Founded as an annual business directory titled the South African Industrial Relations Directory (SAIRD), and transformed into an online business solution and consulting services platform in 2000, South African Labour has been advising companies on Labour Law, IR and HR matters for just shy on five decades.

Our clients include SME’s; SA Top 500 companies; Government Departments; Peak Industry Bodies, NGO’s and the majority of South Africa’s tertiary education institutions.

In 1971 we were the very first Labour Law information service providers in South Africa maintaining the only library devoted to Labour Law in the country. With this, our library held documents and legislative drafts, many of which were the last copies known to exist! These documents were donated to the Department of Labour by our current CEO, Michael Spiro, in early 2000.

South African Labour often brings to the fore industry-specific issues and conversations that need to be had in the public domain. Much of this is achieved through our partnership with Michael Bagraim and his firm of labour law specialists and our relationships with industry Thought Leaders.

Our goal at a national level is to achieve harmony in workplace relations and inspire best practice in this area. To assist our country in attaining a position where costly and potentially crippling strikes, poorly viewed by the international and investment community, are, if not eliminated, relegated to a genuine status of measure of absolute last resort. These highly volatile situations carry with them sentiments and actions that inflict wounds, economic and otherwise, not soon forgotten by all parties concerned.

South African Labour adopts a consultative and educational approach with our clients, their respective industries and stakeholders regarding the many long-term benefits of implementing considered IR and HR policies and far-sighted strategies in these fundamental areas.

When the norm becomes decency, other virtues can thrive – integrity, honesty, compassion, kindness, and trust will follow. These words are at the core of South African Labour’s values, and are also the values of the vast majority of our decent and caring society; our companies, institutions and the hard-working labourers, nurses, miners, teachers, the list goes on …

An example of these values and approach can be seen through SAL’s longtime Corporate Platinum Sponsor, Anglo American – the recipient of the 2018 Workplace Innovation Award – awarded for developing industrial equipment with the primary aim of making working conditions for employees safer when dealing with fine particles.

Anglo American took the decision that these working conditions would eventually lead to health problems for team members down the line – an excellent example of an initiative that builds trust and loyalty within the organisation and mitigates the potential for future compensation payouts or class actions; an example of the type of proactive steps any business can undertake, no matter the size, and that will have a profound and positive long-term impact on the company.

South African Labour is looking forward to the next 50 years, and to providing the premier Labour Law, IR & HR information and consultation services and advice our clients and stakeholders have come to expect.

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CCMA: LEGAL STATUTORY BODY DISPUTE RESOLUTION REALITIES 

Avoid escalating disputes that can present significant time consuming and costly issues for your company going forward.

• The Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) deals with an average of 500 complaints per day. Despite delays, employers are required to attend and can be subject to a default award being made against them if they do not.
• In many cases, the employer cannot be represented by a labour lawyer at tribunals (representation is often allowed only by consent). And where they are permitted representation is often far too expensive.
• If a dispute is not resolved at the CCMA, it can then be referred to the Commission for Arbitration. Preparation for such hearings is akin to that of a court case and can, therefore, lead to very considerable expense. The arbitrator’s decision is final with no further time or costs being spent on appeals.
• Disputes that escalate can have wide-ranging implications on the organisation, such as negative publicity, staff demoralisation or unnecessary legal fees and associated costs.
• Disputes dealt with early on have not yet gathered emotional momentum: i.e. the parties still have a chance to save face and settle their grievances without ill will or future resentment. Alternatively, when disputes are allowed to escalate and fester, each side digs its heels in further, and usually, the matter becomes much more difficult to settle.

Time and money will be saved, and a conciliatory spirit maintained for all those involved through pre-emptive dispute resolution.

CCMA

South African Labour
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