Essential Services Ruling

Essential Services Ruling

Human Resources, Legislation

Essential Services Ruling – Social Work, ResCare, Protective Workshops and Day Care

All Social Work Services and services to ResCare, Protective Workshops and Day Care have been legislated as essential services. This means individuals employed in these industries are not permitted to strike!

Section 23(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (“the Constitution”) states that… “Every worker has the right… (c) to strike.”

Section 65 (1) (d) (i) of the LRA states that… “No person may take part in a strike… if that person is engaged… in an essential service”.

An ‘essential service’ is defined in section 213 of the Act as:
I. a service the interruption of which endangers the life, personal safety or health of the whole or any part of the population; the Parliamentary service; the South African Police Service.

Having considered the written and oral submissions of the parties, as well as the applicable law referred to above, the Panel were of the view that the following services should be designated as essential:

  • Mental health care
  • Diagnostic assessments of new referrals in respect of people with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities
  • Psychological assessments
  • Therapeutic counselling services or any other counselling services
  • Mental health crisis management
  • Court preparation and assistance for victims who fall within the category of “users”
  • Rehabilitation services
  • Treatment (including assistance with adherence to medication)
  • Training (only to the extent that it is offered to the mental health users)