Chapter IX: General Provisions

198. Temporary Employment Services

1. In this section, "temporary employment service" means any person who, for reward, procures for or provides to a client other persons-

1. who render services to, or perform work for, the client; and
2. who are remunerated by the temporary employment service.

2. For the purposes of this Act , a person whose services have been procured for or provided to a client by a temporary employment service is the employee of that temporary employment service, and the temporary employment service is that person's employer.

3. Despite subsections (1) and (2), a person who is an independent contractor is not an employee of a temporary employment service, nor is the temporary employment service the employer of that person.

4. The temporary employment service and the client are jointly and severally liable if the temporary employment service, in respect of any of its employees, contravenes-

1. a collective agreement concluded in a bargaining council that regulates terms and conditions of employment;
2. a binding arbitration award that regulates terms and conditions of employment;
3. the Basic Conditions of Employment Act ; or
4. a determination made in terms of the Wage Act.

5. Two or more bargaining councils may agree to bind the following persons, if they fall within the combined registered scope of those bargaining councils, to a collective agreement concluded in any one of them-

1. temporary employment service;
2. a person employed by a temporary employment service; and
3. a temporary employment service client.

6. An agreement concluded in terms of subsection (5) is binding only if the collective agreement has been extended to non-parties within the registered scope of the bargaining council.

7. Two or more bargaining councils may agree to bind the following persons, who fall within their combined registered scope, to a collective agreement-

1. temporary employment service;
2. a person employed by a temporary employment service; and
3. a temporary employment service's client.

8. An agreement concluded in terms of subsection (7) is binding only if-

1. each of the contracting bargaining councils has requested the Minister to extend the agreement to non-parties falling within its registered scope;
2. the Minister is satisfied that the terms of the agreement are not substantially more onerous than those prevailing in the corresponding collective agreements concluded in the bargaining councils; and
3. the Minister, by notice in the Government Gazette, has extended the agreement as requested by all the bargaining councils that are parties to the agreement.

199. Contracts of employment may not disregard or waive collective agreements or arbitration awards

1. A contract of employment, whether concluded before or after the coming into operation of any applicable collective agreement or arbitration award, may not-

1. permit an employee to be paid remuneration that is less than that prescribed by that collective agreement or arbitration award;
2. permit an employee to be treated in a manner, or to be granted any benefit, that is less favourable than that prescribed by that collective agreement or arbitration award; or
3. waive the application of any provision of that collective agreement or arbitration award.

2. A provision in any contract that purports to permit or grant any payment, treatment, benefit, waiver or exclusion prohibited by subsection (1) is invalid.

200. Representation of employees or employers

1. A registered trade union or registered employers' organization may act in any one or more of the following capacities in any dispute to which any of its members is a party-

1. in its own interest;
2. on behalf of any of its members;
3. in the interest of any of its members.

2. A registered trade union or a registered employers' organisation is entitled to be a party to any proceedings in terms of this Act if one or more of its members is a party to those proceedings.

201. Confidentiality

1. A person commits an offence by disclosing any information relating to the financial or business affairs of any other person or any business, trade or undertaking if the information was acquired by the first-mentioned person in the performance of any function or exercise of any power in terms of this Act , in any capacity, by or on behalf of-

1. a council;
2. any independent body established by a collective agreement or determination to grant exemptions from the provisions of the collective agreement or determination;
3. the registrar;
4. the Commission; and
5. an accredited agency.

2. Subsection (1) does not apply if the information was disclosed to enable a person to perform a function or exercise a power in terms of this Act.

3.

1. A person convicted of an offence in terms of this section may be sentenced to a fine not exceeding R10,000.00.
2. The Minister, in consultation with the Minister of Justice, may from time to time by notice in the Government Gazette, amend the maximum amount of the fine referred to in paragraph (a).

202. Service of documents

1. If a registered trade union or a registered employers' organisation acts on behalf of any of its members in a dispute , service on that trade union or employers' organization of any document directed to those members in connection with that dispute, will be sufficient service on those members for the purposes of this Act.

2. Service on the Office of the State Attorney of any legal process directed to the State in its capacity as an employer is service on the State for the purposes of this Act.

203. Codes of good practice

1. NEDLAC may-

1. prepare and issue codes of good practice; and
2. change or replace any code of good practice.

2. Any code of good practice, or any change to or replacement of a code of good practice, must be published in the Government Gazette.

3. Any person interpreting or applying this Act must take into account any relevant code of good practice.

204. Collective agreement, arbitration award or wage determination to be kept by employer

Unless a collective agreement , arbitration award or determination made in terms of the Wage Act provides otherwise, every employer on whom the collective agreement, arbitration award, or determination is binding must-

1. keep a copy of that collective agreement, arbitration award or determination available in the workplace at all times;
2. make that copy available for inspection by any employee; and

3. give a copy of that collective agreement, arbitration award or determination-

   1. to an employee who has paid the prescribed fee; and
   2. free of charge, on request, to an employee who is a trade union representative or a member of a workplace forum.

205. Records to be kept by employer

1. Every employer must keep the records that an employer is required to keep in compliance with any applicable-

1. collective agreement;
2. arbitration award;
3. determination made in terms of the Wage Act.

2. An employer who is required to keep records in terms of subsection (1) must-

1. retain those records in their original form or a reproduced form for a period of three years from the date of the event or end of the period to which they relate; and
2. submit those records in their original form or a reproduced form in response to a demand made at any reasonable time, to any agent of a bargaining council, commissioner or any person whose functions in terms of this Act include the resolution of disputes.

3.

1. An employer must keep a record of the prescribed details of any strike , lock-out or protest action involving its employees.
2. An employer must submit those records in the prescribed manner to the registrar.

206. Effect of certain defects and irregularities

1. Despite any provision in this Act or any other law, a defect does not invalidate-

1. the constitution or the registration of any registered trade union , registered employers' organisation or council;
2. any collective agreement or arbitration award that would otherwise be binding in terms of this Act;
3. any act of a council; or
4. any act of the director or a commissioner.

2. A defect referred to in subsection (1) means-

1. a defect in, or omission from, the constitution of any registered trade union, registered employers' organisation or council;
2. a vacancy in the membership of any council; or

3. any irregularity in the appointment or election of-

   1. a representative to a council;
   2. an alternate to any representative to a council;
   3. a chairperson or any other person presiding over any meeting of a council or a committee of a council; or
   4. the director or a commissioner.

207. Ministers empowered to add and change to Schedules

1. The Minister , after consulting NEDLAC , by notice in the Government Gazette, may change, replace or add to Scedules 2 and 4 to this Act , and the Schedule envisaged in subsection (3).

2. The Minister for the Public Service and Administration, after consulting NEDLAC and the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council, by notice in the Government Gazette, may add to, change or replace Schedule 1.

3. The Minister, after consulting NEDLAC, by notice in the Government Gazette, may add to this Act a further Schedule containing a model constitution for a statutory council.

4. The Minister for the Public Service and Administration, after consulting the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council, by notice in the Government Gazette, may add to this Act a further schedule regulating the establishment and the constitutions of workplace forums in the public service.

5. The Minister may add to, change or replace any page header or footnote.

6. The Minister , in consultation with the Minister of Trade and Industry and after consulting NEDLAC , by notice in the Government Gazette, may add to this Act a further schedule listing institutions referred to in section 32(4).

208. Regulations

The Minister , after consulting NEDLAC and when appropriate, the Commission, may make regulations not inconsistent with this Act relating to-

1. any matter that in terms of this Act may or must be prescribed ; and
2. any matter that the Minister considers necessary or expedient to prescribe or have governed by regulation in order to achieve the primary objects of this Act.

208A. Delegations

1. The Minister, in writing, may delegate to the Director-General or any other officer of the Department of Labour any power, function or duty conferred or imposed upon the Minister in terms of this Act, except the powers, functions and duties contemplated in section 32 (but excluding subsection (6)), and sections 44, 207, and 208.

2. A delegation in terms of subsection (1) does not limit or restrict the competence of the Minister to exercise or perform any power, function or duty that has been delegated.

3. The Minister may make a delegation subject to any conditions or restrictions that are deemed fit.

4. The Minister may at any time -

1. withdraw a delegation made in terms of subsection (1); and
2. withdraw or amend any decision made by a person in exercising a poweror performing a function or duty delegated in terms of subsection (1).

209. This Act binds the State

This Act binds the State.

210. Application of Act when in conflict with other laws

If any conflict, relating to the matters dealt with in this Act , arises between this Act and the provisions of any other law save the Constitution or any Act expressly amending this Act, the provisions of this Act will prevail.

211. Amendment of laws

Each of the laws referred to in items 1 and 2 of Schedule 5 is hereby amended to the extent specified in those items.

212. Repeal of laws, and transitional arrangements

1. Each of the laws referred to in the first two columns of Schedule 6 is hereby repealed to the extent specified opposite that law in the third column of that Schedule.

2. The repeal of those laws does not affect any transitional arrangements made in Schedule 7.

3. The transitional arrangements in Schedule7 must be read and applied as substantive provisions of this Act.

213. Definitions

In this Act , unless the context otherwise indicates-

"area" includes any number of areas, whether or not contiguous;

"auditor" means any person who is registered to practise in the Republic as a public accountant and auditor;

"bargaining council" means a bargaining council referred to in section 27 and includes, in relation to the public service , the bargaining councils referred to in section 35;

"Basic Conditions of Employment Act" means the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, 1983 (Act No. 3 of 1983);

"code of good practice" means a code of practice issued by NEDLAC in terms of section 203(1) of this Act;

"collective agreement" means a written agreement concerning terms and conditions of employment or any other matter of mutual interest concluded by one or more registered trade unions , on the one hand and, on the other hand-

1. one or more employers;
2. one or more registered employers' organisations; or
3. one or more employers and one or more registered employers' organisations;

"council" includes a bargaining council and a statutory council;

"director" means the director of the Commission appointed in terms of section 118(1) and includes any acting director appointed in terms of section 119;

"dismissal" means dismissal as defined in section 186;

"dispute" includes an alleged dispute;

"employee" means-

1. any person, excluding an independent contractor, who works for another person or for the State and who receives, or is entitled to receive, any remuneration; and
2. any other person who in any manner assists in carrying on or conducting the business of an employer,

and "employed" and "employment" have meanings corresponding to that of "employee";

("Employee" is given a different and specific meaning in section 78 in Chapter V.)

"employers' organisation" means any number of employers associated together for the purpose, whether by itself or with other purposes, of regulating relations between employers and employees or trade unions;

"essential service" means-

1. a service the interruption of which endangers the life, personal safety or health of the whole or any part of the population;
2. the Parliamentary service;
3. the South African Police Services;

"issue in dispute", in relation to a strike or lock-out , means the demand, the grievance or the dispute that forms the subject matter of the strike or lock-out;

"legal practitioner" means any person admitted to practise as an advocate or an attorney in the Republic;

"lock-out" means the exclusion by an employer of employees from the employer's workplace, for the purpose of compelling the employees to accept a demand in respect of any matter of mutual interest between employer and employee, whether or not the employer breaches those employees' contracts of employment in the course of or for the purpose of that exclusion;

"Minister" means the Minister of Labour;

"NEDLAC" means the National Economic Development and Labour Council established by section 2 of the National Economic, Development and Labour Council Act, 1994 (Act No. 35 of 1994);

"office-bearer" means a person who holds office in a trade union , employers' organisation , federation of trade unions, federation of employers' organizations or council and who is not an official;

"official", in relation to a trade union , employers' organisation , federation of trade unions or federation of employers ' organizations means a person employed as the secretary, assistant secretary or organiser of a trade union, employers' organization or federation, or in any other prescribed capacity, whether or not that person is employed in a full-time capacity. And, in relation to a council means a person employed by a council as secretary or in any other prescribed capacity, whether or not that person is employed in a full-time capacity;

"operational requirements" means requirements based on the economic, technological, structural or similar needs of an employer;

"prescribed" means prescribed from time to time by regulation in terms of section 208;

"protest action" means the partial or complete concerted refusal to work, or the retardation or obstruction of work, for the purpose of promoting or defending the socio-economic interests of workers, but not for a purpose referred to in the definition of strike;

"public service" means the public service referred to in section 1(1) of the Public Service Act, 1994 (promulgated by Proclamation No. 103 of 1994), and includes any organizational component contemplated in section 7(4) of that Act and specified in the first column of Schedule 2 to that Act, but excluding-

1. the members of the National Defence Force;
2. the National Intelligence Agency; and
3. the South African Secret Service.

"registered scope" means-

1. in the case of the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council, the public service as a whole, subject to section 36;
2. in the case of bargaining councils established for sectors in the public service, the sector designated by the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council in terms of section 37(1) or by the President in terms of section 37(2) or (4);
3. in the case of any other council , the sector and area in respect of which it is registered in terms of this Act;

"registrar" means the registrar of labour relations appointed in terms of section 108 and includes-

1. any deputy registrar appointed in terms of that section when acting on the direction or under a general or special delegation of the registrar; and
2. any acting registrar appointed in terms of that section;

"remuneration" means any payment in money or in kind, or both in money and in kind, made or owing to any person in return for that person working for any other person, including the State, and 'remunerate' has a corresponding meaning;

"Republic"

1. when used to refer to the State as a constitutional entity, means the Republic of South Africa as defined in section 1 of the Constitution; and
2. when used in the territorial sense, means the national territory of the Republic as defined in section 1 of the Constitution;

"sector" means, subject to section 37, an industry or a service;

"serve" means to send by registered post, telegram, telex, telefax or to deliver by hand;

"statutory council" means a council established in terms of Part E of Chapter III;

"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;

"this Act" includes the section numbers, the Schedules, except Schedules 4 and 8, and any regulations made in terms of section 208, but does not include the page headers, the headings or footnotes;

"trade union" means an association of employees whose principal purpose is to regulate relations between employees and employers, including any employers' organisations;

"trade union representative" means a member of a trade union who is elected to represent employees in a workplace;

"Wage Act" means the Wage Act, 1957 (Act No. 5 of 1957);

"working hours" means those hours during which an employee is obliged to work;

"workplace"

1. in relation to a sector in the public service in respect of which a bargaining council has been established in terms of section 37 has the meaning that the responsible Minister determines after having consulted the bargaining council;
2. in relation to the remainder of the public service, has the meaning that the Minister for the Public Service and Administration determines after having consulted the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council;
3. in all other instances means the place or places where the employees of an employer work. If an employer carries on or conducts two or more operations that are independent of one another by reason of their size, function or organization, the place or places where employees work in connection with each independent operation, constitutes the workplace for that operation; and

"workplace forum" means a workplace forum established in terms of Chapter V.

214. Short title and commencement

1. This Act is called the Labour Relations Act, 1995.

2. This Act will come into operation on a date to be determined by the President by proclamation in the Government Gazette, except in the case of any provision in relation to which some other arrangement regarding commencement is made elsewhere in this Act.