Mail & Guardian reports that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has seen a massive drop in case referrals since it decided to close its doors to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
According to data provided by the CCMA, between 18 March — when it first announced it would be adapting its operations amid the coronavirus outbreak — and last Thursday, it had received 5,141 case referrals. This was approximately 24.5% of the average number of cases it dealt with during the same period last year. In March, the statutory body indicated in a statement that it would be “doing some things a little differently” in the wake of the pandemic. Staff were allowed to work from home and meetings were conducted digitally. The CCMA also prohibited all walk-ins, in effect closing its offices. Shortly thereafter, the CCMA announced it would “cease full operations and services for the duration of the nationwide lockdown”. People requiring urgent assistance were encouraged to contact the CCMA through email, fax and its social media accounts “for labour-related advice”. CCMA spokesperson Amos Tshabalala advised that the body had noted a “huge decline in referrals since the lockdown”. Tshabalala gave the assurance that despite a drop in the number referrals during lockdown, “the CCMA has remained available to the workers on online platforms”. According to the CCMA’s data, 2,939 of the 5,141 referrals it received since 18 March related to dismissals, with more than half of those dismissal cases (1,506) having to do with alleged worker misconduct.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sarah Smit at Mail & Guardian
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