Union Representatives and
Shop Steward
07 – 11 April 2025
Sandton Centre, Johannesburg South Africa

Register Now! Limited Seats Available!
R 15,999.00 per delegate
Public R14, 999.00
Online R10, 999.00
Course Introduction
A shop steward who is well-equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills to carry out their role can be a real asset on the shop floor.
This course gives shop stewards the required skills of successfully defending their members in a disciplinary hearing case. The course focuses on the importance of the Law of Evidence. The course looks at how to gather evidence, how to lead evidence and how to argue your case in opening and closing statements in a workplace disciplinary hearing. It also looks at preparing witnesses’ evidence and cross examination techniques for workplace hearings. These skills are paramount for shop stewards so that they give their members the best defense possible in a disciplinary hearing.
Course Objectives
After completion, participants should be able understand the roles, functions, and responsibilities of shop stewards. Delegates will be able to understand the disciplinary procedures, including how to identify and categorise. Transgressions, implement appropriate procedures and represent the company or an employee at a disciplinary hearing. Delegates will be more equipped to assist and advise fellow employees and managers.
Who should attend?
- Union officials
- Shop stewards
- Employment relations managers/ practitioners,
- General managers,
- Line managers,
- HR Managers,
MODULE ONE:
MODULE ONE:
ROLE OF THE SHOP STEWARD IN THE UNION-MANAGEMENT RELATIONSHIP
Purpose and challenges of a shop steward
- Labour Relations Act
- Freedom of association
- Collective agreements
- Recognition agreements and organisational rights
- Union representatives and office bearers
- Disclosure of information to majority Unions
- Recognition and organisational rights within your organisation
- Modes of engagement between union and management
- Information sharing
- Consultation
- Negotiation
- The shop steward in the union-management relationship
- Exercising rights as a shop steward
- Roles and responsibilities of a shop steward
- Skills and behaviours of an effective shop steward
- Do’s and don’ts for shop stewards
MODULE TWO:
BASICS OF LABOUR LAW
OUTLINE
- Purpose of labour legislation
- Labour Relations Act
- Freedom of Association, Collective agreements, Organisational rights
- Collective agreements
- Recognition agreements and organisational rights
- Union representatives and office bearers
- Disclosure of information to majority Unions
- Agency and closed shop agreements
- Industrial action
- Dispute resolution
- Non-standard employment
- Discipline and dismissal
- Basic Conditions Of Employment Act
- Summary of key provisions of the BCEA
- Employment Equity Act
- Objectives and themes
- Discrimination
- Affirmative action
MODULE THREE:
REPRESENTING MEMBERS IN DISCIPLINARY ENQUIRIES
- LRA Code Of Good Practice: Dismissal
- Company disciplinary policy and procedure
- Dismissal law
- Categorisation of dismissals
- Substantive requirements for fairness
- Standard and onus of proof
- Determination of sanction
- Procedural requirements for fairness
- Main stages and activities in preparing for a disciplinary enquiry
- Investigating a disciplinary case
- Preparing for a disciplinary enquiry
- Notice to attend a disciplinary enquiry
- Strategising the case
- Guidelines for preparing witnesses
- Rules of evidence
- Disciplinary enquiry procedure
- Comprehensive procedure for a disciplinary enquiry
- Participants in a disciplinary enquiry
- Opening statements
- Narrowing of the issues
- Examination
- Cross-examination
- Re-examination
- Closing statements
MODULE FOUR:
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT, NEGOTIATION AND EFFECTIVE MEETING SKILLS
OUTLINE
- Obstacles to consensus-building
- How conflict developments
- Approaches to conflict management
- Modern negotiation theory
- Exploring outcomes in and approaches to negotiation
- Understanding positional, needs-based and mutual gain negotiation
- Maximising joint value and achieving optimum outcomes
- The role of trust in negotiation
- The significance of alternatives to agreement
- Conflict management styles
- Behaviours of effective consensus seekers
- Practising consensus-building skills
- Distinguishing positions from needs and extracting needs to find mutual gains outcomes
- Listening skills
- Use of ‘I’ statements
- Use of questions
- Handling anger
- A joint problem-solving process
- Effective meeting skills
End of the workshop
IN HOUSE AND ONLINE TRAINING

While both In-House and Online training can present with cost-effectiveness and time-efficacy, there are some very specific differences between in-house courses and those based online.
The demand for additional courses by individuals or groups of people is increasing. Still, it depends entirely on the preferences of a person what type of training he or she wants to receive. Online courses and in-house training carry some similarities but they are considered to exhibit some very pivotal differences too. Despite that, both types of learning can be really beneficial for attendees.
For Registration and other Training arrangements,
contact us on the detail below.
SOUTH AFRICA : +27 11 057 6001
TANZANIA Cell: +255 769 688 544
WhatsApp +27 79 574 0389
info@bmktraining.co.za / www.bmktraining.com
