CARMEL RICKARD: Hiring and firing: a focus on fairness
It’s not impossible for employers to fire workers for poor performance; they simply need to follow the rules and procedures to do so
CARMEL RICKARD: SA doctor off the hook for ‘Ponzi scheme’ — for now
Patients who lost money by investing in their doctor’s scheme will not get justice from the health professions council; the case is beyond its ...
CARMEL RICKARD: Eastern Cape health department ‘capitulates’ to ‘thuggish’ unions
The Eastern Cape’s impotence in the face of labour disruption at Fort England psychiatric hospital highlights a possibly fatal flaw in the NHI plan
CARMEL RICKARD: Staffing crisis a hurdle for NPA’s corruption fightback
Winning the battle against corruption will be near impossible unless the staffing crisis in the prosecuting authority is urgently addressed
CARMEL RICKARD: The law can be an ass
Unfairly dismissed workers have been denied their back pay because they followed the wrong legal process in taking their former employer to task
CARMEL RICKARD: A quantity surveyor’s costly mistake
A quantity surveyor’s failure to ensure that a project was profitable cost his employers millions; yet he asked that his dismissal be declared unfair
CARMEL RICKARD: A win for expats
Canadians who live abroad will now be able to vote — a right SA citizens have had for a decade, but which Zimbabweans can only dream of
CARMEL RICKARD: A salutary lesson for government appointees
The finding of a Zambian court holds a salutary lesson for government appointees: ensure the legalities line up before breaking out the champagne
CARMEL RICKARD: A cautionary tale of the pharmacist who was generous to a fault
The labour court has upheld the dismissal of a pharmacist who gave exorbitant discounts, despite a curious CCMA ruling in his favour
CARMEL RICKARD: NUM’s wrong turn
The union’s involvement in a health and safety compliance dispute has been found by the labour court to be irresponsible and unreasonable
CARMEL RICKARD: New Gauteng commercial court could reshape corporate disputes
The new commercial court in Gauteng, if it works as planned, could change the way corporate disputes are managed — to the benefit of all parties
CARMEL RICKARD: Striking a deal in Sibanye-Stillwater dispute
A deft court judgment has found middle ground in a dispute over picketing rules at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Beatrix mine
CARMEL RICKARD: WesBank runs out of road
WesBank may have run out of road in its efforts to repossess a vehicle as a result of its failure to do adequate checks before providing finance
CARMEL RICKARD: Murky waters for tax paying SA divers
Where should SA divers working in the UK pay tax? A double tax treaty between the two countries has left the courts at sea
CARMEL RICKARD: The perils of social media in the workplace
A dispute between the Namibian tender board and its own review panel highlights the limits of social media for official communication
CARMEL RICKARD: Railway Safety Regulator head’s court bid derailed
A ‘meritless’ legal application by the head of the Railway Safety Regulator highlights the danger of short-circuiting workplace grievance procedure
CARMEL RICKARD: Transnet’s fraught workwear rules
Court rules against Transnet’s ban on employees wearing Numsa T-shirts to work — and sets aside any pending disciplinary actions based on the ban
CARMEL RICKARD: Losing the name game in David-and-Goliath battle
A Namibian court ruled against a London-listed giant and ordered that its trademark registration in that country be expunged
CARMEL RICKARD: A court to protect human rights in Africa
The African Court on Human & Peoples’ Rights should be one of the most important institutions in Africa. A new strategy aims to realise this dream
