MAIN COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS

The agreement covers the following issues:

• Substantive Matters / Conditions of Service;
• Levels of Bargaining;
• Organisational Rights;
• Essential Services;
• Grievance Procedures;
• Bargaining Council Levy;
• Medical Scheme Selection Procedures; and
• Rules for the conduct of Conciliations and Arbitrations in the SALGBC.

Regions should note the following:

• The Rules for the conduct of Conciliations and Arbitrations in the SALGBC is no longer in the body of the agreement but is attached as an annexure. This is due to the fact that the new LRA amendments require the CCMA to review these rules every two years.

• The rule which previously required parties to arbitration costs after 3 days has been deleted.

• The Minimum Services Framework Agreement, which is also attached as an annexure, will in all likelihood be amended as the parties are still engaging with the Essential Services Committee with the aim of adopting a new framework agreement.

• The agreement still contains some spacing and alignment problems which could not be corrected prior to signature. However, the SALGBC will issue it as a booklet at a later stage where all these issues can be dealt with.

The agreement comes into effect retrospectively on 1 July 2015 and continues until 30 June 2020, in line with the time period of the previous agreement.

The Rules for the conduct of Conciliations and Arbitrations, however, come into effect on 1 October 2015. All disputes referred to the SALGBC prior to 1 October 2015 will not be dealt with in terms of the new Rules but will instead be processed in terms of the Rules contained in the previous Main Collective Agreement.