| (1) | The powers and functions of the essential services committee are to— |
| (a) | monitor the implementation and observance of essential services determinations, minimum services agreements, maintenance services agreements and determinations; |
| (b) | promote effective dispute resolution in essential services; |
| (c) | develop guidelines for the negotiation of minimum services agreements; |
| (d) | decide, on its own initiative or at the reasonable request of any interested party, whether to institute investigations as to whether or not the whole or a part of any service is an essential service; |
| (e) | manage its caseload; and |
| (f) | appoint the panels contemplated in section 70C to perform one or more of the functions set out in section 70D. |
| (2) | At the request of a bargaining council, the essential services committee must establish a panel to perform any function in terms of section 70D(1). |
| (3) | The essential services committee may request the Commission or any other appropriate person to conduct an investigation to assist the essential services committee in an investigation and to submit a report to it. |
[Section 70B inserted by section 11 of Act No. 6 of 2014]
