Meet the Industrial Relations and Legal Services Team

Louwresse Specht

Louwresse Specht is SEIFSA’s Industrial Relations and Legal Services Executive and heads this division. She holds an LLB from the North West University and an AMBA-accredited MBA from the North West University Business School.

She was previously employed as group legal counsel in the road freight, logistics and commodity trading industry, where her duties included compliance management, IR management, employment law matters, commercial law matters and company secretarial duties.  She has also practised as an attorney, specialising in corporate law, commercial litigation and trial advocacy.

Tel: 011 280-9452

Michael Lavender

Michael Lavender holds the position of Industrial Relations Manager.  Joining Seifsa in 1991, Michael has extensive knowledge and experience in labour law and advises and trains companies on the Main Agreement and on all aspects of Industrial Relations and labour law. He is also the lead employer negotiator for the Lift and Escalator Industry.

Key duties include – chairing hearings in the areas of disciplinary, incapacity and grievance matters – representing companies in retrenchment consultations, disputes, strike action, as well as at the CCMA and the Bargaining Council in conciliation and arbitration matters.

Michael has a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree, majoring in Industrial Psychology and Economics and also holds an Expert Negotiator Certificate issued from (GIBS).

Tel: 011 298-9415

Vuyiswa Miya

Vuyiswa Miya is Industrial Relations and Legal Services Manager at SEIFSA.  She has extensive experience as an Admitted Attorney and has worked for various law firms handling matters pertaining to contractual disputes, drafting contracts, providing legal advice, appearing in the CCMA and bargaining councils, prosecuting and chairing disciplinary hearing. She holds an LLB degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Law, both from the University of Johannesburg.

She has been invited by the University of Pretoria and University of Potchefstroom to lecture on Labour Dispute Resolution for their Practical Legal Studies course. From time to time she also participates in the annual case law update seminar presented by a leading labour institute.

Tel: 011 298-9413