How-to
CCMA unfair dismissal — 30-day referral in plain English
18 May 2026 · 5 min
Save PDF — share with family or counselDismissed unfairly? You have 30 days to refer to the CCMA (LRA s.191). Miss it without good reason and your claim may be dead.
What you need on day one
- Employer name and workplace address.
- Date of dismissal and reason given (letter if you have it).
- Remedy: reinstatement, compensation, or both.
- Copy of ID and employment contract or payslips if available.
After referral
Conciliation first. If unresolved, arbitration (con-arb) may follow. Automatically unfair dismissals (s.187 LRA) can be referred straight to Labour Court — get the CCMA certificate of outcome if conciliation fails.
Build your CCMA referral pack with guided intake and document upload.
Evaluate my dismissalEducational only — not legal advice. I AM LAW helps self-represented litigants prepare documents and understand procedure; it does not replace an attorney where your matter requires one.