Brief History

Bargaining Council For The Food, Retail, Restaurant, Catering & Allied Trades

The Bargaining Council for the Food Retail, Restaurant, Catering & Allied Trades – formerly known as the Bargaining Council for the Tearoom, Restaurant & Catering Trade, Pretoria – has proudly served the industry since its registration in September 1941. Our mission is to promote stability in the industry, to serve all stakeholders with fairness, objectivity and integrity, and to strengthen constructive relations between labour and business.

Our jurisdiction covers the Magisterial Districts of Pretoria, Brits, Bronkhorstspruit, Cullinan, Rustenburg, Warmbaths, Witbank, and Wonderboom. The Council’s primary responsibility is to regulate relations between employers and employees, fostering fair and productive workplace practices. We are registered with the Department of Labour in terms of section 29 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) and accredited by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to conduct arbitrations and conciliations.

In terms of section 28 of the LRA, parties to the Council conclude collective agreements, which we actively enforce to prevent and resolve labour disputes. At the Council’s request, the Minister appoints designated agents to assist in enforcing these agreements, which are extended to non-parties to ensure consistency and fairness across the industry.