Inselelo yokubekezelela izisebenzi eziguliswa ukhuvethe
Kuyinselelo eyedlulele kubaqashi ukubekezelela bemukele futhi bahlelele izisebenzi ezinokhuvethe. Kubuye kube ngomunye umthwalo futhi nokuhlelela labo abaneminyaka yobudala engama-60 kuyaphezulu abaqagulwe njengabasengozini enkulu yokuguliswa ukhuvethe. Phela lesi simo singabalinga abaqashi abaningi bese becabanga ukuthi leli yithuba lokulaxaza izisebenzi ezintekenteke nesezigugile ukuze kuphenyeke isikhala sezinempilo eqinile. Kuyaziwa ukuthi ukhuvethe lubashaye kakhulu abaqashi kuvalwe ukusebenza, balahlekelwa ngenkulu inzuzo. Ngakho-ke uma sebethola ithuba lokuvala isikhala sencithakalo yenzuzo ebalahlekele, sekufanele bakhiqize ngomfutho, okubalethela inselelo nengcindezi yokubanezisebenzi ezingebuthaka nezisenamandla. Ibe nomthetho uyabaphoqa abaqashi ukuthi bangazilaxazi lezo zisebenzi. Sibheka lesi sihloko ngeso lomthetho wezezisebenzi.
Okokuqala nawo uMthetho Wezinhlekelele osetshenziswayo ukulawula ukhuvethe kuleli kawugunyazi ukulaxazwa kwezisebenzi ngoba lokho sekungaba ukwephula amalungelo oMthethosisekelo. Kuzokhumbuleka ukuthi mhla ememezela isimo senhlekelele nokuvalwa kuzwelonke zingama-26 kuNdasa, uMengameli uRamaphosa wanxusa ukuthi abaqashi mabangasebenzisi lokho njengokuphoqwa yisehlo semvelo ebesingaziwa nesingaphezulu kwamandla abo ukulaxaza izisebenzi noma ukuthatha izinqumo ezingababoneleli. Ngokwejwayelekile lesi sehlo semvelo siyamxegisela umqashi izibopho zesivumelwano sokuqashwa.
Kodwa bekungabalukhuni kubaqashi ukusebenzisa isehlo semvelo njengoba iNkantolo Enkulu Yokwedlulisela amacala yabeka umbandela othi akubhekwe uhlobo lwesivumelwano, ubudlelwano naleso sehlo ukuthi singesaluhlobo luni futhi sizothatha isikhathi esingakanani (ecaleni leTransnet Ltd t/a National Ports Authority v/s Owners of MV Snow Crystal [2008]). Le Nkantolo yasho okufanayo ecaleni leNUM & Another v Samancor Ltd (Tubatse Ferrochrome) & Other (2011) 32 ILJ 1618 (SCA) lapho yayinqanda ukuthi kungabilula kumqashi ukuxosha isisebenzi ngenxa yesimo esifana nalesi sesehlo esingaphezulu kwamandla ezinhlangothini zombili. Kuyaziwa ukuthi ukhuvethe luyokwedlula, inkinga nje ukuqagula ukuthi luyokwedlula nini lapha ezweni lakithi.
Ngokomthetho isisebenzi esikhubazwe wukugula, wukulimala noma yisifo thizeni okusenza sehluleke ukusebenza, sivikelekile ekuxoshweni. Umqashi unesibopho sokuba aselekelele ngokwenza uphenyo lokuhlola ukuthi ukukhubazeka kungokwesikhashana yini noma okwaphakade. Eselawulwa uphenyo, umqashi kumele ahlele isimo sokusebenza esibonelela futhi sihambisane nokukhubazeka komqashwa noma amnikeze omunye umsebenzi ovumelana nokukhubazeka. Lo mbandela womthetho ucaciswe kahle uMthetho Wezobudlelwano Emsebenzini ngaphansi koHla Lokuziphatha Okuhle: Mayelana Nokuxoshwa (Labour Relations Act, Schedule 8). Ucacisiwe futhi eMthethweni Wezobulungiswa Kwezokuqashwa ngaphansi koHla Lokuziphatha Okuhle Mayelana Nokuqashwa Kwabanokukhubazeka.
Ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi ukuxoshwa kokhubazekile kunobulungiswa, umthetho uthi akubhekwe ukuthi walulekwe kahle yini mayelana nesimo sempilo yakhe, ukukhubazeka kwakhe kuxoxiwe yini naye, kukhulunyiwe yini ukuthi ukukhubazeka kwakhe kuthikameza kanjani ukusebenza kwakhe ngaphambi kokuba exoshwe emsebenzini. Kufanele kubhekwe futhi ukuthi babonisene yini umqashwa nomqashi mayelana neminye imisebenzi abengakwazi ukuyenza ngoba ihambisana nempilo yakhe. Okokugcina kubhekwa ukuthi yena umqashwa uyavumelana yini nesiphetho somqashi uma sekubhekwe konke lokhu.
Kuwumthwalo womqashi ukubonelela okhutshazwe ukugula noma ukulimala. Akwenzi mehluko ukuthi umqashwa akagulanga noma akalimalelanga emsebenzini, kuselokhu kuwumthwalo womqashi ukumbonelela umqashwa. Bonke abaqashi nabaqashwa kufanele ukuba bayawazi lo mbandela womthetho omayelana nokubonelelwa kwabakhubazwe ukugula noma ukulimala okuthikameza ukusebenza komqashwa (incapacity ill-health). Kulesi simo sokhuvethe, lo mthwalo oyinselelo kumqashi ufaka nasebekhule ngaphezulu kweminyaka engama-60.
Kufanele-ke bebonelelwe ngezindlela eziningi njengokubahlelela ukusebenzela emakhaya.
Phela, lomthwalo womqashi wagcizelelwa nayiNkantolo Yezabasebenzi Yokwedlulisela Amacala ecaleni lika NUM v Libanon Gold Mining co Ltd (1994) 15 ILJ 585 (LAC) lapho eyanquma khona ukuthi umqashi unomthwalo wokuzama zonke izindlela zokubonelela ukuze kugwemeke ukuxosha.
UMthetho Wezobulungiswa Kwezokuqashwa uphoqa bonke abaqashi abaqaguliwe ukuba bethathe izinyathelo zokwenza ubulungiswa emsebenzini ngohlelo lokwenzelela labo ababebandlululiwe ngezikhathi zobandlululo noma lazo zisebenzi eziqagulwe umthetho. UMthetho uyaqhubeka uchaza ukuthi izisebenzi eziqaguliwe okumele zenzelelwe ngabayizakhamuzi zaseNingizimu Afrika aboHlanga, abesifazane nalabo abanokukhubazeka. Kakungabazisi ukuthi ukhuvethe luletha okukhulu ukukhubazeka emphakathi oziphilisa ngokuqashwa.
Kulesi simo sokhuvethe kwethusile ukubona ukuthi uphuzo selunezimpande nenkanuko engakanani emphakathini. Kuyatshengisa ukuthi kwabanye abayizisebenzi izinga lenkanuko yophuzo nelezidakamizwa sekuwukukhubazeka ngokuchazwa umthetho. UHla Lokuziphatha Okuhle: Mayelana Nokuxoshwa (Labour Relations Act, Schedule 8) luthi uma imbangela yokukhubazeka kuwukwehlulwa utshwala noma yizidakamizwa, umqashi kufanele asebenzise ukwaluleka nokwelapha umqashwa ngaphambi kokucabanga ukumxosha. Umbuzo omkhulu ngothi ngonjani umuntu okuthiwa usehlulwe utshwala noma izidakamizwa osethathwa njengokhubazekile?
Umthetho uyakwehlukanisa ukukhubazeka nokuziphatha budedengu okufanele kujeziswe njengakho konke ukwelelesa emsebenzini. Uma etholakala ephuzile noma edle izidakamizwa okungesikhona ukukhubazeka, umuntu uyaxoshwa nezinkantolo zimlahle ngecala uma elwisana nokuxoshwa. Inkantolo yachaza umehluko phakathi kophuzo oluwukwelelesa nokwehlulwa yuphuzo noma izidakamizwa okuyisifo. Lelo yicala leTransnet Freight Rail v Transnet Bargaining Council and Others [2011] ZALCJHB 15. Inkantolo yathi ukwehlulwa uphuzo noma yizidakamizwa kuyisifo okufanele sibonelelwe njengokulawula koHla Lokuziphatha Okuhle: Mayelana Nokuxoshwa. Kuleli cala kwatholakala ukuthi umqashwa wayengehlulwa uphuzo kodwa wayeziphathe kabi ngokuya emsebenzini ephuzile ngenxa yezinkinga zakhe. Ngakho-ke le nselelo ekumqashi yokubonelela ngesikhathi sokhuvethe imbandakanya nomqashwa ngokuthi angacashi ngokhuvethe bese eyelelesa emsebenzini.