(MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2005

Poverty is a significant world wide issue. Although literature on the impact of a minimum wage in the agricultural sector is rather limited, previous empirical research shows that employment was reduced with the implementation of a minimum wage. The following questions are studied: - Does the implementation of a minimum wage have any effect on employment in the agricultural sector of the North-West province? - Is there any relation between poverty and unemployment? - Does the implementation of a minimum wage and sectoral determination have any impact on social-economic issues. The empirical study is carried out by way of a questionnaire from which responses are investigated. A random sample was used to evaluate the effect of a minimum wage on employment and social-economic factors in the North-West province. The target population includes all the affiliated members of Agri North-West. This group is negative about labour laws and experiences that the implementation of a minimum wage has a negative effect on employment. The agricultural sector provides many job opportunities in South Africa. Seeing that a minimum wage has a negative impact on employment in the North-West province, further research is recommended. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Sociology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Poverty is a significant world wide issue. Although literature on the impact of a minimum wage in the agricultural sector is rather limited, previous empirical research shows that employment was reduced with the implementation of a minimum wage. The following questions are studied: - Does the implementation of a minimum wage have any effect on employment in the agricultural sector of the North-West province? - Is there any relation between poverty and unemployment? - Does the implementation of a minimum wage and sectoral determination have any impact on social-economic issues. The empirical study is carried out by way of a questionnaire from which responses are investigated. A random sample was used to evaluate the effect of a minimum wage on employment and social-economic factors in the North-West province. The target population includes all the affiliated members of Agri North-West. This group is negative about labour laws and experiences that the implementation of a minimum wage has a negative effect on employment. The agricultural sector provides many job opportunities in South Africa. Seeing that a minimum wage has a negative impact on employment in the North-West province, further research is recommended. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Sociology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

M.Phil. (Employment Relations) / Outsourcing as a strategy has been utilised by many organisations as a strategic initiative to improve core business functions and reduce costs. In the South African context, outsourcing includes the forced transfer of employees from one organisation to another. This automatic transfer is facilitated through Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act of 1995. In principle employees have a choice to seek employment elsewhere, but such a move is often restricted by long tenures of service, the lack of opportunities in the labour market, the psychological contract of employees with their employer, social affiliation with colleagues, perceived job security and comfortableness with familiar surroundings. Due to the forced nature of the employment transfer, employees would be subject to a change in identification or belonging, organisational culture, structures, management, operating principles and salary structures. These changes may significantly affect productivity, employee commitment and job satisfaction. Research purpose The research study explores the experiences of employees in an outsource transfer conducted under the ambit of Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act of 1995. The study reconnoitres employees‟ reactions to the forced organisational change so as to identify important psychological and organisational processes. Motivation for the study Despite the increasing practice of outsourcing in South Africa and abroad, limited research has been conducted on the experiences of employees during an outsource transfer. Employees that have been subject to an outsourcing transfer would have experienced a grave impact on their employment behaviour and attitudes. This would affect their relationship with previous colleagues, career development, contribute to lower levels of commitment and negatively influence their psychological contract. All these elements may influence the success of the outsourcing of business and should be taken into consideration when organisations decide to embark on outsourcing parts of their business. This study explores the employee‟s experiences during such a transfer of employment as a means to provide insight into the effect these experiences may have on the success of an outsource event. This study would aid management, human resource professionals, organisational development practitioners and scholars in understanding the impact of an outsourcing business decision on employees. Research Approach In the study, I followed a qualitative research approach. I aligned myself with the constructionist research tactic and explored the research participants‟ social construction of the outsource transfer experience. The study was conducted using as a case study a South African information-technology outsource service provider. Case-study research methodology was employed and seven research participants provided their experiences in unstructured interviews. Data was also gathered through participant observation and human documents such as e-mails. Main Findings On analysing the research data, the research participants‟ experiences could be grouped according to phases in the outsource transfer, themes and categories of constructs. These themes, categories and constructs were related to concepts and theories that had emerged from literature. This in turn culminated in the development of an Outsourcing Transition Model which integrated the psychological theory in literature and the concepts that had emerged from the research. The model provides for a holistic view of psychological theory within an operationally categorised phased approach that is easy to interpret and apply.

M.Comm. / Collective bargaining has undergone substantial changes in South Africa. Not alone have we seen dramatic political change but a totally new rule of law. The Interim Constitution was but the beginning. With the promulgation of Act 200 of 1994 a new era was entered into, not only for South Africa, but in particular, for collective bargaining in South Africa. With the final Constitution, Act 108 of 1996, taking effect on 4 February 1997, a new era arrived for collective bargaining. Since the passing of the Interim Constitution in 1994 there have been many changes. Various changes in the legislation occurred, amongst others, (a) the Act on National Economical Development and Labour, No. 35 of 1994, (b) the New Act on Labour Relations, No. 66 of 1995, (c) the New Act on Basic Conditions of Employment, the New Act on Public Holidays, No. 36 of 1994, (d) the Occupational Health and Safety Act, No. 85 of 1993, (e) the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, No. 130 of 1993 and the like, have signalled the changes in the new collective bargaining arena. A vast amount of sections in the Constitution's Bill of Rights can be made applicable to collective bargaining. It makes one realise the importance of this subject. Section 23 of the Constitution entrenches the fundamental right of collective bargaining. This right is not only entrenched in the Constitution, but made practical under the new Labour Relations Act, Act. 66 of 1995. Of particular importance are the structures within which collective bargaining under the new Act are envisaged. The Communication sector, and in particular the Telecommunication sector in South Africa, finds itself in a very regulated environment. Exclusive rights have been granted to TELKOM for another four years, which was initially five years starting in 1997, and expiring in 2001. The Communication Workers' Union, the dominant union in the Telecommunication sector, is trying to expand its power base and is looking to gain control of the Telecommunication sector as a whole.

The Labour Relations Act contains a definition of a strike which reads as follows: “’strike’ means the partial or complete concerted refusal to work, or the retardation or obstruction of work, by persons who are or have been employed by the same employer or by different employers, for the purpose of remedying a grievance or resolving a dispute in respect of any matter of mutual interest between employer and employee, and every reference to ‘work’ in this definition includes overtime work, whether it is voluntary or compulsory.” The Labour Relations Act offers strikers special protection against dismissal if they conform with the Act and its provisions. Hence the distinction between those strikes and protest action in compliance with the Act, namely ‘protected’ strikes and protest action, and those strikes and protest action in violation of the Act, namely, ‘unprotected’ strikes and protest action. Participation in an unprotected strike is one form of misbehaviour. The Labour Relations Act expressly prohibits the dismissal of employees engaged in a lawful strike. Employees engaged in strike action contrary to the provisions of the Labour Relations Act may be dismissed since their strike action is deemed to be a form of misconduct. The dismissal of striking employees must be both substantially and procedurally fair.

Magister Philosophiae - MPhil

M.Comm. / With the adoption of the 1995 Labour Relations Act (LRA) and the creation of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), expectations ran high that the era of workplace conflict that had characterised previous labour dispensation would come to an end. The reality, however, is that parties have abdicated their responsibility in dispute-resolution, and have transferred this responsibility to the CCMA and Bargaining Councils. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the perceptions of users of the current model with regard to its effectiveness, flaws and challenges. Based on the data received, this study presents a case for a new approach to discouraging disputes from being taken beyond the level of the workplace. The following research questions were formulated: Given the prevailing lack of ownership by parties over dispute-resolution and the resultant rise in case load and costs, what alternative strategies could be adopted? With the introduction of such new strategies, what dispute resolution model would be appropriate to enable the parties to focus on the core issues and also reduce costs? These questions are based on the set of main problems and sub-problems. The main problems are the low dispute-resolution/settlement rate (the conciliation stage being a mere formality), even when arbitration takes place; and the lack of ownership for dispute prevention by line managers and organised labour. In collecting data I followed the triangulation approach which combined both qualitative and quantitative research. During the qualitative stage, I collected data by using unstructured interviews and audio-recording the interviews with the Secretary of the PHSDSBC. I used quantitative methods to distribute participants’ agenda points and to record the numbers returned. The same method was used to analyse the patterns and themes emerging from data collected. Forty-nine negotiators, shop stewards, human resource managers across the nine provinces, and staff in the office of the Secretary of the PHSDSBC, were selected. Because participants in the study were distributed over a wide area, my level of physical contact with them was restricted to the normal business schedules of the Bargaining Council, during teambuilding exercises, and during Employer Caucus meetings. As a participant in these meetings, I was able to adopt an auto-ethnographic stance. I analysed the data, using graphical depictions, and categorised it into thoughts and later into themes. The findings indicate that the current dispute-resolution system model, being reactive in its application, is time-consuming for the both employee and the employer.

Magister Legum - LLM / In this mini-thesis, I will present a historical development of the manner in which South African courts have tested the fairness of dismissals, for misconduct. South African Labour history has been marred by confusion and inconsistency in relation to the test to be adopted in determining the fairness of dismissals. This has been so, because there have been two dominant schools of thought, one referred to as the ‘own opinion’ approach, whereby the commissioner/court has the discretion to express his/her own view based upon value judgments on the fairness of the dismissal. The other approach is known as the reasonable employer test ( ‘ defer to the employer’ approach), whereby the commissioner had to defer to the decision of the employer, unless the dismissal is one that no reasonable employer would impose, or is so excessive that it would shock one’s sense of fairness, then the commissioner may interfere.This thesis will reveal the inconsistency that has been caused, by these two approaches, and the South African courts dissent as to the approach consistent with our law. This dissent, as shall be shown in this thesis, has led to our courts contradicting themselves as to the test consistent with the law.There will be a critical discussion on the source of the reasonable employer test and its application in South Africa during the Labour Relations Act 28 of 1956 ( old LRA ) and the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 ( new LRA). With a further discourse on the development of the ‘own opinion’ approach during the periods of both the old LRA and the new LRA.This will lead to me looking at the provisions of the South African Constitution, together with the meaning of the right to fair labour practice as provided in the Constitution. Based upon a critical analysis of past jurisprudence, the provisions of the ILO Convention, the provisions of the old LRA and new LRA, foreign law and the Constitutional imperatives, I will attempt to illustrate the approach most consistent with our law.This thesis will culminate with a critical analysis of the Supreme Court of Appeal’s judgment, in the case of Rustenburg Platinum Mines Ltd vs Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration and the ruling of the Constitutional court in Sidumo and Another v Rustenburg Platinum Mines Ltd and Others.The purpose of providing this historical journey, is to further highlight the rulings of past judgments, that have developed the concept of fairness, as was consistent with the Constitution. It is envisaged that the body of judgments cited in this thesis, may be used as authority, whenever the issue of determining the fairness of dismissal for misconduct arises, before a court or tribunal, such as the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration(CCMA). It is may further be used by employers and employees, in obtaining clarity of the law in relation to the test for fairness of dismissals for misconduct.

This dissertation serves as a legal analysis of a crucial labour issue, namely old age and retirement, which inevitably affects, or at least concerns, all employees, this dissertation will concentrate on the legal analysis of the principles which currently regulate the fairness of any termination of employment due to an employee reaching a certain age. The subject is deemed to be both relevant and actual, due to the relatively new amendment to one the Social Assistance Amendment Act, Act number 6 of 2008, whereby the retirement age of men has periodically been lowered from 65 to 60. The introduction to the last mentioned Act states to purpose of the Amendment Act, namely: “To amend the Social Assistance Act, 2004, so as to regulate afresh the eligibility of men for an older person's grant”. This inevitably had an impact on employers’ policies, relevant contractual clauses and the operational aspects of many businesses. Our society needs to protect the norms of fairness in not only the dismissal of employees, but also with regard to pre-employment interviews, advertisements, requirements set by labour brokers, etcetera. Any such similar study will inevitably lead to the question of what the most severe sanction could be when it is ruled that a dismissal is automatically unfair. The issue of retirement is a constitutionally enshrined and protected right and The Labour Relations Act honours this right by also providing “double the protection” against discrimination merely due to old age. This dissertation will concentrate on the latter part of the scale of unfairness, namely automatically unfair dismissals, which inevitably leads to a study of that fine line or balance between unfairness of a dismissal, which is not based on any arbitrary discriminatory ground as opposed to those dismissals which are. Firstly, the starting point is the pre-requisites / requirements for dismissal. Secondly distinction in labour law between “unfair dismissal” and “automatically unfair dismissal” is focused on. This entails a look at the meanings as set out in Sections 186 (1) and Section 187, especially Section 187 (1) (f). Thirdly a study of the Employment Equity Act’s prohibition of unfair discrimination as set out in Chapter II, Sections 5 to 11 will provide more clarity on the reason why not only the Labour Relations Act deals with or should deal with discrimination. Fourthly, the Social Assistance Amendment Act’s amendment of retirement age for males and the impact on the labour market in the RSA will be examined Thereafter, a brief comparison of certain countries’ legislation, practice and procedure on unfair discrimination due to old age, will be set out. It is the author of this dissertation’s objectives to:. <ul> (i) attempt to bring the impact of the Social Assistance Amendment Act, Act number 6 of 2008, to the attention of South African employers, employees and the State; (ii) highlight the need for employer’s to tread carefully when dealing with aspects which may easily be deemed to be automatically unfair; (iii) clarify the murky waters between fair dismissals and automatically unfair dismissals; (iv) present the cases “walking the tightrope” to provide more clarity and insight into the reasoning of Commissioners and Judges; (v) elaborate on the compulsory referral of automatically unfair dismissals to the Labour Court; (vi) Analyse the relevant Constitutional clauses and consequences of contravention thereof; (vii) Point out all relevant aspects of the Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, Act number 4 of 2000; (viii) Shine a spotlight on the expanding realm of Social Security and the impacts thereof on this topic of discussion and ‘visa versa’; (ix) Attempt to provide answers to the self-posed question of whether or not the gap between unfair and automatically unfair dismissals should be broadened or narrowed, and; (x) take a brief, critical look into the cost effectiveness and accessibility of employees to our tribunals and Courts to satisfy employees that their rights are indeed easily enforceable. </ul> / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Mercantile Law / unrestricted