Mag ek my prokureur saambring na ‘n dissiplinêre verhoor? - Luttig Badenhorst Fourie
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Mag ek my prokureur saambring na ‘n dissiplinêre verhoor?
Published by blog-admin at July 3, 2018
‘n Werknemer het nie outomaties die reg tot regsverteenwoordiging tydens ‘n dissiplinêre verhoor nie. Die Werknemer het egter wel die reg om , voor die aanvang van die verhoor , ‘n formele versoek te rig aan die Voorsittende Beampte synde vir die toelating van ‘n regsverteenwoordiger van die Werknemer se keuse en vir sy / haar eie rekening. Voormelde versoek kan dan deur die Voorsittende Beampte oorweeg word en toegelaat word.
When exercising such discretion, the presiding officer should take certain factors into account, and the decision in respect of such an application is final, although the employee can still refer a dispute to the CCMA or Bargaining Council for procedural unfairness.
Wat gebeur egter as die Werkgewer bloot weier om die aansoek te oorweeg of as die dissiplinêre beleid van die betrokke Werkgewer regsverteenwoordiging verbied?
In Molope v Mbha en ander het die Arbeidshof bevind, dat hoewel die ontslag van ‘n werknemer wat van die ongemagtigde gebruik van fondse aangekla is, wesenlik billik was, was die afdanking prosedureel onbillik. Die werknemer het voor die dissiplinêre verhoor versoek om die genoemde verhoor uit te stel, ten einde ‘n eksterne verteenwoordiger te verkry, aangesien ‘n mede-werknemer, wie ingestem het om die beskuldigde by te staan, kort voor die verhoor besluit het om nie meer van hulp te wees nie. Die werkgewer het egter die uitstel geweier. Note that the presiding officer’s decision on the admission of legal representation, is not final. However, should the employee wish to appeal against this decision, the employee still has the option of referring the dispute to the CCMA or Bargaining Council for procedural unfairness upon the completion of the disciplinary process. Therefore, should employers not disclose the option to use an external representative, via their policies or the notice of disciplinary hearing, it does not preclude employees from seeking the assistance of such representative. In the light of the above, it must still be kept in mind that it is not illegal for an employer to have a policy prohibiting assistance from external representatives. However, should the employee wish to make use of external legal representation, the request must be duly considered based on the aforementioned factors, as opposed to a mere outright denial of the request.