Migration Jurisprudence from the South › South Africa
Discovery Health Ltd v. CCMA and Others
Labour Court of South Africa · South Africa · 2008 · National court
Citation: JR 2877/06
Type of case: Private
Outcome: Decided for the migrant side
Question
Is a foreign worker without a valid work permit an “employee” who can bring an unfair dismissal claim?
What the court decided
Yes. The contract is not void merely because the worker lacks a permit, and the Labour Relations Act protects anyone who works for another; the dismissal claim could proceed.
In plain language
A foreign worker in South Africa was dismissed after his work permit ran out. The employer said he could not complain because he had no permit. The Labour Court said he was still an employee and could bring his case.
Dalam bahasa sederhana
Seorang pekerja asing di Afrika Selatan dipecat setelah izin kerjanya habis. Majikan berkata ia tidak bisa menggugat karena tidak punya izin. Pengadilan Ketenagakerjaan menyatakan ia tetap pekerja dan boleh mengajukan perkaranya.
Pertanyaan: Apakah pekerja asing tanpa izin kerja yang sah termasuk “pekerja” yang bisa menggugat pemecatan tidak adil?
What happened afterwards
- 2008: Labour Court rules the worker is an employee.
- later: [Check the outcome of the dismissal claim and later use of the ruling.]
Sources
Open this decision in the interactive collection (compare, filter, Indonesian view, downloads).
Cite as: Institute for Migrant Rights (2026), Migration Jurisprudence from the South, version 0.1, https://theimr.org/court-decisions/d/za-discovery-2008/. This page summarizes a court decision for research and advocacy; it is not legal advice.