Mine overseer’s dismissal upheld by Labour Court due to safety breaches.
The Labour Court in Johannesburg has upheld the dismissal of a senior mine overseer employed by Seriti Coal, finding that his repeated failures to enforce critical underground safety standards posed a severe operational and safety risk at the company’s New Denmark Colliery.
Judge Reynaud Neil Daniels reviewed and overturned an earlier arbitration ruling that had reinstated mine overseer Godfrey Rasmeni with back pay after his dismissal in 2019.
The court found that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) had ignored material evidence, failed to apply the correct legal principles, and reached an unreasonable outcome by concluding that dismissal was too harsh despite finding Rasmeni guilty of misconduct.
Rasmeni had worked as a mine overseer at the New Denmark Colliery, a managerial role responsible for supervising underground mining operations and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.
