The CCMA’s Dispute Management & Prevention Department offers a range of support services to trade unionists, advice officers, managers and workers.

From small beginnings involving a few workshops, these services now deliver a multitude of activities each year, reaching communities all over South Africa.

The focus of the services is on capacity building, information sharing, awareness-raising and problem-solving.

The CCMA welcomes you to make use of these services, which are described overleaf.

Awareness Raising

Awareness raising on workplace rights and use of the law is carried out through community radio sessions, Izimbizo meetings and road shows.

All corners of South Africa are reached in this manner with priority placed on empowering unorganised workers and small businesses.

Promoting and Facilitating Social Dialogue

The promotion and facilitation of dialogue amongst social partners on topical issues is carried out through the holding of sector summits, user forum meetings, seminars and other events.

User forum meetings provide a platform for the exchange of information, ideas and experiences on the effective running of the CCMA. Updates on CCMA developments are also given.

Contributing to the streamlining and effective use of CCMA dispute resolution processes

This activity is conducted through the promotion of compliance with and appropriate usage of CCMA dispute resolution processes.

An important aspect is the conducting of user trends analyses, where a specific trade union or employer’s use of the CCMA is analysed, a presentation made of the outcomes and identified problem areas discussed.

This initiative focuses on the workplace and includes the following support services:

Building Workplace Relations

The focus of this service is on building relations in the workplace between all role players involved.

BWR interventions are intended to assist parties to clarify the nature of the relations wanted and then to design and implement systems to achieve this.

BWR is therefore a customised process designed to assist labour and management to develop the kind of workplace relations appropriate to their needs and interests.

BWR processes are facilitated by trained members of a CCMA BWR panel.

Managing Conflict in the Workplace

The purpose of this training course, which takes the form of a workshop and a project thereafter, is to empower participants to effectively manage conflict both at an individual and organisational level.

Participants will learn about the nature of conflict, the path that conflict follows and the different aspects of conflict. This is followed by an exploration of how to manage and resolve conflict.

Overall, the course will provide participants with specific conflict resolution skills which can be used at home, in the workplace and in the community.

Managing Discipline in the Workplace

This course takes the form of a morning presentation or a one or two day workshop. It is designed to assist workers and managers to effectively manage discipline in the workplace.

The course overviews key elements of workplace discipline, which are relevant to both workers and managers.

The aim is not only to cover key aspects to the law and process involved, but also to suggest best practice in that regard.

Promotion of Social Justice

Delivering the CCMA’s social justice mandate is a key aspect of the CCMA’s outreach services.

Priority is placed on the law and the CCMA being accessible to all, with emphasis placed on the empowerment of vulnerable sectors and communities.

Treating all CCMA users with respect and dignity at all times is strongly promoted.

The aim of this service is on empowering CCMA users and social partners on how best to use the law and the CCMA.

Dedicated courses are offered for shop steward leadership, trade union officials, employers, managers and advice officers. The objective is to practically assist in the daily use of labour law and CCMA processes.

The focus is on ‘training for learning and doing’, entailing hands-on skills development. This involves workshops, presentations and seminars.

Topics covered concentrate on the interpretation and practical application of key aspects of labour law and process. This includes latest developments in labour law jurisprudence.

The CCMA also has a number of other services, including the following:

• A comprehensive course on Preparation for and Representation of Parties at CCMA Arbitration Hearings.
• A workshop on Dealing with Unfair Discrimination in the Workplace.
• A workshop on an Overview of the Labour Law Amendments.
• Specialist workshops on specific aspects of the Labour Law Amendments.
• Specific services based upon user requests and needs (where within the CCMA’s
capacity).
• Pro-active strategic interventions involving partnerships and joint initiatives.

Please contact the Dispute Management Administrator or Commissioner at your Regional CCMA office for further information.

Issued by the CCMA National Dispute Management & Prevention Department: 

Tel 011 377-6650

Email HiltonM@CCMA.org.za.

Promotion of Employment Security

The promotion of employment security involves a holistic, integrated strategy in addressing business distress and job insecurity.

The objective of the strategy is to leave no stone unturned in pursuing the quest for business health and job security. Where this is not possible, to not let any retrenched worker ‘walk into the sunset’ without facilitating the provision of survival and support mechanisms.
 
The CCMA has played a leading role in the establishment and implementation of the NEDLAC initiated Training Layoff Scheme. The Scheme constitutes an important mechanism in the broader quest to save jobs and promote employment security. 
 
In addition to delivering on the strategy, capacity building activities on dealing with job insecurity are offered. This involves workshops, seminars and presentations. 

                      CCMA, Bargaining Councils and Public Universities’ Statement
                                                                April 2018

DELIVERY OF THE LABOUR DISPUTE RESOLUTION PRACTICE PROGRAMME BY PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
                                Building Skills to Meet Workplace Challenges

The CCMA and Bargaining Councils have collaborated with Public Universities to deliver a Programme in Labour Dispute Resolution Practice (LDRP). Now in its fifth year of delivery, this partnership currently involving six universities has made excellent progress, with strong student uptake and
growing interest experienced. To date the outcomes have been very positive.

The Programme is targeted at individuals who wish to enhance their dispute resolution and conflict management skills in the area of industrial relations.  This includes human resource officers, trade unionists and legal practitioners. It is also targeted at aspirant CCMA commissioners and
Bargaining Council panelists.

The aim of the programme is to empower participants to engage in a knowledgeable and skillful manner more broadly within the labour relations arena  when  they  return  to  their  workplaces  after  successfully  completing  the  programme.  It  also  aims  to  equip  participants  to  participate effectively in the conciliation and arbitration hearing process as a party or to be competent conciliators and arbitrators, should they wish to take this route.

The Programme is designed to produce well-rounded practitioners who are not only technically competent but also have a strong sense of social justice, ethics and equity values. Flowing from the in-house CCMA Candidate Commissioner Training programme, it includes training in all core
aspects currently offered by the CCMA. While the LDRP Programme does not provide for direct so-called “accreditation” as a CCMA commissioner or a Bargaining Council panelist, it serves as an advantage for those who apply for such positions as and when they are advertised. 

Those LDRP graduates  whose  applications  are  successful  will  not  be  required  to  attend  the  eight-module  in-house  Candidate  Commissioner  Training programme, but instead, will be required to complete a five-day training course and an assessment-based Mentorship and Coaching programme.

Those graduates who wish to apply for Bargaining Council positions are advised to contact the Bargaining Councils directly for their recruitment procedures and for information on the type of positions that may be on offer.

The qualification is pitched at post-graduate level (NQF 8), is credit bearing and certified by the respective universities.  Four universities currently offer the LDRP Programme as a post-graduate diploma and two universities offer it as a certificate course with university-based certification.

A bridging  component  is  also  on  offer  by  a  number  of  universities  for  aspirant candidates  who  have  potential,  but  do  not  meet  the  entry
requirements.

The programme is being delivered by the universities listed below - please take note of the different titles of the qualifications as used by the universities: Queries regarding registration and other details must please be directed to the relevant universities, using the contact details below.

Issued by the CCMA, Bargaining Councils and Partner Universities