Parliament is moving to bring Legal Aid SA and workers’ representatives together.
Parliament has stepped into the escalating labour dispute at Legal Aid South Africa, moving to bring management and workers’ representatives together after warning that the issues raised require urgent attention for the proper functioning of the justice system.
The intervention comes after a two-day protected strike in June and as direct engagements between Legal Aid SA and the South African Lawyers and Allied Workers Union (SALAWU) hit a further setback.
Correspondence in IOL’s possession shows Legal Aid SA cancelled a scheduled meeting with the union at short notice, less than 24 hours before the parties were due to meet.
The meeting, scheduled for 1pm on Friday, 10 July, was cancelled at 4.15pm the previous afternoon. The cancellation notice contained no explanation in the correspondence seen by IOL.
