Unfair Labour Practice

Unfair Labour Practice as defined by Department of Labour

Unfair Labour Practice means any unfair act or omission that arises between an employer and an employee involving:

a) Unfair conduct by the employer relating to the promotion, demotion, probation (excluding disputes about dismissals for a reason relating to probation) or training of an employee or relating to the provision of benefits to an employee;
b) The unfair suspension of an employee or any other unfair disciplinary action short of dismissal in respect of an employee;
c) A failure or refusal by an employer to reinstate or re-employ a former employee in terms of any agreement; and
d) An occupational detriment, other than dismissal, in contravention of the Protected Disclosure Act, 2000 (Act No. 26 of 2000), on account of the employee having made a protected disclosure defined in the Act.

Unfair Labour Practice – Promotion

Many arguments arise in the workplace regarding promotion to an existing post, perhaps upon retirement or resignation of the existing incumbent, or even to a newly created post.

Most employees are of the opinion that because they are already employed by the employer, or because they are already employed in that particular department, or have a number of years experience in the post just below the vacant post, that they are entitled to be promoted, or that they have an entitlement to receive preference above any other applicants. They often feel therefore that it is unfair practice when the dont get the position

This is not so. An employee does not have any legal entitlement to be promoted to a higher post, therefore it cannot be seen as Unfair Labour Practice. If there are conditions contained in the employment contract regulating promotion, then of course the employee could make a claim in terms of those conditions.

Employers are perfectly free to choose who they will appoint to any vacant post, whether it is a promotion or not. So this should not be seen as unfair practice

For further information on any labour related matters, you can contact Bernard Reisner (Contact Details above)