Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Geldenhuys, Judith

Titel

n Oorweging van verskeie aspekte rakende die prerogatief om werknemers nie te bevorder nie

Ist Teil von

• Litnet Akademies : 'n Joernaal vir die Geesteswetenskappe, Natuurwetenskappe, Regte en Godsdienswetenskappe, 2018-08, Vol.15 (1), p.401-455

Ort / Verlag

Litnet

Erscheinungsjahr

2018

Quelle

EZB Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Die Arbeidsappèlhof het onlangs weer die balans oorweeg wat gehandhaaf moet word tussen die prerogatief wat werkgewers geniet om werknemers nie te bevorder nie en die beginsel dat arbeidsforums in omstandighede waar billikheid dit vereis, moet intree. Die beslissing in Ncane v Lyster 2017 38 ILJ 907 (AAH) bevestig dat arbeidsforums nie maklik sal inmeng met werkgewers se besluit oor wie bevorder behoort te word en wie nie. Die hof sit ook bondig die vereistes uiteen waaraan werkgewers moet voldoen sodat hul optrede by niebevordering nie deur die arbeidsforum of Arbeidshof as onbillik beskou sal word nie. Die beslissing laat egter verskeie vraagstukke onbeantwoord. Die doel van hierdie bydrae is om die volgende te oorweeg: (a) of daar ’n onderskeid gemaak behoort te word tussen mededingende bevorderings en interne bevorderings wat die gevolg van normale werksprogressie is; (b) watter impak regstellende aksie op bevordering het; en (c) die remedies wat ’n werknemer kan verwag as hy of sy suksesvol eis op grond van onbillike bevordering. Die slotsom is dat daar grondige redes bestaan om te onderskei tussen bevorderings waar interne kandidate en buitepersone meeding vir ’n pos wat vir die interne kandidaat op ’n bevordering sou neerkom en mededingende bevorderings en interne bevorderings waar daar ’n werkplekbeleid is of in kollektiewe ooreenkomste vir natuurlike werksprogressie voorsiening gemaak word. Die objektiewe vereistes wat in die onderskeie bevorderings toegepas word, verskil van mekaar, en die wyse waarop regstellende-aksie-maatstawwe toegepas word behoort ook van hierdie vereistes te verskil. In ag genome die verskillende kriteria wat in die prosesse gebruik word, word daar voorgestel dat die regstellende-aksie-beleid wat toegepas word, asook die remedies wat die arbeidsforums of Arbeidshowe toeken of beveel in geskille wat onbillike bevordering ingevolge die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge 66 van 1995 behels, ook behoort te verskil. By interne bevorderings behoort die substantiewe remedies, synde bevordering en beskermde bevordering, meer geredelik beveel te word as by mededingende bevorderings, aangesien daar by interne bevorderings op die meriete van die kandidaat gefokus behoort te word.An evaluation of several aspects impacting on the prerogative not to promote employees The Labour Appeal Court recently considered the balance that must be struck between the managerial prerogative to promote employees and the principle that labour forums must intervene in the labour arena if fairness so requires. The judgment in Ncane v Lyster 2017 38 ILJ 907 (LAC) confirms that labour forums and the court will not easily interfere with an employer’s decision regarding who should and who should not be promoted. It also highlights the requirements that employers must comply with so that not promoting a candidate for promotion would be viewed as fair by the labour tribunal or court. The court appears to recognise only one type of promotion, namely competitive promotion, where the internal candidate must compete with persons from outside the workplace for what would be a promotion for him or her. However, there are divergent views in case law relating to what qualifies as a promotion for purposes of section 186(2) of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, and which instances would be covered by the protection against unfair labour practices relating to promotion. It is possible for employers, by means of collective agreements or workplace policy, to provide for the possibility of natural progression from one level to the next in the workplace if employees meet the objective criteria set for the higher post or level. In the event of such an internal promotion, the focus is on the merits and competence of the candidate. Here, in deciding whether or not to promote the candidate, employers should consider mainly whether and to what extent the candidate complies with the objective standards. This is different from competitive promotions, where candidates from within the workplace and outsiders compete for appointment in a vacant post which for the internal candidate would amount to a promotion. The objective requirements and factors that are applied to current employees and candidates applying from outside will not necessarily be the same, as permutations can be applied in competitive promotions.