Isinqumo ngensangu asiguquli uMthetho Wezabasebenzi
Kuyabadida abaningi okudalwe yisinqumo seNkantolo Yomthethosisekelo ecaleni leMinister of Justice and Constitutional Development and others v Prince and others 2018 (6) SA 393 (CC).
Kulelocala iNkantolo enkulu ezweni yanquma ukuthi akulona icala kumuntu osekhulile ukuphatha; ukusebenzisa noma ukulima insangu ngasese uma ezoyisebenzisa yena. Ukubopha umuntu ngalesosenzo, kuphambene nelungelo lemfihlo elisesigabeni se14 soMthethosisekelo.
Esigabeni se-14, uMthethosisekelo uthi wonke umuntu unelungelo lemfihlo okuxuba ukuthi akufanele ukuba kuphenywe: akuphethe emzimbeni nasekhaya kwakhe;endaweni ahlala kuyona; nokugwamanda impahla yakhe noma ukungena kulalelwe ekuxhumaneni komuntu nomunye ngaphandle kwemvume yomuntu othintekayo.
Kodwa, masiqonde ukuthi lesinqumo seNkantolo ephakeme nalesisigaba soMthethosisekelo,
kakuguquli izibopho zomqashi nesisebenzi ngokwemithetho emayelana nokuziphatha nokuphepha emsebenzini. Phela abaningi badideka bakutolika okushiwo yiNkantolo enkulu njengelungelo lokucwila kuzidakamizwa nasetshwaleni ngaphandle kokuzithiba yize umuntu esemsebenzini.
Kwaqgama lokhu kudideka ecaleni lika Bernadette Enever v/s Barloworld Equipment nombolo JS633/20 no JS926/20 elaqulwa yiNkantolo Yezabasebenzi mhlalulunye kuNhlangulana we2022.
Kulelicala likaBernadette Enever, ummangali owayeyisisebenzi wayekhala ngokuthi uxoshwe ngokuvele kungenabulungiswa, futhi ubandlululiwe ngokoMthetho ngoba unelungelo lokudla insangu ngesikhathi sakhe.Wayekade exoshelwe ukutholakala njalo enensangu egazini, uma ehlolwa okwenziwa uma engena emsebenzini.
Ngalesosenzo, umqashi wamxoshela ukuthi ukuziphatha kwakhe kuphambene nomgomo womqashi wokuvimbela ukucwila etshwaleni nakuzidakamizwa.
Ummangali wafaka icala ephikisana nokuxoshwa kwakhe ayekubiza ngokuthi ngokuvele kungenabulungiswa (automatically unfair) kanti futhi kunobandlululo olugxile esizathwini esiyimpoqo (arbitray grounds). Ummangali –ke wayefuna ukuba iNkantolo ikhiphe isinqumo sokumbuyisela emsebenzini futhi engalahlekelwa ngumholo wesikhathi esaxoshiwe.
Ebufakazini bakhe, ummangali uthi wayenesifo sekhanda elingapheli okwakumbangela nokuqwasha njanjalo ebusuku. Odokotela –ke bamelapha ngamaphilisisi ali 10 njalo okwakufanele awaphuze nsukuzonke zokuphila kwakhe. Emva kwesinqumo seNkantolo Yomthethosisekelo esithi akuselona icala ukusebenzisa insangu,wabe esehoxa kancane kancane ekuphuzeni lamaphilisi. Wabe esezelapha ngamafutha ensangu nangokuyibhema bukhoma. Lokho kwamsiza futhi kwaba nomphumela ofanayo nalowo ayewuthola emaphilisini. Kwamthat izinyanga ezingaphezulu kweziyisithupha ukuguqukela kulendlela yokuzelapha eyamsiza.
Isikhipa isinqumo sayo kulelicala, iNkantolo Yezabasebenzi yagcizelela ukuthi wonke umuntu unelungelo lokusebenzisa insangu ngesikhathi nasendaweni yakhe futhi kube ngokokuzithokozisa.
Kanjalo umuntu unelungelo futhi lokuphuza utshwala ngasese endaweni yakhe nangesikhathi sakhe. Kodwa, lokho kakusho ukuthi isisebenzi esiphuze ngayizolo uma sesitholakala sinotshwala egazini ngakusasa uma siyoqala umsebenzi, umqashi sekufanele akucabangele ukuthi isisebenzi siphuze ngayizolo, ngesikhathi saso futhi endaweni yaso. Umthetho kamqashi, wokuziphatha kwezisebenzi kufanele usetshenziswe kuzozonke izisebenzi ngaphandle kokukhetha iphela emasini.
INkantolo yayichitha inkulumo yesisebenzi yathi kayinasisekelo futhi kayakhi. Yaqhubeka iNkantolo yathi ummangali (isisebenzi) sasephula umthetho wokuziphatha emsebenzini ngamabomuokufanele sijeziswe ngakho.
Okunye okubalulekile, iNkantolo yavumelana nokuthi akusho lutho ukuthi ngenkathi etholakala enensangu egazini lakhe ummangali wayengadakiwe ekwazi ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi. Kodwa kufanele ehloniphe umbandela wokuqashwa wokuziphatha emsebenzini. Ummangali wehluleka ukwethula ubufakazi bokuthi kungani ayethi ubandlululiwe ngokuxoshwa noma ngokusetshenziswa komthetho womqashi wokuziphatha emsebenzini.NgokweNkantolo, ukuxoshwa kommangali kwakubangelwe ubugwegwe bokuziphatha emsebenzini nje phaqa. Okwakungahlangene nobandlululo noma ukuxoshwa okuvele kungenabulungiswa.
Masikhumbuzane ukuthi ngokomthetho, umqashi unesibopho sokuba amelekelele lowo msebenzi, osekhutshazwe utshwala noma yizidakamizwa ngokuthi enze uphenyo lokuhlola ukuthi lokho kukhubazeka kungokwesikhashana yini noma okwaphakade; ebese emhlelela isimo sokusebenza ukuba sibonelele futhi sihambisane nokukhubazeka lokho; noma amnikeze omunye umsebenzi ovumelana nokukhubazeka. Lo mbandela womthetho ucaciswe kahle nguMthetho Wezobudlelwano Emsebenzini ngaphansi koHla Lokuziphatha Okuhle: Mayelana Nokuxoshwa (Labour Relations Act,
Schedule 8).
Nokwehlulwa utshwala nezidakamizwa nakho kubalwe njengokukhubazeka okufanele makubonelelwe. Lolu hlu luthi uma imbangela yokukhubazeka lokho kuwukwehlulwa ngutshwala noma yizidakamizwa, umqashi kufanele asebenzise ukwaluleka nokwelapha umqashwa ngaphambi kokucabanga ukumxosha. Kulelicala esikhuluma ngalo kulombhalo, ummangali wayezinyundele ngokuthi wayengazange aphumele obala engakaqondiswa ubugwegwe abikele umqashi ngesimo sakhe sempilo.
Futhi wangezange abike ukuthi utholakala enensangu egazini nje yingoba ingumuthi omlapha kangcono kunamaphilisi. Yakuphawula lokhu neNkantolo. Mhlawumpe ukuba wayekade waphumela obala kumqashi kwakuyokhulemeka.
Esinye isibopho somthetho kumqashi ngesibalulwe ku Mthetho Wezempilo Nokuphepha Emsebenzini uNombolo 85 we-1993. Lesisibopho sithi ngumqashi okufanele eqikelele ukuphepha nempilo yazo zonke izisebenzi emsebenzini. Uma ehlulekile ukufeza lesisibopho sakhe umqashi,kwase kwenzeka ingozi emsebenzini, ujeziswa kanzima umqashi. Kwesinye isikhathi nenkampani okanye umsebenzi wakhe uvalwe phaqa. Isinqumo seNkantolo Yomthethosisekelo esikhulume ngaso ngenhla, kasiququli lezibopho zomthetho kumqashi nasezisebenzini zakhe njengoba sicacisa.
