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EXTRACTS FROM THE LABOUR RELATIONS ACT - Trade Unions and Employers' Organisations;  

CONTENTS:

Chapter VI 

Part A-Registration And Regulation Of Trade Unions And Employers' Organisations

95. Requirements for registration of trade unions or employers' organisations
96. Registration of trade unions or employers' organisations
97. Effect of registration of trade union or employers' organisation
98. Accounting records and audits
99. Duty to keep records
100. Duty to provide information to registrar
101. Changing constitution or name of registered trade unions or employers' organisations
102. Amalgamation of trade unions or employers' organisations
103. Winding-up of registered trade unions or registered employers' organisations
104. Winding-up of trade unions or employers' organisations by reason of insolvency
105. Cancellation of registration of trade union that is no longer independent
106. Cancellation of registration of trade unions or employers' organisations

107. Regulation of federations of trade unions or employers' organisations

 

Part C-Registrar Of Labour Relations

108. Appointment of registrar of labour relations
109. Functions of registrar
110. Access to information

111. Appeals from registrar's decision

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EXTRACT FROM THE LABOUR RELATIONS ACT:

Part A-Registration And Regulation Of Trade Unions And Employers' Organisations

95. Requirements for registration of trade unions or employers' organisations

(1) Any trade union may apply to the registrar for registration if-

(a) it has adopted a name that meets the requirements of subsection (4);

(b) it has adopted a constitution that meets the requirements of subsections (5) and (6);

(c) it has an address in the Republic; and

(d) it is independent.

(2) A trade union is independent if-

(a) it is not under the direct or indirect control of any employer or employers' organisation; and

(b) it is free of any interference or influence of any kind from any employer or employers' organisation.

(3) Any employers' organisation may apply to the registrar for registration if-

(a) it has adopted a name that meets the requirements of subsection (4);

(b) it has adopted a constitution that meets the requirements of subsections (5) and (6), and

(c) it has an address in the Republic.

(4) Any trade union or employers' organisation that intends to register may not have a name or shortened form of the name that so closely resembles the name or shortened form of the name of another trade union or employers' organisation that it is likely to mislead or cause confusion.

(5) The constitution of any trade union or employers' organisation that intends to register must-

(a) state that the trade union or employers' organisation is an association not for gain;

(b) prescribe qualifications for, and admission to, membership;

(c) establish the circumstances in which a member will no longer be entitled to the benefits of membership;

(d) provide for the termination of membership;

(e) provide for appeals against loss of the benefits of membership or against termination of membership, prescribe a procedure for those appeals and determine the body to which those appeals may be made; 

(f) provide for membership fees and the method for determining member-ship fees and other payments by members;

(g) prescribe rules for the convening and conducting of meetings of members and meetings of representatives of members, including the quorum required for, and the minutes to be kept of, those meetings;

(h) establish the manner in which decisions are to be made;

(i) establish the office of secretary and define its functions;

(j) provide for other office-bearers, officials and, in the case of a trade union, trade union representatives, and define their respective functions;

(k) prescribe a procedure for nominating or electing office-bearers and, in the case of a trade union, trade union representatives;

(l) prescribe a procedure for appointing, or nominating and electing, officials;

(m) establish the circumstances and manner in which office-bearers, officials and, in the case of a trade union, trade union representatives, may be removed from office;

(n) provide for appeals against removal from office of office-bearers, officials and, in the case of a trade union, trade union representatives, prescribe a procedure for those appeals and determine the body to which those appeals may be made;

(o) establish the circumstances and manner in which a ballot must be conducted;

(p) provide that the trade union or employers' organisation, before calling a strike or lock-out, must conduct a ballot of those of its members in respect of whom it intends to call the strike or lock-out;

(q) provide that members of the trade union or employers' organisation may not be disciplined or have their membership terminated for failure or refusal to participate in a strike or lock-out if-

(i) no ballot was held about the strike or lock-out; or

(ii) a ballot was held but a majority of the members who voted did not vote in favour of the strike or lock-out;

(r) provide for banking and investing its money;

(s) establish the purposes for which its money may be used;

(t) provide for acquiring and controlling property;

(u) determine a date for the end of its financial year;

(v) prescribe a procedure for changing its constitution; and

(w) prescribe a procedure by which it may resolve to wind up.

(6) The constitution of any trade union or employers' organisation which intends to register may not include any provision that discriminates directly or indirectly against any person on the grounds of race or sex.

96. Registration of trade unions or employers' organisations

(1) Any trade union or employers' organisation may apply for registration by submitting to the registrar-

(a) a prescribed form that has been properly completed;

(b) a copy of its constitution; and

(c) any other information that may assist the registrar to determine whether or not the trade union or employers' organisation meets the requirements for registration.

(2) The registrar may require further information in support of the application.

(3) The registrar-

(a) must consider the application and any further information provided by the applicant; and

(b) if satisfied that the applicant meets the requirements for registration, must register the applicant by entering the applicant's name in the register of trade unions or the register of employers' organisations.

(4) If the registrar is not satisfied that the applicant meets the requirements for registration, the registrar-

(a) must send the applicant a written notice of the decision and the reasons for that decision; and

(b) in that notice, must inform the applicant that it has 30 days from the date of the notice to meet those requirements.

(5) If, within that 30-day period, the applicant meets the requirements for registration, the registrar must register the applicant by entering the applicant's name in the appropriate register.

(6) If, within that 30-day period, an applicant has attempted to meet the requirements for registration but the registrar concludes that the applicant has failed to do so, the registrar must-

(a) refuse to register the applicant; and

(b) notify the applicant in writing of that decision.

(7) After registering the applicant, the registrar must-

(a) issue a certificate of registration in the applicant's name; and

(b) send the certificate and a certified copy of the registered constitution to the applicant.

97. Effect of registration of trade union or employers' organisation

(1) A certificate of registration is sufficient proof that a registered trade union or registered employers' organisation is a body corporate.

(2) The fact that a person is a member of a registered trade union or a registered employers' organisation does not make that person liable for any of the obligations or liabilities of the trade union or employers' organisation.

(3) A member, office-bearer or official of a registered trade union or a registered employers' organisation or, in the case of a trade union, a trade union representative is not personally liable for any loss suffered by any person as a result of an act performed or omitted in good faith by the member, office-bearer, official or trade union representative while performing their functions for or on behalf of the trade union or employers' organisation.

(4) Service of any document directed to a registered trade union or employers' organisation at the address most recently provided to the registrar will be for all purposes service of that document on that trade union or employers' organisation.

98. Accounting records and audits

(1) Every registered trade union and every registered employers' organisation must, to the standards of generally accepted accounting practice, principles and procedures-

(a) keep books and records of its income, expenditure, assets and liabilities; and

(b) within six months after the end of each financial year, prepare financial statements, including at least-

(i) a statement of income and expenditure for the previous financial year; and

(ii) a balance sheet showing its assets, liabilities and financial position as at the end of the previous financial year.

(2) Every registered trade union and every registered employers' organisation must arrange for an annual audit of its books and records of account and its financial statements by an auditor who must-

(a) conduct the audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards; and

(b) report in writing to the trade union or employers' organisation and in that report-

(i) express an opinion as to whether or not the trade union or employers' organisation has complied with those provisions of its constitution relating to financial matters; and

(ii) if the trade union is a party to an agency shop agreement referred to in section 25 or a closed shop agreement referred to in section 26 express an opinion as to whether or not the trade union has complied with the provisions of those sections.

(3) Every registered trade union and every registered employers' organisation must-

(a) make the financial statements and the auditor's report available to its members for inspection; and

(b) submit those statements and the auditor's report to a meeting or meetings of its members or their representatives as provided for in its constitution.

(4) Every registered trade union and every registered employers' organisation must preserve each of its books of account, supporting vouchers, records of subscriptions or levies paid by its members, income and expenditure statements, balance sheets, and auditor's reports, in an original or reproduced form, for a period of three years from the end of the financial year to which they relate.

99. Duty to keep records 

In addition to the records required by section 98, every registered trade union and every registered employers' organisation must keep-

(a) a list of its members;

(b) the minutes of its meetings, in an original or reproduced form, for a period of three years from the end of the financial, year to which they relate; and

(c) the ballot papers for a period of three years from the date of every ballot.

100. Duty to provide information to registrar 

Every registered trade union and every registered employers' organisation must provide to the registrar-

(a) by 31 March each year, a statement, certified by the secretary that it accords with its records, showing the number of members as at 31 December of the previous year and any other related details that may be required by the registrar;

(b) within 30 days of receipt of its auditor's report, a certified copy of that report and of the financial statements;

(c) within 30 days of receipt of a written request by the registrar, an explanation of anything relating to the statement of membership, the auditor's report or the financial statements;

(d) within 30 days of any appointment or election of its national office-bearers, the names and work addresses of those office-bearers, even if their appointment or election did not result in any changes to its office-bearers; and

(e) 30 days before a new address for service of documents will take effect, notice of that change of address.

101. Changing constitution or name of registered trade unions or employers' organisations

(1) A registered trade union or a registered employers' organisation may resolve to change or replace its constitution.

(2) The registered trade union or the registered employers' organisation must send the registrar a copy of the resolution and a certificate signed by its secretary stating that the resolution complies with its constitution.

(3) The registrar must-

(a) register the changed or new constitution if it meets the requirements for registration; and

(b) send the registered trade union or registered employers' organisation a copy of the resolution endorsed by the registrar, certifying that the change or replacement has been registered.

(4) The changed or new constitution takes effect from the date of the registrar's certification.

(5) A registered trade union or registered employers' organisation may resolve to change its name.

(6) The registered trade union or registered employers' organisation must send the registrar a copy of the resolution and the original of its current certificate of registration.

(7) If the new name of the trade union or employers' organisation meets the requirements of section 95(4),20 the registrar must-

(a) enter the new name in the appropriate register and issue a certificate of registration in the new name of the trade union or employers' organisation;

(b) remove the old name from that register and cancel the earlier certificate of registration; and

(c) send the new certificate to the trade union or employers' organisation.

(8) The new name takes effect from the date that the registrar enters it in the appropriate register.

102. Amalgamation of trade unions or employers' organisations

(1) Any registered-

(a) trade union may resolve to amalgamate with one or more other trade unions, whether or not those other trade unions are registered; and

(b) employers' organisation may resolve to amalgamate with one or more other employers' organisations, whether or not those other employers' organisations are registered.

(2) The amalgamating trade unions or amalgamating employers' organisations may apply to the registrar for registration of the amalgamated trade union or

20. These are the requirements relating to the name of a trade union or employers' organisation to be registered. amalgamated employers' organisation, even if any of the amalgamating trade unions or amalgamating employers' organisations is itself already registered, and the registrar must treat the application as an application in terms of section 96.

(3) After the registrar has registered the amalgamated trade union or amalgamated employers' organisation, the registrar must cancel the registration of each of the amalgamating trade unions or amalgamating employers' organisations by removing their names from the appropriate register.

(4) The registration of an amalgamated trade union or an amalgamated employers' organisation takes effect from the date that the registrar enters its name in the appropriate register.

(5) When the registrar has registered an amalgamated trade union or amalgamated employers' organisation-

(a) all the assets, rights, obligations and liabilities of the amalgamating trade unions or the amalgamating employers' organisations devolve upon and vest in the amalgamated trade union or amalgamated employers' organisation; and

(b) the amalgamated trade union or amalgamated employers' organisation succeeds the amalgamating trade unions or the amalgamating employers' organisations in respect of-

(i) any right that the amalgamating trade unions or the amalgamating employers' organisations enjoyed;

(ii) any fund established in terms of this Act or any other law;

(iii) any arbitration award or court order;

(iv) any collective agreement or other agreement;

(v) membership of any council; and

(vi) any written authorisation by a member for the periodic deduction of levies or subscriptions due to the amalgamating trade unions or amalgamating employers' organisations.

103. Winding-up of registered trade unions or registered employers' organisations

(1) The Labour Court may order a registered trade union or registered employers' organisation to be wound up if-

(a) the trade union or employers' organisation has resolved to wind-up its affairs and has applied to the Court for an order giving effect to that resolution; or

(b) the registrar of labour relations or any member of the trade union or employers' organisation has applied to the Court for its winding up and the Court is satisfied that the trade union or employers' organisation, for some reason that cannot be remedied is unable to continue to function.

(2) If there are any persons not represented before the Labour Court whose interests may be affected by an order in terms of subsection (1), the Court must-

(a) consider those interests before deciding whether or not to grant the order applied for; and

(b) if it grants the order applied for, include provisions in the order disposing of each of those interests.

(3) In granting order in terms of subsection (1), the Labour Court may appoint a suitable person as liquidator, on appropriate conditions.

(4) (a) The registrar of the Labour Court must determine the liquidator's fees.

(b) The Labour Court, in chambers, may review the determination of the registrar of the Labour Court.

(c) The liquidator's fees are a first charge against the assets of the trade union or employers' organisation.

(5) If, after all the liabilities of the registered trade union or registered employers' organisation have been discharged, any assets remain that cannot be disposed of in accordance with the constitution of that trade union or employers' organisation, the liquidator must realise those assets and pay the proceeds to the Commission for its own use.

104. Winding-up of trade unions or employers' organisations by reason of insolvency

Any person who seeks to wind-up a trade union or employers' organisation by reason of insolvency must comply with the Insolvency Act, 1936 (Act No. 24 of 1936), and, for the purposes of this section, any reference to the court in that Act must be interpreted as referring to the Labour Court.

105. Cancellation of registration of trade union that is no longer independent

(1) Any registered trade union may apply to the Labour Court for an order declaring that another trade union is no longer independent.

(2) If the Labour Court is satisfied that a trade union is not independent, the Court must make a declaratory order to that effect.

106. Cancellation of registration of trade unions or employers' organisations

(1) The registrar of the Labour Court must notify the registrar of labour relations if the Court

(a) in terms of section 103 has ordered a registered trade union or a registered employers' organisation to be wound up; or

(b) in terms of section 105 has declared that a registered trade union is not independent.

(2) When the registrar receives a notice from the Labour Court in terms of subsection (1), the registrar must cancel the registration of the trade union or employers' organisation by removing its name from the appropriate register.

(3) When a trade union's or employers' organisation' s registration is cancelled, all the rights it enjoyed as a result of being registered will end.

Part B-Regulation Of Federations Of Trade Unions And Employers' Organisations

107. Regulation of federations of trade unions or employers' organisations

(1) Any federation of trade unions that has the promotion of the interests of employees as a primary object, and any federation of employers' organisations that has the promotion of the interests of employers as a primary object, must provide to the registrar-

(a) within three months of its formation, and after that by 31 March each year, the names and addresses of its members and the number of persons each member in the federation represents;

(b) within three months of its formation, and after that within 30 days of any appointment or election of its national office-bearers, the names and work addresses of those office-bearers, even if their appointment or election did not result in any changes to its office-bearers;

(c) within three months of its formation, a certified copy of its constitution and an address in the Republic at which it will accept service of any document that is directed to it;

(d) within 30 days of any change to its constitution, or of the address provided to the registrar as required in paragraph (c), notice of that change; and

(e) within 14 days after it has resolved to wind up, a copy of that resolution.

(2) Service of any document directed to a federation of trade unions or a federation of employers' organisations at the address most recently provided to the registrar will be, for all purposes, service of that document on that federation.

(3) The registrar must remove from the appropriate register the name of any federation that the registrar believes has been wound up or sequestrated.

Part C-Registrar Of Labour Relations

108. Appointment of registrar of labour relations

(1) The Minister must designate an officer of the Department of Labour as the registrar of labour relations to perform the functions conferred on the registrar by or in terms of this Act.

(2) (a) The Minister may designate any number of officers in the Department as deputy registrars of labour relations to assist the registrar to perform the functions of registrar in terms of this Act.

(b) A deputy registrar may exercise any of the functions of the registrar that have been generally or specifically delegated to the deputy.

(3) The deputy registrar of labour relations or if there is more than one, the most senior of them, will act as registrar whenever-

(a) the registrar is absent from the Republic or from duty, or for any reason is temporarily unable to perform the functions of registrar; or

(b) the office of registrar is vacant.

109. Functions of registrar

(1) The registrar must keep-

(a) a register of registered trade unions;

(b) a register of registered employers' organisations;

(c) a register of federations of trade unions containing the names of the federations whose constitutions have been submitted to the registrar;

(d) a register of federations of employers' organisations containing the names of the federations whose constitutions have been submitted to the registrar; and

(e) a register of councils.

(2) Within 30 days of making an entry in, or deletion from, a register, the registrar must give notice of that entry or deletion in the Government Gazette.

(3) The registrar, on good cause shown, may extend or condone late compliance with any of the time periods established in this Chapter, except the period within which a person may note an appeal against a decision of the registrar.

(4) The registrar must perform all the other functions conferred on the registrar by or in terms of this Act.

110. Access to information

(1) Any person may inspect any of the following documents in the registrar's office-

(a) the registers of registered trade unions, registered employers organisations, federations of trade unions, federations of employers' organisations and councils;

(b) the certificates of registration and the registered constitutions of registered trade unions, registered employers' organisations, and councils, and the constitutions of federations of trade unions and federations of employers' organisations; and

(c) the auditor's report in so far as it expresses an opinion on the matters referred to in section 98(2)(b)(ii).

(2) The registrar must provide a certified copy of, or extract from, any of the documents referred to in subsection (1) to any person who has paid the prescribed fee.

(3) Any person who is a member, office-bearer or official of a registered trade union or of a registered employers' organisation, or is a member of a party to a council, may inspect any document that has been provided to the registrar in compliance with this Act by that person's registered trade union, registered employers' organisation or council.

(4) The registrar must provide a certified copy of, or extract from, any document referred to in subsection (3) to any person who has a right in terms of that subsection to inspect that document and who has paid the prescribed fee.

(5) The registrar must provide any of the following information to any person free of charge

(a) the names and work addresses of persons who are national office-bearers of any registered trade union, registered employers' organisation, federation or council;

(b) the address in the Republic at which any registered trade union, registered employers' organisation, federation or council will accept service of any document that is directed to it; and

(c) any of the details of a federation of trade unions or a federation of employers' organisations referred to in section 107(l)(a), (c), and (e).

Part D-Appeals From Registrar's Decision

Appeals from registrar's decision

(1) Within 30 days of the written notice of a decision of the registrar, any person who is aggrieved by the decision may demand in writing that the registrar provide written reasons for the decision.

(2) The registrar must give the applicant written reasons for the decision within 30 days of receiving a demand in terms of subsection (1).

(3) Any person who is aggrieved by a decision of the registrar may appeal to the Labour Court against that decision, within 60 days of-

(a) the date of the registrar's decision; or

(b) if written reasons for the decision are demanded, the date of those reasons.

(4) The Labour Court, on good cause shown, may extend the period within which a person may note an appeal against a decision of the registrar.

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