Prof Christoph Garbers

Associate Professor/Medeprofessor

BLC LLB (UP) BCom (Hons) (UNISA) LLM (Stell)

 

 

 

 

Prof Christoph Garbers is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mercantile Law where he specialises in labour law, with a specific interest in employment discrimination law and the interaction between economics and labour law. He teaches labour law to LLB and LLM students and also supervises-post graduate research in different areas of labour law. He holds the degrees BLC, LLB (UP), BCom (Hons)(Economics) (UNISA) (cum laude) and LLM (SU) (cum laude) and is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa. He is the author, co-author or editor of 7 books (including the foundational textbook Essential Labour Law), the author or co-author of 12 chapters in books and the author or co-author of 15 articles, primarily in the field of labour law. He has presented conference and seminar papers on different aspects of labour law, including the economic effect of labour law, on 29 occasions. He consults widely in the field of labour law and has also been an associate of the Centre for Business Law at UNISA since 1993 where he continues to present their Advanced Labour Law Programme, Practical Labour Law Programme, Labour Arbitration Workshops as well as workshops in Practical Discipline and Performance Management and Cross-examination. During 2014, at the invitation of and by agreement with the CCMA and the broader labour relations practice industry, Prof Garbers established the Certificate Programme in Labour Dispute Resolution Practice at Stellenbosch University designed to enhance the skills of labour law practitioners and to train CCMA commissioners and bargaining council panellists. This programme currently attracts in the region of 200 students per year from all over the country. Prof. Christoph Garbers is ʼn medeprofessor in die Handelsreg department en spesialiseer in arbeidsreg, met ʼn besondere belangstelling in diskriminasie reg in die werksomgewing, asook die wisselwerking tussen die ekonomie en arbeidsreg. Hy bied kursusse aan in arbeidsreg vir beide LLB en LLM studente en bied leiding aan nagraadse studente met navorsing in verskeie arbeidsreg velde. Hy het BLC, LLB (UP), BComm (Hons) (Ekonomie) (UNISA) (cum laude) en LLM (US) (cum laude) grade verwerf en is ʼn toegelate prokureur van die Hoogeregshof van Suid-Afrika.  Hy is die outeur, mede-outeur of redakteur van sewe boeke (insluitend die fundamentele handboek Essential Labour Law), die outeur en/of mede-outeur van 12 hoofstukke in boeke en die outeur of mede-outeur van vyftien artikels, primêr in die arbeidsreg veld. Hy het op 29 geleenthede konferensie- en seminaar-referate aangebied oor verskeie arbeidsreg onderwerpe, insluitend die ekonomiese impak van arbeidsreg.  Hy konsulteer wyd in die arbiedsreg veld en is sedert 1993 ʼn medewerker van die Sentrum vir Besigheidsreg by UNISA en bied steeds hulle Gevorderde Arbeidsreg program, Praktiese Arbeidsreg program, Arbeids Arbitrasie werkswinkels en werkwinkels oor Praktiese Dissipline en Werksprestasie bestuur en Kruisondervraging aan. Gedurende 2014, op uitnodiging van en in ooreenkoms met die Kommissie vir Versoening, Bemiddeling en Arbitrasie (KVBA) en die wyer praktiserende arbeidsreg industrie, het Prof. Garbers die Sertifikaat-program in Arbeids Geskilbeslegtingspraktyk aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch ontwikkel en van stapel gestuur met die doel om die vaardighede van arbeidsreg praktisyns te verskerp en terselfdertyd opleiding te verskaf aan KVBA kommissarisse en bedingingsraad paneellede. Hierdie program word jaarliks deur sowat 200 studente van reg oor die land voltooi.

 

Field of specialisation

Labour Law

Area van belangstelling

Arbeidsreg

Modules taught

LLB: Labour Law, Advanced Labour Law
LLM: Employment Rights, Employment Discrimination
BAcc: Mercantile Law 192, 291
BComm: Mercantile Law 282, 283

Modules aangebied

LLB: Arbeidsreg, Gevorderde Arbeidsreg
LLM: Indiensnemingsregte, Diensbillikheid
BRek: Handelsreg 192, 291
BComm: Handelsreg 282, 283

Publikasies/Publications

Books/Boeke

  • AC Basson, M Christianson, CJ Garbers, P le Roux, C Mischke & E Strydom Essential Labour Law 7 editions (1998- 2019) Labour Law Publications, Cape Town.
  • MC Bezuidenhout, CJ Garbers & S Potgieter Managing for Healthy Industrial Relations 3 ed (2016) Van Schaik, Pretoria. (Also co-author of 2 previous editions).
  • OC Dupper & CJ Garbers (eds) Equality in the Workplace: Reflections from South Africa and Beyond (2009) Juta, Cape Town.
  • U Bhoola, OC Dupper & CJ Garbers Understanding the Employment Equity Act (2009) Juta, Cape Town.
  • CJ Garbers, M Havenga, P Havenga, WG Schulze, K van der Linde & T van der Merwe General Principles of Commercial Law/Algemene Beginsels van Kommersiële Reg 4 ed (2000) Juta, Cape Town.
  • M Christianson, CJ Garbers, M Havenga, P Havenga, I Meiring, WG Schulze, K van der Linde & T van der Merwe, T. 3 ed (1997) General Principles of Commercial Law/ Algemene Beginsels van Kommersiële Reg Juta, Cape Town).
  • CJ Garbers & C Mischke, C. Safety at Work (1994) Juta, Cape Town.

Chapters in books/Hoofstukke in boeke

  • CJ Garbers “The prohibition of discrimination in employment: Performance and prognosis in a transformative context” in K Malherbe & J Sloth-Nielsen, J (eds) Labour Law into the Future: Essays in Honour of Darcy du Toit (2012) Juta, Cape Town 18-45.
  • OC Dupper & CJ Garbers “The prohibition of unfair discrimination and the pursuit of affirmative action in the South African workplace” in A Rycroft & R le Roux (eds) Reinventing Labour Law: reflecting on the first 15 years of the Labour Relations Act and future challenges (2012) Juta, Cape Town 244-269. (Also published as Acta Juridica )
  • V Esselaar & CJ Garbers “Migrant Workers” in EML Strydom (ed) Essential Social Security Law 2 ed (2006) Juta, Cape Town 284-305.
  • CJ Garbers “The Administration of Social Security” in EML Strydom (ed) Essential Social Security Law 2 ed (2006) Juta, Cape Town 235-245.
  • CJ Garbers “Labour Law” in JE du Plessis & CG van der Merwe, C.G. (eds) Introduction to the Law of South Africa (2004) Kluwer Law International, The Hague 399-429.
  • OC Dupper & CJ Garbers “The Prohibition of Unfair Discrimination” in EML Strydom (ed) Essential Employment Discrimination Law (2004) Juta, Cape Town 31-65.
  • OC Dupper & CJ Garbers “Justifying Discrimination” in EML Strydom (ed) Essential Employment Discrimination Law (2004) Juta, Cape Town) 66-96.
  • CJ Garbers “Discriminatory Dismissal” in EML Strydom (ed) Essential Employment Discrimination Law (2004) Juta, Cape Town 121-137.
  • OC Dupper & CJ Garbers “Affirmative Action” in EML Strydom (ed) Essential Employment Discrimination Law (2004) Juta, Cape Town 258-286.
  • OC Dupper & CJ Garbers “Employment Discrimination: A Commentary” in P Benjamin, P & C Thompson (eds) South African Labour Law (2002) Juta, Cape Town CC1-1 to CC1-101.
  • CJ Garbers “Labour Law and Economic Development: Lessons from the Pacific Rim” in E Kalula & D Woolfrey (eds) The new labour market: Reconstruction, development and equality (1995) Labour Law Unit (University of Cape Town), Cape Town).
  • CJ Garbers “Labour Law and Economic Development: a Southern African perspective” in E Kalula (ed) Labour Relations in Southern Africa (1994) Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Johannesburg.

Journal articles/Joernaalartikels 

  • CJ Garbers “The meaning of ‘any other arbitrary ground’ of discrimination: The battle for the soul of anti-discrimination law” (2019) 28 Contemporary Labour Law 51-66.
  • CJ Garbers & PAK le Roux “Employment Discrimination Law into the Future” (2018) 29 Stellenbosch Law Review (2018) Vol. 29(2) 237-269.
  • CJ Garbers & K Calitz “A Comparative Perspective on the Application of Domestic Labour Legislation in International Employment Disputes” (2013) 24 Stellenbosch Law Review 538-561.
  • CJ Garbers & K Calitz “Labour Law” in N Botha,J Heaton & H Schulze (eds) Annual Survey of South African Law 2012(1) 535-601.
  • CJ Garbers “The review of CCMA awards in the aftermath of Sidumo” (2008) 17 Contemporary Labour Law 84-90.
  • CJ Garbers “Is there a right to affirmative action appointment?” (2004 (13) Contemporary Labour Law 61-66.
  • CJ Garbers “The right of a job candidate to affirmative action selection: a landmark case? Harmse v City of Cape Town” (2003) 12 Contemporary Labour Law 91-100.
  • CJ Garbers “The Battle of the Courts: Forum Shopping in the aftermath of Wolfaardt and Fredericks” (2002 6 Law, Democracy and Development 97-113.
  • CJ Garbers “Sexual Harassment as Sex Discrimination: Different Approaches, Persistent Problems” (2002)14 South African Mercantile Law Journal 371-398.
  • CJ Garbers “Proof and Evidence of Employment Discrimination under the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998” (2000) 12 South African Mercantile Law Journal 136-153.
  • CJ Garbers “The Demise of the Reasonable Employer Test” (2000) 9 Contemporary Labour Law (2000) 81-88.
  • OC Dupper & CJ Garbers “The Provision of Benefits to and Discrimination against Same-sex couples” (1999) 20 Industrial Law Journal 772-807.
  • CJ Garbers “Promotions: keeping abreast with ambition” (1999) 8 Contemporary Labour Law 21-30.
  • CJ Garbers “Dismissal in the Global Village” (1997) 6 Contemporary Labour Law 101-108.
  • CJ Garbers “The Labour Relations Bill: A Personal Economic Perspective” (1999) 4 Contemporary Labour Law 100-104.

Conferences and seminars/ Konferensies en seminare

  • “World Class Commissioners in a Changing Labour Market and a Changing World: Reflections on the LDRP initiative’. Plenary address, Annual CCMA Indaba, Cape Town, December 2018.
  • “The Economics of Labour Law” (repeat of 3 below by invitation of the Western Cape Chapter, South African Society of Labour Law), Cape Town, October 2018
  • “The Economics of Labour Law: Of Charlatans, Pseudo-scientists and other Impostors”. Paper presented, Annual Conference of the South African Society of Labour Law, Cape Town, September 2018.
  • ‘The Experience with the Amendments to the Employment Equity Act in the CCMA and the Labour Court’. Plenary address, Annual Conference of the South African Society of Labour Law, Johannesburg, July
  • ‘Employment Equity into the Future’. Paper presented, World Conference of the International Society of Labour and Social Security Law, Cape Town, September 2015. (With Le Roux, P.A.K.)
  • ‘Women in the Workplace: On ‘unfair discrimination’, ‘affirmative action’, ‘reasonable accommodation’ and ‘special measures”. Paper presented, World Conference of the International Society of Labour and Social Security Law, Cape Town, September 2015. (With Rossouw, E.)
  • ‘Why Jan van Riebeeck would probably make a good Minister of Labour: On affirmative action, the sunset clause and other ways of missing the point’. Plenary address, Conference of the Association of South African Law Teachers, Durban, July 2015.
  • ‘Affirmative action and its relationship with protection against unfair discrimination’. Seminar presentation, Department of Mercantile Law, Stellenbosch University, June 2015.
  • ‘Simplicity versus Complexity: The Economics of Labour Law’. Seminar presentation, Department of Economics, Stellenbosch University, March 2015.
  • ‘Labour Law and the Economy: Theory, Evidence, Perceptions and the Future’. Presentation, International Labour Law and Social Protection Conference titled “The Changing Face of Work: Challenges for the Future”, organised by the Faculty of Law and the Centre for International and Comparative Labour and Social Security Law (University of Stellenbosch), University of Johannesburg, 27 August 2012.
  • ‘A Comparative Perspective on the Application of Domestic Labour Legislation in International Employment Disputes’. Presentation, International Conference in Honour of Marco Biaggi, University of Modena, Modena, Italy, March 2012.
  • ‘The State of Discrimination Law’. Seminar presentation, Department of Mercantile Law, Stellenbosch University, 2012.
  • ‘Maroga v Eskom: An update’. Seminar presentation, Department of Mercantile Law, Stellenbosch University 2011.
  • ‘Maroga v Eskom and the choice between unfair dismissal and breach of contract’. Seminar presentation, Department of Mercantile Law, Stellenbosch University 2010.
  • ‘Chirwa v Transnet and the relationship between labour and administrative law’. Seminar presentation, Department of Mercantile Law, Stellenbosch University 2010.
  • ‘The Economic Implications of Labour Legislation’. Response, by invitation, to presentation by Prof Simon Deakin (Cambridge University), Seminar on “Assessing the Long-Run Implications of Labour Legislation”, organised by the Institute of Development and Labour Law, University of Cape Town, 13 March 2009.
  • ‘The limits of justification for discrimination’. Presentation, International Conference on “Equality in the Workplace: Reflections from South Africa and Beyond”, Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, Stellenbosch, September 2008. (With Le Roux, P.A.K.)
  • ‘The Employment Equity Act and Affirmative Action in Professional Sport’. Presentation by invitation, “Sports Law Conference”, hosted by the Centre for International and Comparative Labour and Social Security Law (University of Stellenbosch) in association with the Sports Law Association of South Africa and the Institute for Development and Labour Law (University of Cape Town), Stellenbosch, 14-15 September 2006.
  • ‘A Perspective on Dudley v City of Cape Town’. Presentation by invitation, South African Society of Labour Law (Gauteng Chapter), Johannesburg, June 2004.
  • ‘A perspective on the Harmse case’. Presentation by invitation, Conference on Law and Society, organised by the Wits Law School, Centre for Applied Legal Studies and the Wits Institue for Social and Economic Research, University of the Witwatersrand, 25-26 September 2003.
  • ‘Harmse v City of Cape Town’. Presentation by invitation, South African Society of Labour Law (Western Cape Chapter), Cape Town, 29 July 2003.
  • ‘A General Fairness Defence?’ Presentation by invitation, “Workshop on Unfair Discrimination in the Workplace”, organised by the Graduate School of Business (University of Cape Town), Faculty of Law (University of the Western Cape) and the Institute for Development and Labour Law (University of Cape Town), University of Cape Town, 27 June 2003.
  • ‘E-mail and Internet Interception in the Workplace: Some thoughts on privacy and the RICAct’. Presentation at conference entitled “The Law and E-Commerce”, University of Stellenbosch, 30 April 2003.
  • ‘Remedy Shopping’. Presentation, conference entitled “The Final Labour Law Amendments”, organised by the Institute for Development and Labour Law (University of Cape Town), the Social Law Project (University of the Western Cape) and the Centre for International and Comparative Labour Law (University of Stellenbosch), University of Cape Town, May 2002.
  • ‘Proof and Evidence of Employment Discrimination under the Employment Equity Act’. Presentation, Comm ercial Law Conference, hosted by the Centre for Business Law (University of South Africa), Midrand, March 2000.
  • ‘The New Labour Law and the Economy’. Presentation by invitation, Annual Conference of the Industrial Relations Association of South Africa, Cape Town, 1998.
  • ‘Labour Law and Economic Development: Lessons from the Pacific Rim’. Presentation, Conference on The New Labour Market, organised by the Labour Law Unit (University of Cape Town), Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (University of Natal) and Centre for Applied legal Studies (University of the Witwatersrand), Durban, 14-16 July 1994.
  • ‘The Economics of Labour Law’. Presentation, Conference of the Association of South African Law Teachers, Stellenbosch University, 1993.
  • ‘Labour Law and Economic Development: a Southern African perspective’. Presentation, Conference on Labour Relations in Southern Africa, organised by the Labour Law Unit (University of Cape Town) and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Durban, 13-15 July 1993.

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