Catra’s dispute helpdesk

FACING UP TO LABOUR DISPUTES

Over the last decade, the South African Industrial Relations field has become more complex. Labour legislation is one of the biggest challenges employers and managers face. As legislation is never a constant, you the employer, are required to adapt your policies in the way that you deal with disputes in order to comply with the legislation and the precedents set by the Courts. It is estimated that employers spend R2bn a year on damages, awards and legal fees for unfair dismissals alone.
CATRA, in order to assist its members to be compliant with, and to deal effectively with labour disputes, so that employers can focus on generating income, rather than labour disputes, has appointed Mr. Jimmy Michaelides to establish and monitor the Dispute Resolution HELPDESK.
Mr. Jimmy Michaelides and his team of experts, with many years of experience, has developed training programmes, policies and procedures to guide and help CATRA members, to protect their business and ensure that they are compliant with current legislation in order to avoid litigation. Our HELPDESK will guide members and assist them every step of the way with Hearings, Disputes, Conciliations, Mediation and Arbitration. The service we offer is designed to help you, the employer, enhance productivity, competitiveness and promote a harmonious employer/employee relationship within your workplace.
Prior to embarking on any action which may give rise to a dispute, contact CATRA’s HELPDESK directly in order to ensure that members are given proper guidance.  CATRA’s HELPDESK will not be responsible for any information not provided by the HELPDESK.
 CATRA members, who have paid their annual membership fee, will receive FREE telephonic guidance and assistance from the HELPDESK.
Employers, who do not have time to be burdened with workplace discipline, for a retainer fee of R300-00 per month, will receive the following:

• Oversee and update of company’s policies and procedures, compliance with  legislation and contracts of employment (once off);
• Assistance with verbal, written and final warnings;
• Formulation of charges (our experience has shown that employer’s don’t substantiate or don’t formulate charges correctly relating to procedural fairness) ;
• How to deal with  grievances and misconduct such as insubordination, insolence, late coming etc;
• Guidance on  incapacity procedure (ill health and poor performance);
• Guidance on operational requirements (retrenchments);
• Correspondence with Trade Unions;
• Wall charts with regards to Employment Equity, Health and Safety, Tobacco regulation and Basic Conditions of Employment Act;
• Information on the Bargaining Council’s Collective Agreement and Sectoral Determination; and
• Cheaper rates as follows:

  Consultation and/or preparation of documentation:	R   250-00 per hour plus travel
  Chairing of disciplinary hearings:	R   750-00 per day
  Attending conciliation meetings:	R   750-00 per day
  Attending arbitration meetings:	R1 250-00 per day
  Attending condonation hearings:	R1 000-00 per day
  Attending rescission hearing:	R1 000-00 per day

         For CATRA members who do not wish to pay a retainer fee, the following rates will be applicable:

  Consultation and/or preparing of documentation:	R   350-00 per hour plus travel
  Chairing of disciplinary hearings:	R   850-00 per day
  Attending conciliation meetings:	R1 000-00 per day
  Attending arbitration hearings:	R1 500-00 per day
  Attending condonation hearings:	R1 250-00 per day
  Attending rescission hearings:	R1 250-00 per day

                 

The above rates  do not include travel or  accommodation.

For further enquires, kindly contact CATRA on 011 672 – 3440 / CATRA’S HELPDESK on 011 472 6770 / 011 672 7622 or Mr. Jimmy Michaelides on 082 9022261