By REGINALD KANYANE
More than 170 000 jobs were saved through the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) dispute resolution initiatives since 2016, said CCMA Executive Director, adv Sello Morojane.
According to Morajane, one job loss is one too many in the current challenging economic climate. He said the CCMA’s posture is to remain a dispute resolution agent and everything else will be about support services.
“On the eve of COVID-19, the CCMA was in the throes of embarking on a number of innovations and these had to be shelved. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic risk has subsided, it is time the organisation does things differently.
“All of us must adjust, adapt and evolve with time without going backward. COVID-19 has changed the course of time and how we do things. So, does our attitude towards work and how we tackle cases. There were things that, we had for the future, but the future came to us,” he said.
Morajane emphasised that the CCMA users will continue to remain a top priority. He also appeals to commissioners to avoid postponing cases unnecessarily and always engage with clients.
“We are an institution of statutory creation – born out of the belly of South Africa’s constitution led by the values of the constitution – and we live those values. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many institutions closed down. However, the CCMA stepped up.
“It was one of those times when our leadership skills were tested. Some of our officials died, while others were infected. Also, some have not healed because the COVID-19 pandemic is still in our midst. We served the public during the COVID-19 pandemic and stood the test of time,” said Morejane.
He further said when the National Minimum Wage (NMW) was introduced, it was not an Act, but a statement – about economic development. Morejane added that they must ensure that, it is enforced.
“The importance of language and culture – in dispute resolution especially during the conciliation stages. Parties understand the dispute better in their own language. Clients should be encouraged to speak in the language of their choice untranslated.
“The switch to English often goes with ego. We must unlock the use of 11 official languages, then we will see a radical change in dispute dissolution. I also want to caution commissioners against finalising an award and later walking away,” said Morejane.
He said commissioners must ensure that they enforce the execution in the name of social justice.
“The value of the award is in the execution. So, the idea is to complete and close the deal, then there will be true value in what we do. There is also a need to train commissioners on the rules and guidelines. Another project of concern to CCMA is the operation model and funding design.
“Since the CCMA opened its doors more than 25 years ago, it has handled more than 3.7 million cases. In the process, the CCMA issued more than 547 000 awards, and 130 00 of those awards were enforced. The enforcement of awards is a worry for us,” he said.
The Guardian 