IR Change Panellists

For detailed profiles of our panelists, please contact Nicci to request their CVs.

Carlton Johnson

National Diploma in Employment Relations, PGD in Labour Law, Accredited training facilitator

Carlton has served as the head of the CCMA (Western Cape) as the Provincial Senior Commissioner. He has, therefore, useful management and leadership experience in this senior management role, in addition to honing his skills as a Senior Commissioner. Carlton also trains postgraduate students at UWC in Alternative Dispute resolution (ADR) processes.

Panellist preferences: Chairperson, initiator, investigator

Craig Bosch

BA LLB & LLM

Craig started his career as an academic and later taught labour law and alternative dispute resolution for final year and postgraduate levels at tertiary institutions. Craig is a part-time senior Commissioner of the CCMA, an accomplished trainer and facilitator of programs and became a practising advocate in 2014.

Panellist preferences: Chairperson, initiator, mediator

Dave Wilson

B.Comm, LLB, Admitted as Attorney & Certificated Program in Industrial Relations

Dave commenced his career in the petroleum industry, where he worked in senior management positions in legal services and industrial relations. Dave is a Senior part-time Commissioner, a specialist arbitrator in demarcation and essential service disputes, and a consummate trainer.

Panellist preferences: Chairperson, initiator, investigator

Elviso Adams

LLB & Admitted Attorney

Elviso is a highly experienced part-time Commissioner who commenced his career in the manufacturing sector within HR. He is also a training facilitator, registered assessor, and moderator in technical qualifications and labour relations.

Panellist preference: Chairperson, investigator, trainer

Guy Bloch

B.Bus.Science (Hons)

Guy is a seasoned senior part-time CCMA Commissioner and a panelist with various bargaining councils. He has a formative background in HR and ER within the private health sector, where he was hands-on and managed a range of labour relations workplace challenges.

Panellist preferences: Chairperson, initiator, mediator

Janine Carelse

LLB & Admitted Attorney

Janine is an admitted attorney, a part-time Commissioner at the CCMA and a panelist on various bargaining councils. Janine has served as a presiding officer in disciplinary hearings for the Department of Education and the private sector. Janine has a special interest in conducting workplace investigations.

Panellist preferences: Chairperson, investigator, trainer

Marieke Van Rooyen

BA, LLB & LLM

Marieke is a practicing attorney with many years of experience, initially focusing on International Commercial Arbitration, Constitutional Law, and Labour Law. She is a Senior Commissioner of the CCMA and has a specialist interest in discrimination matters, including sexual harassment.

Panellist preferences: Chairperson, investigator, initiator

Melwyn Nash

B.Juris, LLB

Melwyn is a practising attorney, serves as a part-time commissioner at the CCMA, and serves on various bargaining councils. Melwyn is a consummate mediator and arbitrator and has presided over countless disciplinary inquiries within the workplace. Melwyn has specialist skills in conducting forensic investigations within the commercial sphere.

Panellist preferences: Chairperson, investigator, mediator

Piet Van Staden

B.Juris, LLB, LLM & Post Graduate Diploma in Labour Law

Piet is one of the longest-standing part-time senior commissioners of the CCMA and has been a veteran of chairing hearings over the past two decades or more. Piet is a highly seasoned arbitrator, enquiry chairperson, investigator and trainer who co-authored the book Labour Law Through the Cases.

Panellist preferences: Chairperson, investigator, trainer

Reza Slamang

Attorney of the High Court (RSA), Specialist in Employment & Labour Law|Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) & CCMA Commissioner (part-time)

Reza is a practising attorney, a part-time CCMA Commissioner, and currently serves on both private and public sector Bargaining Councils. He has also worked in a senior Human Resources capacity within the financial services sector and within the City, where he managed complex investigations, hearings, performance management, and collective bargaining processes.

Panellist preferences: Chairperson, investigator, initiator

Willem Connan

Program Labour Court Administration (UNISA), Legal writing skills (WITS PLUS Centre)

Willem is a senior part-time commissioner and is recognised as a foremost specialist in facilitating large-scale (S189 A) retrenchments. He is a highly seasoned mediator of collective bargaining disputes, such as wages and organisational rights disputes. Willem is also adept at mediating mutually acceptable outcomes to individual disputes between parties.

Panellist preferences: S 189A facilitator, mediator, trainer

William Thomson

BA LLB, accredited Commercial and Civil mediator

William is a Senior Commissioner with the CCMA, a panellist with Public and Private Sector Bargaining Councils and a research associate in the Faculty of Law at UCT. William teaches courses on Negotiation, Mediation and Labour Dispute Resolution at a number of South African Universities and facilitates training and other processes for the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Panellist preferences: Facilitator, mediator, trainer

Winnie Everett

BA LLB & Labour Relations Development Programme

Winnie is a part-time Senior Commissioner of the CCMA. She has been a commissioner since the CCMA's inception and has vast experience as a mediator, arbitrator, and trainer. Winnie has specialist knowledge in unfair dismissals, discrimination, including sexual harassment, and retrenchment matters and facilitates strategic planning processes. She heads up IR Change legal advice and training services.

Panellist preferences: Legal advisor and trainer, Investigator, chairperson

Paul Benjamin

BA LLB LLM

Paul is a practicing attorney who is one of South Africa’s most experienced labour lawyers. He is an Extraordinary Professor in Labour Law at UWC. He is an experienced arbitrator and has mediated major industrial disputes. Recently, he has conducted corruption-related investigations. His specialist expertise includes unfair dismissals, retrenchment and health and safety. He is an experienced trainer and lecturer on all aspects of labour law.

Panellist preference: Legal adviser and trainer, investigator, chairperson