Efficiency, justice, professionalism, impartiality and respect for both parties involved in a labour dispute should be part of arbitration and reconciliation.
This was the focus yesterday when labour commissioner officials gathered for a weeklong workshop at Otjiwarongo to discuss best practices in effectively resolving labour disputes.
The workshop was organised by the government through the Office of the Labour Commissioner, Kyllikki Sihlahla, who is also a facilitator at the workshop.
She said a strong focus of the workshop is the creation and implementation of the new business process reengineering method in labour dispute matters.
Transforming current methods of labour dispute resolution and reconciliation would deliver excellent and timely labour-related services to all parties involved, as justice delayed has serious financial and human resource repercussions, Sihlahla said.
She told the 40 regional arbitrators and reconciliation officials at the workshop there are serious reports of a lack of punctuality among regional officials.
This should stop, she said.
“We would also want to see our arbitrators in this country transformed and start to approach labour dispute cases with empathy and professionalism as we try together to restore the seemingly broken trust between employers, employees and the Office of the Labour Commissioner,” she said.
Deputy labour commissioner advocate Otniel Podewiltz will also facilitate the training.
Otjozondjupa governor James Uerikua, who officially opened the workshop, emphasised the importance of increasing efficiency in labour dispute resolution and how arbitrators conduct their business.
He called for increasing the number of arbitrators at regional offices, as well as improving their working conditions and resourcing their offices with the necessary vehicles for transport to and from the labour courts.
Uerikua cautioned labour dispute arbitrators against the unnecessary accumulation of labour cases.
The workshop is set to end on Friday. – Nampa
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