The LRA (Labour Relations Act) is the principal South African statute governing the relationship between employers, employees and trade unions - collective bargaining, strikes and lockouts, unfair dismissal, and the dispute resolution machinery built around the CCMA and Labour Court.
What it means
The LRA sets out what makes a dismissal fair both substantively (a valid reason) and procedurally (a fair process), and it governs retrenchment under its section 189 consultation requirements. It works alongside the BCEA, which governs the more mechanical conditions of employment like hours and leave.
Where it fits in
The LRA's procedural requirements shape how offboarding and disciplinary processes must run before payroll ever processes a termination - get the LRA process wrong, and a dismissal can be overturned at the CCMA regardless of how correctly the final pay was calculated.
Key rules
- LRA = Labour Relations Act, governing dismissal, bargaining and dispute resolution.
- Sets both substantive and procedural fairness requirements for dismissal.
- Governs retrenchment consultation under section 189.
- Complements the BCEA, which covers hours, leave and basic conditions instead.
