BEHEERLIGGAAM KONTRAKTE EN VASTETERMYN BEPALINGS

Transcription

1 Tel: Fax: /Epos: 15 November 2017 LEGAL 3 /2017 BEHEERLIGGAAM KONTRAKTE EN VASTETERMYN BEPALINGS VASTETERMYNDIENSKONTRAKTE AAN WERKNEMERS WAT MINDER AS R ,30 PER JAAR VERDIEN In afgelope jare is daar wêreldwyd ʼn beweging weg van sogenaamde atipiese wyses van indiensneming. Een van hierdie wyses is herhaalde opeenvolgende vastetermyndienskontrakte. In die RSA het die wysigings van die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge, Wet 66 van 1995 in 2015 in werking getree om hierdie verskynsel teen te werk. Artikel 198B van die Wet bepaal nou dat enige persoon wat onder die drempel verdien, en wat werksaam is by ʼn werkgewer waar daar meer as 10 werknemers in diens van die spesifieke werkgewer is, na die verloop van 3 maande van die vastetermynkontrak, permanent word. Die drempel is tans R per jaar, soos voorgeskryf deur die Wet op Basiese Diensvoorwaardes. OPVOEDERS IN DIENS VAN PROVINSIALE ONDERWYSDEPARTEMENT Artikel 198B is nie van toepassing op werknemers wie se diensverhouding deur middel van onder andere kollektiewe ooreenkomste bepaal word nie. Opvoeders in tydelike poste wat in diens is van die onderskeie provinsiale onderwysdepartemente is onderhewig aan die bepalings soos vervat in die onderskeie kollektiewe ooreenskomste. OPVOEDERS EN ANDER WERKNEMERS IN DIENS VAN SKOOLBEHEERLIGGAME (Skole wat minder as 10 mense in diens het (art 198B(2)), is dus uitgesluit van die bepalings van hierdie artikel.) Die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge maak verder ook voorsiening dat die werkgewer wel werknemers in vastetermyndienskontrakte kan aanstel indien hy/sy bepaalde regverdigingsgronde kan aanvoer. Die regverdigingsgronde lees as volg: Art 198B(3) n Werkgewer kan n werknemer op n vastetermyndienskontrak of agtereenvolgende vastetermyndienskontrakte in diens geneem, slegs vir langer as drie maande in diens neem indien die aard van die werk waarvoor die werknemer in diens geneem is vir n beperkte of duidelik omskrewe duur is; of die werkgewer enige ander regverdigbare rede vir die vasstelling van die termyn van die kontrak kan demonstreer. Indien skole kan aantoon dat daar n regverdigbare rede vir die vasstelling van n vaste termyn is, kan vastetermynkontrakte van langer as drie maande gesluit word (art 198B(3)), wat dan ook beëindig na die afloop van ʼn sekere termyn, in teenstelling met permanente aanstellings. (4) Sonder om die algemeenheid van subartikel (3) te beperk, sal die sluiting van n vastetermyndienskontrak geregverdig wees indien die werknemer enige ander werknemer vervang wat tydelik van die werk afwesig is; in diens geneem word weens n tydelike toename in die volume werk wat na verwagting nie langer as 12 maande sal voortduur nie; (c) n student of onlangse gegradueerde is wat in diens is met die doel om opleiding te ontvang of werkservaring op te doen ten einde n werk of beroep te betree;

2 (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) in diens geneem is om uitsluitlik aan n bepaalde projek te werk wat n beperkte of omskrewe duur het; n nie-burger is aan wie n werkspermit vir n omskrewe tydperk toegestaan is; in diens geneem is om seisoenale werk te doen; vir die doel van n amptelike openbarewerkerskema of soortgelyke openbare werkskeppingskema in diens geneem is; in diens geneem is vir die doel van n posisie wat vir n beperkte tydperk deur n eksterne bron gefinansier is; of die normale of ooreengekome aftreeouderdom van toepassing in die werkgewer se besigheid, bereik het. Moontlike regverdigbare redes binne skoolverband kan die volgende insluit: 1. Indien die skool nie n bestendige kontantvloei het nie of as gevolg van vrystelling van skoolgeld of wanbetaling kontantvloeiprobleme ervaar. 2. Die Onderwyshoof lig skole jaarliks gedurende September oor die posvoorsiening vir die daaropvolgende jaar in, waarna skole eers kan bepaal vir watter poste hulle self moet begroot. 3. Die ekstra werknemers word uit die skool se begroting betaal, en die begroting word jaarliks deur die ouers goedgekeur of afgekeur. Daar is dus geen waarborge dat poste jaarliks bekostig of goedgekeur sal word nie. SAOU STANDPUNT Dit is egter ook so dat vastetermyndienskontrakte dikwels misbruik word. Daar is ʼn oorweldigende hoeveelheid van die kontrakte wat onbepaald jaar op jaar hernu word, en daar is jaarliks in die laaste kwartaal talle gevalle waar kontrakte kwansuis eindig, maar dan weer net so adverteer word, waarskynlik met die oogmerk om van sekere werknemers ontslae te raak. Dit synde ʼn blote onregmatige kortpad om die aanwending van en die verpligtinge van kennisgewing en soms gepaardgaande uitdiensstelling, onder die Wet op Arbeidsverhoudinge te ontduik. Lede wat negatief geraak word deur sodanige optrede word versoek om die provinsiale SAOU-kantoor te kontak vir bystand en advies. Die SAOU verwag van die skoolbeheerliggaam as werkgewer om die normale prosesse van aflegging of ontslag te volg. Opvoeders wat bo die drempel van R per jaar verdien het ongelukkig nie die meer direkte beskerming van Art 198B nie. Nogtans is al die gewone remedies beskikbaar en sal die meriete op ʼn saak tot saak basis beoordeel moet word wanneer hul diens op ʼn onbillike wyse beëindig word. Persone wat bo die drempel verdien sou steeds op die basis van ʼn geskepte billike verwagting of by wyse van ʼn diskriminasie gebaseerde dispuut kon voortgaan. Verder bied die provinsiale kantore aan om lede by te staan in die interpretasie van nuwe kontrakte wat uitgereik word vir Dus word lede aangemoedig om eers hul provinsiale SAOU kantoor te skakel indien daar onsekerheid is oor ʼn kontrak voordat hul dit teken.

3 Tel: Fax: /Epos: 15 November 2017 LEGAL 3 /2017 SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY CONTRACTS AND FIXED TERM CLAUSES FIXED TERM CONTRACTS FOR EMPLOYEES WHO EARN LESS THAN R ,30 PER ANNUM In the past years there has been a worldwide movement away from so called atypical employment methods. One of these atypical methods was the use of repeating consecutive fixed term contracts. In the RSA, amendments to the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 were published in 2015 with the aim of countering this tendency. Section 198B of the Act now stipulates that any person that earns below the threshold, and who is employed by an employer, who has more than 10 employees, will be deemed permanent after 3 months of employment. The threshold is currently R per annum, as prescribed by the Basic conditions of Employment Act. EDUCATORS IN SERVICE OF PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION Section 198B does not apply, among other factors, to employees whose employment relationship is determined by collective agreements. Educators in temporary positions, in service of the respective provincial education departments, are subject to the provisions contained in the respective collective agreements. EDUCATORS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES IN THE EMPLOY OF SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES (Schools with less than 10 people in their employ (sec 198B(2)), are excluded from this section.) The Labour Relations Act further provides for an employer to employ employees on fixed term contracts if they can provide certain grounds for justification. The grounds for justification read as follows: Sec 198B(3) An employer may employ an employee on a fixed term contract or successive fixed term contracts for longer than three months of employment only if the nature of the work for which the employee is employed is of a limited or definite duration; or the employer can demonstrate any other justifiable reason for fixing the term of the contract. If the school can demonstrate that there is a justifiable reason for affixing a set period to a contract, then such a fixed term contract can be set for a period longer than three months (sec 198B(3)), as opposed to a permanent appointment.

4 (4) Without limiting the generality of subsection (3), the conclusion of a fixed term contract will be justified if the employee (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) is replacing another employee who is temporarily absent from work; is employed on account of a temporary increase in the volume of work which is not expected to endure beyond 12 months; is a student or recent graduate who is employed for the purpose of being trained or gaining work experience in order to enter a job or profession; is employed to work exclusively on a specific project that has a limited or defined duration; is a non-citizen who has been granted a work permit for a defined period; is employed to perform seasonal work; is employed for the purpose of an official public works scheme or similar public job creation scheme; is employed in a position which is funded by an external source for a limited period; or has reached the normal or agreed retirement age applicable in the employer s business. Possible grounds of justification within the context of a school can include the following: 1. If the school does not have a reliable cash flow or if the exemption/non-payment of school fees cause cash flow problems. 2. The HOD informs schools yearly of their post provisioning during the month of September for the next year, making it difficult to budget ahead of time for the additional posts they might need. 3. The additional employee is paid from the school budget, and this budget is subject to approval from parents on an annual basis. There is thus, no guarantee that that post will be approved annually. SAOU STANCE It remains a fact that fixed term contracts are often abused. There is an overwhelming number of contracts that are renewed year after year, and there are yearly cases where these contracts seemingly come to an end, only for the post to be advertised as is. This, in all likelihood, is to get rid of certain employees. It usually appears to be nothing more than an unlawful shortcut with the intention of circumventing the obligation and implementation of due notice and sometimes accompanying dismissal, under the Labour Relations Act. Members who are negatively affected by this behaviour are requested to contact the SAOU office for support and advice. The SAOU expects School Governing Bodies, as employers, to follow the normal processes when it comes to retrenchment and dismissal. Educators who earn above the threshold of R per year, unfortunately, do not enjoy the more direct protection of Sec 198B. That said, the normal remedies remain available. The merits of a case must be evaluated on a case-to-case basis when their employment is ended in an unfair manner.

5 Persons earning above the threshold will still have the option to pursue a dispute based on a reasonably created expectation or based on discrimination. As a further note, the SAOU provincial offices can assist members with the interpretation of new contracts offered for Thus, members are encouraged to contact their provincial SAOU offices regarding uncertainty before they sign a contract.