is unsuccessful

64
Q

What is step two?

A

mediation, arbitration, adjudication or industrial action

65
Q

When does conciliation occur?

A

Parties in dispute get together with a neutral third party. Conciliator does not decide right and wrong, helps party reach agreement

66
Q

What is mediation?

A

Process of mediator making a recommendation to parties. Recommendations cannot be enforced and not legally binding

67
Q

When does arbitration occur?

A

The dispute is referred to a neutral third party who makes a decision about who is rigjt

68
Q

What is Adjudication?

A

Dispute does to the Labour Court after arbitration

69
Q

What happens in Adjudication?

A

Party can appeal against decision of Labour court if leave to appeal is granted. Go to Labour Appeal Court (LAC)

70
Q

What happens in Adjudication?

A

Party can appeal against decision of Labour court if leave to appeal is granted. Go to Labour Appeal Court (LAC)

71
Q

LAC

A

Labour Appeal Court

72
Q

CCMA

A

Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration

73
Q

Who is the CCMA funded by?

A

State and governed by NEDLAC

74
Q

How does the CCMA function?

A

Independently

75
Q

What is the CCMA vital for?

A

South African Labour dispute resolution system

76
Q

What do employees have the right to do for collective bargaining?

A

Right to strike

77
Q

What do employees have the right to do for collective bargaining?

A

Right to strike

78
Q

What do employers have the right to do for collective bargaining?

A

Lock out employees for disputes

79
Q

Why are strikes and lockouts the last resort?

A

Labour unrest is detrimental to the country

80
Q

What are the forms of industrial actions?

A

Strikes, lockouts and other

81
Q

When is it regarded as a strike?

A

Two or more employees participate

82
Q

When is it regarded as a strike?

A

Two or more employees participate

83
Q

What must striking employees have in common?

A

Common work related purpose, not same employer

84
Q

What must the reason for the strike be?

A

To solve a grievance or dispute about a matter of mutual interest that condemns employees and employers

85
Q

What are protected strikes?

A

Enjoy certain benefits which employees who engage in unprotected strikes do not have

86
Q

What procedures need to be followed for a strike to be considered protected?

A

• Collective agreement - dispute relation procedures must be followed
• No agreed dispute resolution procedure, procedures of LRA followed

87
Q

What procedures of the LRA must be followed?

A
  1. Issue disputes in writing to CCMA, bargains council, statutory council
  2. CCMA or council must try settle dispute - conciliation within 30 days
  3. Fails, CCMA or council issue a certificate saying dispute not resolved
  4. 48 hours notice in writing of proposed strike given to private employer or seven day notice (employer)
88
Q

When is a strike not protected?

A
  1. Collective agreement states workers may not strike over issue
  2. Correct procedures have not been followed or arbitration decision ignored
  3. Essential service
89
Q

What happens during a protected strike?

A
  1. Employees may not be dismissed
  2. Employee can’t apply for court interdict to stop strike, may apply court interdict to prevent unlawful action
  3. Refusal to work is not breach of contract and employer cannot claim damage
  4. Does not have to pay employees participating in protected strike
90
Q

What does lockout force?

A

Employees to accept a demand or offer

91
Q

Name the reasons for strikes and lockouts

A
  1. Wage increases
  2. Demand to recognise trade union
  3. Unhappiness - unilateral changes that the employer made to working conditions
  4. Sympathy by another party
  5. Issues of common national interest
92
Q

What are the other forms of industrial action?

A
  1. Picketing
  2. Secondary action
93
Q

What is picketing?

A

Peaceful demonstration by workers or interested parties, and takes place outside of premises

94
Q

What is the difference between picketing and a strike?

A

Outside normal work hours

95
Q

Who can organise a picket?

A

Registered trade union

96
Q

When must pickets obtain employers permission

A

Can happen any public place
Permission: inside workplace

97
Q

What is secondary action?

A

Employees striking in support of a strike by other employees

98
Q

When will secondary action be protected?

A
  1. Main strike is protected
  2. Secondary strikers give seven days notice to employer