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Labour consultants for South African employers

Labour law, firmly in hand.

CCMA representation, hearings, retrenchments, compliance and a complete HR platform, from one team. When a matter needs an attorney, KJVR Attorneys is already on the file.

Book a consultationUrgent CCMA help

Or call +27 82 628 7755 · WhatsApp

A LabourLink consultant and an employee talk across a boardroom table
Photograph: Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.

Five practices, one file

What does LabourLink do?

LabourLink is a South African labour consultancy that handles the whole people function for employers: disputes and CCMA representation, retrenchments and union relations, compliance, outsourced HR and training. Every practice reads from and writes to the same record on the LabourLink People Dashboard.

See every service

  1. Disputes and representation

    CCMA, hearings and grievances. From referral to award, prepared as if the outcome depends on it, because it does.

  2. Restructuring and collective relations

    s189, unions and bargaining. A lawful and humane process for the hardest decision a business makes.

  3. Compliance and governance

    EE, skills, POPIA and OHS. The paperwork that decides most disputes, done properly and kept current.

  4. People operations and HR outsourcing

    People operations on retainer. A full HR function on retainer, with service levels in writing.

  5. Training and capability

    Managers and chairpersons. Practical courses built on the cases our consultants handle.

Why it matters

Most labour disputes are lost on paper, long before anyone reaches the CCMA.

A hearing is won or lost on the warning that was or was not recorded, the contract that was or was not signed, the policy nobody read. Our consultants chair disciplinary hearings, run retrenchment consultations and sit across the table from trade unions. That is the visible part of the job.

The less visible part decides most outcomes, so LabourLink also keeps the file. Clients run hiring, leave, clocking, payroll records, training and compliance on the People Dashboard, and our consultants see what they see.

Request a compliance auditSee the People Dashboard
Colleagues working through documents together at a meeting table
Photograph: Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.

Our approach

The best labour outcome is the dispute that never happens. The second best is the one you were ready for.

  • 48 hoursCase assessment after instruction
  • 41 policiesAnd 31 agreements, kept current
  • One recordSeen by client, consultant and attorney
  • KJVR AttorneysFor the Labour Court and urgent interdicts

A CCMA date in the diary?Send us the referral today. We assess every matter within 48 hours and tell you plainly where you stand.

Urgent CCMA helpCall +27 82 628 7755

Insights

Questions employers ask us first

Short answers, the section that applies, and what to do next. Every answer is labelled with the status of the law it relies on.

Read all labour law answers

How long does an employee have to refer an unfair dismissal dispute to the CCMA?

Thirty days from the date of dismissal, or from the date the employer made a final decision to dismiss. Unfair labour practice disputes have 90 days, and unfair discrimination disputes under the Employment Equity Act have six months.

Legal basis
  • Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, s191(1) IN FORCE
  • Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, s10(2) IN FORCE
What to do
A late referral needs an application for condonation. If you receive one, check the dates first: a late referral without condonation does not give the CCMA jurisdiction.
When to escalate
Escalate to an attorney if the award is to be taken on review.

What does a fair retrenchment under section 189 require?

A genuine operational reason, written notice inviting consultation with the information listed in section 189(3), a meaningful joint consensus-seeking process on avoiding and minimising dismissals, fair and objective selection criteria, and severance pay.

Legal basis
  • Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, s189 IN FORCE
  • Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, s41 IN FORCE
What to do
Start consulting when retrenchment is contemplated, not after it is decided. Minute every meeting and answer every written representation.
When to escalate
Large-scale processes under s189A and any threatened interdict need a facilitator plan and attorney input.

Is my business a designated employer under the Employment Equity Act?

Since 1 January 2025 you are a designated employer if you employ 50 or more employees. The annual turnover thresholds no longer apply. Municipalities, organs of state and employers designated by collective agreement are also covered.

Legal basis
  • Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, s1, as amended by Act 4 of 2022 IN FORCE
What to do
Designated employers must consult, analyse, prepare an EE plan, assign a senior manager and submit the EEA2 report each year. The online reporting window closes on 15 January.
When to escalate
Sector targets apply to your plan. Check the targets for your economic sector before you set numbers.

When does a labour matter need an attorney rather than a consultant?

When it goes to the Labour Court: reviews of CCMA awards, urgent interdicts during strikes, contempt applications, and claims that must be brought in court. Reviews of arbitration awards must be filed within six weeks of the award being served.

Legal basis
  • Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, s145 IN FORCE
  • Labour Court Rules IN FORCE
What to do
LabourLink prepares the record and hands the file to KJVR Attorneys, who act in court.
When to escalate
Do not let the six-week review window pass while deciding.