Labour Appeal Court upholds validity of Director-General’s security bond to suspend arbitration award enforcement

On Monday 6 October 2025, Professor Halton Cheadle of Cheadle Thompson & Haysom Inc. together with Professor John Dugard, led by Ambassador Vusi Madonsela, will present South Africa’s case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the request for an advisory opinion on the Right to Strike under International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 87.

On 16 April 2025, the Labour Court handed down judgment in Public Investment Corporation v More. The judgment concerned the application of the Prescription Act to disciplinary proceedings, and whether misconduct disciplinary charges prescribe.

On 26 February 2025, the Essential Services Committee designated certain port services as essential in terms of section 71 of the Labour Relations Act. The application was instituted by the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) and Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), the operating divisions of Transnet SOC Ltd. CTH acted on behalf of the TNPA and TPT.

While employees are entitled to postponements in a disciplinary hearing if they demonstrate good cause, there is a limit to how long an employee-driven delay can be justified. A recent decision of the Labour Court has raised the question of whether an employer may implement suspension without pay in the face of dilatory tactics occasioned by the employee.