Labour Law
1. Introduction
South Africans have always been concerned about working conditions due to the historical events that happened in the past. Equity amongst workers has led to several issues and brought up to conflict. For that instance, workers have always come up with a reaction to express their dissatisfaction regarding their working conditions issues, or wage increases, unfavourable work service and benefits that they hardly receive. Consequently, the workers then found an alternative to show their dissatisfaction which is strike. Strike can result in loss of productivity, angry customers, financial losses, injury, and damage to property as well as a soured employee-employers relation. It usually occurs when employers do not take into consideration employees concerns and demands, when they do not react to the issues that the labour force is facing. Even though employees are allowed to strike, there are procedures in place that protect them from not losing their job within an organisation. And if they are not followed, the employers have the right to dismiss these employees according to the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995. On January 20th of 2012, 5000 mine workers of Impala Platinum, embarked in an unprotected strike, demanding increases in wages, benefits, and improvement of work service. The strike was not protected because the procedure was not followed and therefore it was illegal and gave to the employer the right to dismiss them. Regardless, the strikers were damaging property, were highly violent and three workers lost their lives as a result of the strike. This attitude led them to an automatically fair dismissal according to the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995. Regardless, the workers are still demanding to be reemployed. Thus, the employers accepted to reinstate the workers, on condition that they are reinstated under new contracts. This then led the workers to a refusal as they feel that they will lose their certain benefits. In brief this article
South Africans have always been concerned about working conditions due to the historical events that happened in the past. Equity amongst workers has led to several issues and brought up to conflict. For that instance, workers have always come up with a reaction to express their dissatisfaction regarding their working conditions issues, or wage increases, unfavourable work service and benefits that they hardly receive. Consequently, the workers then found an alternative to show their dissatisfaction which is strike. Strike can result in loss of productivity, angry customers, financial losses, injury, and damage to property as well as a soured employee-employers relation. It usually occurs when employers do not take into consideration employees concerns and demands, when they do not react to the issues that the labour force is facing. Even though employees are allowed to strike, there are procedures in place that protect them from not losing their job within an organisation. And if they are not followed, the employers have the right to dismiss these employees according to the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995. On January 20th of 2012, 5000 mine workers of Impala Platinum, embarked in an unprotected strike, demanding increases in wages, benefits, and improvement of work service. The strike was not protected because the procedure was not followed and therefore it was illegal and gave to the employer the right to dismiss them. Regardless, the strikers were damaging property, were highly violent and three workers lost their lives as a result of the strike. This attitude led them to an automatically fair dismissal according to the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995. Regardless, the workers are still demanding to be reemployed. Thus, the employers accepted to reinstate the workers, on condition that they are reinstated under new contracts. This then led the workers to a refusal as they feel that they will lose their certain benefits. In brief this article