This guide covers South African law and procedure. It is general information, not legal advice – see the note at the end.

Short overview: 
The CCMA, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, is where most disputes between employees and employers get resolved: unfair dismissals, unfair labour practices, and workplace discrimination among them.

It sits outside the ordinary court hierarchy and was built to work without a lawyer in the room. Self-representation is the norm here, not the exception, and at the conciliation stage legal representation isn't permitted at all. That said, the process still has strict deadlines and formal steps, and it's worth being clear-eyed about those before you begin.

The CCMA's role is to resolve workplace disputes between employers and employees fairly, quickly and cost-effectively, without requiring employees to go to court. It does this in three ways:

• Conciliation: A Commissioner helps both sides try to reach an agreement.
• Mediation: An informal, facilitated process aimed at settlement of the dispute.
• Arbitration: If conciliation fails, a Commissioner hears both sides and issues a binding decision.

The CCMA deals with many workplace disputes, including:

• Unfair dismissal claims
• Unfair labour practices
• Disputes relating to employment terms and conditions
• Allegations of workplace discrimination or harassment
• Disputes involving severance pay and retrenchments
• Disputes concerning organisational rights
• Certain disputes relating to strikes and lockouts

However, not every workplace dispute falls within the CCMA's jurisdiction. Matters that fall outside the scope of the Labour Relations Act (LRA), such as criminal matters and certain disputes involving independent contractors, are referred to other legal channels such as the Labour Court or other applicable courts.  

• Disputes that fall under a registered Bargaining Council with jurisdiction over a specific industry or employer - These go directly to the relevant council.

• Automatically unfair dismissals referred directly for adjudication, and reviews of CCMA awards, go directly to the Labour Court.

• Disputes above the BCEA/NMWA earnings threshold seeking arbitration - These may be referred directly to the Labour Court.

• Contractual claims unrelated to a dismissal or unfair labour practice - These claims are addressed in the Small Claims Court or civil courts, like the      Magistrate's Courts or the High Courts.

Check out CCMA's step-by-step video below 👇🏼showing how to process a CCMA case online and complete the LRA 7.11 claim form for an unfair labour practice/dismissal referral:

An employee who wishes to dispute a dismissal must refer the matter to the CCMA (or the relevant Bargaining Council) within 30 calendar days of the date of dismissal or the employer’s final decision, if an internal appeal was followed, as set out in Section 191(1) of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (LRA).

The count starts the day after the dismissal takes effect (the day of the occurrence is excluded, but the last day of submission is included), and all days include public holidays and weekends.

If the employer has an internal appeal process and the employee follows it, the 30 days only starts running from the date of the final decision on appeal, not the original dismissal date.

Where the notice period is served working, then the date of dismissal is the date the notice period expires, or the date final payment is made if that comes first.

Before anything else, confirm whether the CCMA has jurisdiction, or whether the employer or sector falls under a registered Bargaining Council instead. If a Bargaining Council has jurisdiction over the industry, the dispute must be referred to the appropriate Bargaining Council and not the CCMA. 

Claims being referred to the wrong authority is one of the most common reasons a matter is delayed, and often rejected because of late submission.

Referrals must be submitted to the CCMA provincial office of the province in which the dispute arose (or filed online via refer.ccma.org.za, which routes the matter automatically).

Contact details are captured for two specific reasons:

If the dispute involves a dismissal, the 30-day clock starts on the date of dismissal and does not pause for weekends, public holidays, or “thinking it over.”

We encourage you to:

1. Contact Lawyerz or the CCMA as soon as the dismissal occurs, not close to the deadline.
2. Gather key documents early: Dismissal letter, contract of employment, disciplinary records, and any appeal outcomes.
3. Understand that missing the deadline does not close the door, but it does mean a condonation application is required, and condonation applications are never guaranteed.

South Africa has 47 registered bargaining councils across private-sector industries, local government, and statutory sectors. 

These include construction, metal and engineering, motor, road freight, private security, clothing manufacturing, and the public service sector, among others.

Bargaining Councils are registered under the LRA to handle collective bargaining and dispute resolution for a specific sector or industry (or, in some cases, a specific region). 

Industry alone doesn't always decide this. A Bargaining Council only has jurisdiction over an employer if that employer is a registered party to the council, or if the council's main collective agreement has been extended by the Minister of Employment and Labour to cover all employers and employees in that sector, including non-parties, through a notice in the Government Gazette. This is why two businesses can appear to be in the same industry but fall under different Bargaining Councils.

Where a specific council's contact details are needed, the tables below 👇🏼 list the website or primary contact point for each registered council, grouped per industry. Councils occasionally merge, rename, or change contact details, so always check with the relevant province office as details highlighted above, if a council can't be found here, or if the details on file seem out of date.

This directory was last verified in November 2025 in accordance with the Department of Employment and Labour's official register.

There are currently no registered bargaining councils with head offices in Limpopo, Mpumalanga or North West. Employers and employees in sectors or provinces without a dedicated bargaining council fall under CCMA jurisdiction for dispute resolution.

If you can’t find your bargaining council or industry listed here, please refer to the official register on the government website 

Open here.