Bestuur van rassisme in die werkplek

Rassisme is voortdurende probleem in Suid-Afrika. Die Konstitusionele Hof het onlangs in verskeie sake die probleem onder die vergrootglas geplaas. Die probleem kom veral voor in die werkplek. Die konteks waarin sekere woorde gebruik word is belangrik. Woorde kan rassisties of neerhalend gebruik word. Alle werkgewers moet sisteme en praktyke in plek stel ten einde die probleem aan te spreek en dit duidelik te laat blyk dat rassisme nie in die werkplek geduld word nie. Werknemers wat hulself skuldig maak aan rassistiese optrede handel in stryd met hul verpligting tot goeie trou. Indien werkgewers nie rassisme aanspreek nie kan dit hul moontlik aan aanspreeklikheid blootstel.http://www.lexisnexis.co.zaMercantile La

Kan die ultima ratio- en proporsionaliteitsbeginsel moontlik onbeskermde nywerheidsaksie in Suid Afrika verminder?

Die ultima ratio- en proporsionaliteitsbeginsel behels nie net dat strenger vereistes neergelê moet word vir beskermde nywerheidsaksie nie maar ook dat die misbruik van die onderskeie arbeidswapens verhoed word. Hierdie beginsels word geëvalueer teen die agtergrond van sowel onbeskermde as gewelddadige stakings wat X algemene verskynsel en kenmerk van die onlangse geskiedenis in Suid-Afrika was.http://www.lexisnexis.co.za2016-12-31am2016Mercantile La

The Different Worlds of Labour and Company Law: Truth or Myth?

Recently the South African company law landscape underwent a dramatic overhaul with the introduction of the Companies Act 71 of 2008. Central to company law is the promotion of corporate governance. It is clear that companies are no longer accountable just to their shareholders but also to society at large. Leaders should, for example, direct company strategies and operations with a view to achieving the triple bottom-line (economic, social and environmental performance) and should thus also manage the business in a sustainable manner. An important question in company law still today is in whose interest the company should be managed. Different stakeholders of importance to companies include shareholders, managers, employees, creditors etcetera. The Companies Act aims to balance the rights and obligations of shareholders and directors within companies, and it encourages the efficient and responsible management of companies. When considering the role of employees in corporations it must be noted that the Constitution grants every person a fundamental right to fair labour practices. Social as well as political changes were evident after South Africa's re-entering the world stage in the 1990s. Changes in socio-economic conditions within a developing country were also evident. These changes had a major influence on the South African labour law dispensation. Like company law, labour law is to a large extent also codified. Like company law, no precise definition of labour law exists. It is clear from the various definitions of labour law that it covers both the individual and collective labour law and that various role-players are involved. Some of these role-players include trade unions, employers/companies, employees, and the state. The various relationships between these parties are ultimately what will guide a certain outcome if there is a power play between them. In 1995 the South African labour market was transformed with the introduction of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995. The LRA remains the primary piece of labour legislation that governs labour law in South Africa. The notion of industrial democracy and transformation of the workplace are central issues in South African labour law. This is due to the constitutional changes that have taken place in South Africa, where the protection of human rights and the democratisation of the workplace are advanced. Before the enactment of the LRA, employee participation and voice was a much-debated topic not only locally but also internationally. It is therefore essential when considering employee participation to take due cognisance of both the labour and company law principles that may be pertinent, as well as the need for workers to have a voice in the workplace and for employers to manage their corporations. This article will attempt to indicate how the different functions, theories and models of labour and company law accommodate and promote the interests of employees in corporations and will also attempt to reconcile these differences.  &nbsp

Evaluating the social and ethics committee : is labour the missing link? (1)

Die Maatskappywet 71 van 2008 het groot veranderinge in die Suid-Afrikaanse korporatiewe landskap teweeggebring. Hierdie veranderinge het nie net te doen met korporatiewe bestuur nie maar ook met korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordbaarheid. Die rol van maatskappye in die gemeenskap het verander. Hulle moet nie slegs aandeelhouers se belange in ag neem nie, maar ook die belange van ander belangegroepe soos werknemers. Werknemers se stem en deelname in maatskappye is belangrike aspekte wat veral tans onder die vergrootglas is. Die Maatskappywet verleen aan werknemers spesifieke regte rakende deelname in maatskappye. Hierdie regte is duidelik vervat in en spruit voort uit verskeie bepalings in die Wet. Die Maatskappywet bevat ook ander innovasies wat die sosiale- en etiekkomitee insluit. Die funksies van hierdie komitee sluit nie net aangeleenthede soos sosiale en ekonomiese ontwikkeling in nie maar ook arbeids- en diensaangeleenthede. Die vraag is dus of die verlore skakel in die komitee nie die stem en deelname van werknemers is nie. Hierdie bydrae ondersoek die aspekte wat deur hierdie komitee gemonitor word en ondersoek die vraag of werkersdeelname op hierdie komitee versterk behoort te word ten einde / effektiewe stem aan hulle te verleen in aangeleenthede wat hulle ten nouste raak.http://www.lexisnexis.co.za2017-05-31am2017Mercantile La

The past, present and future of vicarious liability in South Africa

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Whistle-blowing for reward-friend or foe? Exploring a possible tax whitle-blowing programme in South africa

Tax evasion poses a serious threat to revenue collection. One way of obtaining information on taxpayers who fail to disclose certain sources of income for tax purposes is to use whistle-blowers. This article first considers whether the existing general regulatory framework pertaining to whistle-blowing in South Africa protects a whistle-blower from possible reprisals. Thereafter, whether an “evading” taxpayer’s right of access to information1 and to administrative justice2 may play a role in exposing a whistle-blower’s identity is reflected upon, as this may deter a person from blowing the whistle. The article further considers the contentious issue of whether a monetary or financial reward should be provided for tax whistle-blowers where previously undisclosed information regarding a taxpayer’s non-compliance is brought to light, and whether this would be in line with the existing general regulatory framework governing whistle-blowing. Finally, it is recommended that regulators in South Africa implement a whistle-blowing programme designed to reveal information about substantial misconduct, not only in financial markets, but also in matters regarding tax evasion; this would include a reward for the whistle-blower in the event of successful enforcement action.http://www.journals.co.za/content/journal/obiteram2020Mercantile La

The promotion of orderly collective bargaining and effective dispute resolution, the dynamic labour market and the powers of the Labour Court (1)

Die tekort aan vertroue tussen bedingspartye, konflik tussen vakbonde asook onbeskermde, gewelddadige en langdurige stakings is algemene verskynsel en kenmerk van die onlangse geskiedenis in die arbeidsmark in Suid-Afrika. Die optrede van vakbonde tydens kollektiewe bedinging, die meerderheidsbeginsel en inter-vakbond konflik is veral onder die vergrootglas. Die huidige stand van sake in die arbeidsmark het dit dus genoodsaak om ondersoek te loods ten aansien van hoe die Arbeidshof genader kan word in gevalle waar partye hulself op maniere gedra wat buite die reguleringsraamwerk van kollektiewe bedinging gaan. Beginsels soos funksionaliteit en proporsionaliteit asook verskeie remedies en uitbreiding van magte van die Arbeidshof word in die lig hiervan ook heroorweeg.http://www.lexisnexis.co.zaam2018Mercantile La

Strewe na 'n hibriede benadering vir korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordbaarheid in Suid-Afrika : lesse vanuit Indie

Die korporatiewe landskap in Suid-Afrika het heelwat verander vanaf 1994. Daar was tot dusver baie ontwikkelinge, nie net in die korporatiewe reg en korporatiewe bestuur nie, maar ook in verband met korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordbaarheid. Die rol van maatskappye in die gemeenskap het verander. Daar word van hulle verwag om nie alleenlik aandeelhouers se belange in ag neem nie, maar ook die belange van ander groepe. Hierdie bydrae ondersoek ontwikkelinge in die korporatiewe reg, korporatiewe bestuur en korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordbaarheid. Die posisie in Suid-Afrika word vergelyk met die van Indie ten einde te bepaal of Suid-Afrika 'n hibriede benadering kan aanneem en lesse van die ontwikkelinge in Indie kan leer.This contribution is based on research conducted by the second author for her masters dissertation in corporate law titled Corporate social responsibility in South Africa and India: A comparative analysis (LLM dissertation UP 2019), completed under supervision of the first author. (http://hdl.handle.net/2263/77434)http://www.lexisnexis.co.zaam2021Mercantile La

An Employer's Recourse to Lock-Out and Replacement Labour: An Evaluation of Recent Case Law

South African labour affairs are in a volatile state. Conflicting rights and interests as well as the balancing of these rights and interests are contributing to this state of affairs. In recent years, the contentious issues of workers' right to use their economic power to put pressure on employers and employers' recourse to lock-out and replacement labour have come under the spotlight again. Prolonged, violent and unprotected strikes have raised the question whether our industrial relations framework should be revisited, and have complicated matters even further. The question whether employers may use replacement labour and have recourse to lock-outs when an impasse exists during wage negotiations has come to the fore again and is evaluated in the context of the adversarial collective bargaining framework in South Africa.     &nbsp

The influence of post-2008 legislation on an acquisition that turned hostile : a South African case study

Hostile acquisitions have a significant impact on managers and employees. The possibility of an acquisition creates uncertainty and when the acquisition turns hostile it is even more disruptive to the target organisation. Also, negative perceptions are often created in the media about the acquirer that influence employees’ attitudes in the target organisation. Processes to successfully integrate the acquirer and target organisations are impacted by these antagonistic pre-acquisition circumstances. The Companies Act (no.71 of 2008) created opportunities for shareholders to hold an acquired company’s management accountable for financial performance and the researchers set out to investigate how the intent of the new legislation played out in practice, by studying an acquisition that turned hostile. The single case study research methodology revealed the manoeuvring of both the acquiring and acquired companies which utilised the mechanisms available to them through the new legislative, regulatory and corporate governance landscapes. The researchers provide an extensive review of the relevant mergers and acquisitions’ literature, as well as influence of the international legislative environment on the current local regulations. These regulations in turn, inform corporate governance and ultimately board behaviours. The researchers conducted qualitative interviews with key role players as well as legal and financial experts. The findings of the thematic analysis and triangulation process, informed a conceptual frame of three episodes.http://www.journals.co.za/content/journalam2017Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)Mercantile La