Imvula Quality Protection (Pty) Ltd and Others v University of South Africa (JA122/2017) [2018] ZALAC 33; [2018] 12 BLLR 1151 (LAC); (2019) 40 ILJ 104 (LAC) (25 September 2018)

Imvula Quality Protection (Pty) Ltd and Others v University of South Africa (JA122/2017) [2018] ZALAC 33; [2018] 12 BLLR 1151 (LAC); (2019) 40 ILJ 104 (LAC) (25 September 2018)

The court held that the university's insourcing of security personnel did not constitute a transfer of a business as a going concern under section 197 of the LRA. The university did not take over the management, equipment, or operational infrastructure of the appellants' businesses, but only employed certain...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2018] ZALAC 33
Parties
Appellant: Imvula Quality Protection (Pty) Ltd; Appellant: Persons listed in Annexure “A”; Appellant: Red Alert TSS (Pty) Ltd; Appellant: Persons listed in Annexure “B”; Respondent: University of South Africa
Court
Labour Appeal Court
Jurisdiction
South Africa
Case Number
JA122/2017
Procedural Posture
Civil Appeal / Appeal From Labour Court
Outcome
Appeal dismissed with costs.
Judges
Phatshoane, Davis, Murphy
Legal Topics
Transfer of Business, Section 197 Lra, Insourcing, Shared Services Model, Employment Continuity
Labour Law Civil Procedure Transfer of Business Section 197 Lra Insourcing Shared Services Model Employment Continuity

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Parties

Imvula Quality Protection (Pty) Ltd

Appellant

Persons listed in Annexure “A”

Appellant

Red Alert TSS (Pty) Ltd

Appellant

Persons listed in Annexure “B”

Appellant

University of South Africa

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Civil Appeal / Appeal From Labour Court

  1. 1 Whether the insourcing of security personnel by the university constituted a transfer of a business as a going concern under section 197 of the LRA.
  2. 2 Whether the absence of a transfer of tangible assets affects the application of section 197.
  3. 3 Whether the shared services agreement and employment of former contractor employees triggered section 197 obligations.

Ratio Decidendi

The court held that the university's insourcing of security personnel did not constitute a transfer of a business as a going concern under section 197 of the LRA. The university did not take over the management, equipment, or operational infrastructure of the appellants' businesses, but only employed certain security guards. The shared services agreement ensured that external service providers continued to supply management, supervision, and equipment. The essential elements of the business, beyond mere human resources, were not transferred, and the university did not operate the business seamlessly after the employment of the guards. Therefore, section 197 was not triggered, and the...

Court Disposition

Appeal dismissed with costs.

Orders

  • The appeal is dismissed with costs.