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Labour Relations Act, 1995 (Act No. 66 of 1995)

Notices

National Bargaining Council for the Electrical Industry of South Africa:

Extension of Consolidation of Collective Agreement to Non-parties

Part I

52. Resolution of Disputes

 

 

(1) Procedure to enforce compliance with this agreement:

 

The Council shall take all reasonable steps necessary to ensure compliance with this agreement. If whether through its own investigations or through any other source, it appears as if the provisions of this agreement have been breached then the following procedure shall apply to enforce compliance:

(a) The appointed official of Council shall investigate the alleged breach.
(b) If, upon completion of the investigation, the appointed official of Council has reason to believe that this agreement has been breached, the appointed person may endeavor to secure compliance with the agreement by any or all of the following means:
(i) Issue a compliance order requiring any person bound by the collective agreement to comply with the collective agreement within a specified period.
(ii) refer the matter to arbitration in terms of this agreement
(iii) a designated agent of Council shall have all the powers conferred to him in terms of section 33 read with section 33A and Schedule 10 of the Act.
(c) Arbitration
(i) Upon referral of the unresolved dispute to arbitration, Council shall appoint an arbitrator from its panel to hear and determine the alleged breach of this agreement. The arbitrator shall be independent of the Council.
(ii) The Council shall decide the date, time, and venue of the arbitration hearing, but shall give the parties at least 21 days written notice of an arbitration hearing, unless the parties agree to a shorter period.
(iii) The Council shall serve notice of the date, time and venue of the arbitration on all parties who may have an interest in the outcome of arbitration.
(iv) Any party who has an interest in the outcome of the arbitration shall have the right to—

- give evidence

- call witnesses

- question the witnesses of the other party

- address the concluding arguments with the arbitrator

- be represented by a legal practitioner or co-employee or any office bearer or official of his trade union or employers" organisation and, if the party is a juristic   person, by a director or employee    thereof.

(d) The arbitrator shall have the following powers:
(i) To determine whether there has been a breach of this agreement.
(ii) To make any appropriate award that gives effect to the collective agreement and to ensure compliance therewith.
(iii) To conduct the arbitration in a manner and form that he considers appropriate in order to determine the dispute fairly and quickly but shall deal with the substantial merits of the dispute with the minimum of legal formalities. Subject to the discretion of the arbitrator as to the appropriate form of the proceedings, a party to the dispute may give evidence, call witnesses, question the witnesses of any other party, and address concluding arguments to the arbitrator.
(iv) The appointed arbitrator may at any stage prior to or during the arbitration proceedings, suspend the arbitration proceedings and attempt to resolve the dispute through conciliation with the consent of all the parties to the dispute.
(v) To adjourn the arbitration proceedings to a later date or to make an award in the absence of a party who is alleged to have breached the agreement, if—

- such party fails to appear in person or to be represented at the arbitration proceedings.

Provided that proof is presented that written notification has been forwarded to such party—

(a) by registered mail to such party"s last known address and 28 days have lapsed since such notification has been mailed; or
(b) by fax transmission to such party"s last known fax number; and 21 days have lapsed since such notification has been faxed; or
(c) by hand delivery to such party"s last known business or residential address; and 21 days have lapsed since such notification has been hand delivered.
(vi) The arbitrator conducting arbitration in terms of this sub clause has the powers of a Commissioner in terms of section 33A, section 142 and section 138 of the Act, read with the changes required by the context.
(vii) he appointed arbitrator shall have the power to vary or rescind any arbitration award issued by him or by any arbitrator on application by any affected party or on his own accord within 14 days of the date on which the applicant became aware of the arbitration award or ruling or a mistake common to the parties to the proceedings and without limiting the generality hereof shall have this power if—

- the award was erroneously sought or erroneously made in the absence of any party affected by the award.

- the award is ambiguous or contains an obvious error or omission, but only to the extent of that ambiguity, error or omission

- the award was granted as a result of a mistake common to the parties to the proceedings.

(e) Any award made by the arbitrator, shall be served on all interested parties by the Council and must be made within 14 days after the expiry of the arbitration proceedings.
(f) The Council may apply to make the arbitration award an order of court in terms of section 143 or section 158(1) of the Act.
(g) The Council may apply for a writ of execution to enforce the order of court made in terms of section 143(1) of the Act.
(h) The provisions of this procedure shall apply in addition to any other legal remedy which the Council may apply to enforce a collective agreement.
(i) If the arbitrator finds that any party to the dispute has failed to comply with a provision of Council"s collective agreements which are binding on that party, then the arbitrator shall, in addition to any other appropriate order, impose a fine on the non-compliant party in accordance with Section 29 (2) of Schedule 7 of the Act, read with Section 33A of the Act. An arbitrator shall also include in an order, any interest that is due in terms of clause 29 of the Council"s main collective agreement and an arbitration fee of R500,00.
(j) Notwithstanding the provisions of this clause, the Council may utilise section 33A, section 142 and Schedule 10 of the Act to monitor and enforce compliance with its collective agreements.

 

(2) Procedure for Disputes about the Interpretation and/or Application of this Agreement or Council"s Constitution
(a) If a dispute is referred to the Council by any party to Council, or any non-party which falls within the registered scope of Council, the council shall appoint a conciliator to attempt to resolve the dispute through conciliation and if the dispute remains unresolved after conciliation, the Council shall appoint an arbitrator from its panel or from any recognised dispute resolution body to arbitrate the dispute. The arbitrator shall be independent of the Council.
(b) Any party to council or non-party within the registered scope wishing to lodge such a dispute shall notify the Council in writing setting out all the details of the dispute. A copy of such notification shall be served on all parties to the dispute in accordance with Rule 5 of the Rules for the Conduct of Proceedings before the CCMA.
(c) The Council shall arrange a conciliation meeting of the parties to the dispute within 30 days of the date it received the completed referral. However, the parties may agree to extend the 30 day - period.
(d) In conciliation proceedings a party to the dispute may appear in person or be represented only by a director or employee of that party and if a close corporation also by a member thereof, or any member, office bearer or official of that party"s registered trade union or registered employers" organisation.

(e)

(i) The Council may appoint a conciliator from its panel to attempt to resolve the dispute.
(ii) Any conciliator appointed in terms of this clause shall determine a process to attempt to resolve the dispute which may include—

- mediating the dispute, or

- conducting a fact finding exercise, or

- making a recommendation to the parties, which may be an advisory award.

(f)

(i) When conciliation has failed, or at the end of the 30 day period or any further period agreed to between the parties, the conciliator must issue a certificate stating whether or not the dispute has been resolved and—
(ii) serve a copy of that certificate on each party to the dispute or the person who represented a party in the conciliation proceedings; and
(iii) the original certificate must be filed with the Council.
(g) If the dispute is not resolved at the conciliation meeting referred to in sub clause (2) (c) above, any party to the dispute may request that the dispute be resolved through arbitration within 90 days after the date on which the certificate was issued.

The Council shall appoint an arbitrator who is available to conduct the arbitration within 30 days of the dispute having being received by the Council. The powers of the arbitrator shall be the same as in clause 52(1) (d) above read with the changes required by the context

(h) In arbitration proceedings, a party to the dispute may appear in person or be represented only by a legal practitioner, a director or employee of that party and if a close corporation also a member thereof or any member, office bearer or official of that party"s registered trade union, or registered employers" organisation,
(i) The arbitrator shall make a determination within 14 days of the completion of the hearing.

Any party to the dispute who alleges a defect in the arbitration proceedings may apply to the Labour Court for an order setting aside the arbitration award in terms of section 145 of the LRA.

(j) Any party to the dispute may apply to make the arbitration award an order of court in terms of section 143 or section 158(1) of the Act.
(k) The arbitrator may on his/her own accord or on the application of any affected party, vary or rescind an arbitration award or ruling in terms of Section 144 of the LRA read with Rule 31 and Rule 32 of the CCMA Rules.

 

(3) Procedure for Unfair Dismissal and Unfair Labour Practice Disputes
(a) An employee may refer a dispute to the Council for conciliation by completing the Council"s referral form and serving it on Council.
(b) Notwithstanding, subclause (3) (a) the Council may accept a referral form referred to it by the CCMA or another Bargaining Council or from the Department of Labour.
(c) The referring party must:
(i) sign the referral form
(ii) attach written proof that the referral form was served on the other parties to the dispute by means of telefax, or hand delivery or registered mail.
(iii) attach an application for condonation on the prescribed form if the referral form is filed late i.e. outside of the 30 day time period in the case of alleged unfair dismissal calculated from the date of dismissal or if it is a later date outside 30 days of the employer making the final decision to dismiss or uphold the dismissal or,

In the case of an unfair labour practice, outside 90 days of the date of the act or omission which allegedly constitutes the unfair labour practice, or if it is a later date, outside of 90 days of the date on which the employee became aware of the act or occurrence.

(d) The Council must refuse to accept the referral form until subrule (3) (c) has been complied with.
(e) The Council must give the parties at least 14 days written notice of a conciliation hearing unless the parties agree to a shorter period of notice.
(f) In conciliation proceedings a party to the dispute may appear in person or be represented only by a director or employee of that party and if a close corporation also a member thereof, or any member, office bearer or official of that party"s registered trade union or registered employers" organisation,
(g) The Council"s conciliator may contact the parties by telephone or by other means, prior to the commencement of the conciliation, in order to attempt to resolve the dispute.
(h) If it appears during conciliation proceedings that a jurisdictional issue has not been determined, the Council must require the referring party to prove that the Council has the jurisdiction to conciliate the dispute.
(i) Any conciliator appointed in terms of this clause shall determine a process to attempt to resolve the dispute which may include—

- mediating the dispute, or

- conducting a fact finding exercise, or

- making a recommendation to the parties, which may be an advisory award.

(j) When conciliation has failed, or at the end of the 30 day period or any further period agreed to between the parties, the conciliator must—
(i) issue a certificate stating whether or not the dispute has been resolved; and
(ii) serve a copy of that certificate on each party to the dispute or the person who represented a party in the conciliation proceedings; and
(iii) the original certificate must be filed with the Council;
(k) The conciliator shall advise the referring party of his right to refer the unresolved dispute for adjudication within 90 days after the date on which that certificate was issued—
(i) to the CCMA for reasons in terms of section 191(5)(a) of the LRA if the Council is not accredited to arbitrate the dispute in terms of section 127 of the LRA or
(ii) to refer the dispute to the Labour Court for adjudication for reasons in terms of section 191(5)(b) of the LRA.

 

(4)        Procedures for disputes about negotiations

(a) In the event of a dispute arising in terms of clause 50 of this agreement, the Council shall use its best endeavours to settle the dispute and shall meet as often as it deems necessary for this purpose. In the course of its deliberations the Council shall give consideration to the following:
(i) appointing a subcommittee to meet within a specified number of days, for the purpose of attempting to resolve the dispute or to recommend to the Council a process by which the dispute may be resolved, or
(ii) referring the dispute to mediation by a mediator who is acceptable to both parties to the dispute.
(iii) instructing the Secretary of the Council to issue a certificate stating that the dispute remains unresolved.
(b) If the dispute has not been settled within 30 (thirty) days from the date on which the dispute was referred to the Council, and if the parties have not within that period agreed on a process to resolve the dispute, any party to the dispute shall be entitled to exercise their rights in terms of the Act.