REPORT OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LABOUR
COUNCIL ON THE LABOUR RELATIONS AMENDMENT BILL

31 July 1998

1. BACKGROUND
1.1. The Labour Relations Act was negotiated in Nedlac and concluded on 17 July 1995.
1.2. The Labour Relations Act was implemented on 11 November 1996.

2. PROCESS IN NEDLAC
2.1. At the Labour Market Chamber meeting on 21 May 1998 it was agreed that a subcommittee would be established under the auspices of the chamber to consider possible amendments to the Labour Relations Act, 1995, relating to the implementation of the Act.

2.2. The members of the subcommittee included E. Patel from labour, L. Seftel from government and A. van Niekerk from business.

2.3. The subcommittee met on 26 June 1998 to consider a draft labour relations amendment bill.

2.4. There was an agreement between the parties on the subcommittee that only amendments which were urgent, which related to the application of the Act and on which there was full consensus would be incorporated in the bill.

2.5. The members of the subcommittee liaised on the draft amendment bill over a period of four weeks and on 24 July 1993 finalised the bill.

2.6. At the Labour Market Chamber convenors meeting held on 2 July 1995 it was agreed that the convenors would obtain a mandate, from their respective representatives on the Labour Market Chamber, to consider and endorse the draft Nedlac report on the amendment bill.

2.7. The Labour Market Chamber convenors at their meetn9 on 28 July 1998 endorsed the draft report.

2.8. The Management Committee has a general mandate from the Executive Council to ratify agreements relating to the implementation of the Labour Relations Act, 1995.

2.9. The Nedlac report was ratified by the Management Committee at its meeting on 31 July 1998,

3. AGREEMENTS
The Labour Relations Amendment Bill, 1998, which is attached to this report, is supported by Nedlac. No reservations were recorded Parties agreed to continue discussions in an attempt to reach consensus on the amendment, proposed by government, to the existing section 154 relating to the position of Labour Court Judges.

4. CONCLUSION
This report therefore completes consideration of the issue in Nedlac, and the report and the labour relations amendment bill are hereby submitted to the Minister of Labour in terms of section 8 of the Nedlac Act, No.35 of 1994.