Question 1 (30 marks) Read the following scenario and answer the question that follow:
James is appointed as a law enforcement officer at the Green Valley Municipality in Ceres,
Western Cape. He is part of a team of 15 law enforcement officers, who all report to a senior law
enforcement officer, called Shawn. Shawn has been with the municipality for more than 20 years.
James and his colleagues have been divided into two teams, responsible for different law
enforcement functions. James`s team is, among other things, responsible to patrol the streets to
check for any suspicious activities. While they were busy patrolling, they noticed a scavenger with
several bags of apples in his possession. The local farmers often complain that their fruit gets
stolen and then sold to the public. The law enforcement officers loaded the scavenger into their
vehicle and took him to the outskirts of town. James suggested that they should teach the
scavenger a lesson and the scavenger was forced to stand with his back to the law enforcement
officers while they threw apples at him. They then got back into their vehicle and left the scavenger
in the middle of nowhere. One of the officers made a recording and it was later distributed on
social media. Shaun, who is responsible for the group of law enforcement officers, also saw the
video but did not think that their actions were too serious. The video however leaked to the media
and the municipality has been bombarded with requests that action should be taken against these
officials. The municipality started a disciplinary process and James and all the other officers that
were part of the group were dismissed for assault and bringing the name of the employer into
disrepute. Shawn was also disciplined, as he was supposed to immediately report the conduct of
his subordinates to the employer in terms of the staff policy. He was eventually dismissed for
negligence and non-compliance to a policy, mostly due to the immense pressure received from the
media. The employer decided to re-employ Shawn 6 months later, as they urgently needed
someone with his expertise and knowledge for a special public safety project. James heard about
Shawns re-employment and wrote a letter to the employer, claiming
that he should also be re-employed as the employer was guilty of selective reemployment.
The employer confirmed that they had re-employed Shawn for operational reasons and that they
had no obligation to re-employ James.
They further confirmed that there was no agreement between themselves and James. James is
furious about the employers response and is adamant to take the matter to the CCMA. You are
employed at the local legal aid clinic and James asks for your advice
Required: 1.1 In your own words, discuss the concept of selective re-employment in terms of the
Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 and explain to James if it can be considered as an unfair labour
practice. Refer to the relevant sections of legislation as part of your answer.
The Story of Village Palampur Class 9 Free Study Material PDF
Question 1 30 marks Read the following scenario and answer.pdf
1. Question 1 (30 marks) Read the following scenario and answer the question that follow:
James is appointed as a law enforcement officer at the Green Valley Municipality in Ceres,
Western Cape. He is part of a team of 15 law enforcement officers, who all report to a senior law
enforcement officer, called Shawn. Shawn has been with the municipality for more than 20 years.
James and his colleagues have been divided into two teams, responsible for different law
enforcement functions. James`s team is, among other things, responsible to patrol the streets to
check for any suspicious activities. While they were busy patrolling, they noticed a scavenger with
several bags of apples in his possession. The local farmers often complain that their fruit gets
stolen and then sold to the public. The law enforcement officers loaded the scavenger into their
vehicle and took him to the outskirts of town. James suggested that they should teach the
scavenger a lesson and the scavenger was forced to stand with his back to the law enforcement
officers while they threw apples at him. They then got back into their vehicle and left the scavenger
in the middle of nowhere. One of the officers made a recording and it was later distributed on
social media. Shaun, who is responsible for the group of law enforcement officers, also saw the
video but did not think that their actions were too serious. The video however leaked to the media
and the municipality has been bombarded with requests that action should be taken against these
officials. The municipality started a disciplinary process and James and all the other officers that
were part of the group were dismissed for assault and bringing the name of the employer into
disrepute. Shawn was also disciplined, as he was supposed to immediately report the conduct of
his subordinates to the employer in terms of the staff policy. He was eventually dismissed for
negligence and non-compliance to a policy, mostly due to the immense pressure received from the
media. The employer decided to re-employ Shawn 6 months later, as they urgently needed
someone with his expertise and knowledge for a special public safety project. James heard about
Shawns re-employment and wrote a letter to the employer, claiming
that he should also be re-employed as the employer was guilty of selective reemployment.
The employer confirmed that they had re-employed Shawn for operational reasons and that they
had no obligation to re-employ James.
They further confirmed that there was no agreement between themselves and James. James is
furious about the employers response and is adamant to take the matter to the CCMA. You are
employed at the local legal aid clinic and James asks for your advice
Required: 1.1 In your own words, discuss the concept of selective re-employment in terms of the
Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 and explain to James if it can be considered as an unfair labour
practice. Refer to the relevant sections of legislation as part of your answer. (20 marks)
1.2 Advise James if he will be able to claim re-employment in the scenario above and what his
prospects of success will be if he refers an unfair labour practice to the CCMA. (10 marks)