Six separate labour matters were brought before the High Court as chamber applications for registration of arbitral awards in terms of section 98(14) of the Labour Act [Chapter 28:01]. In each case, the respective applicant had been dismissed or suspended from employment without salary and benefits. The labour disputes were referred to arbitration under the Labour Act, and in each case the arbitrator ordered reinstatement of the applicant without loss of salary and benefits from the date of dismissal or suspension. However, none of the arbitral awards specified a monetary amount of damages payable in lieu of reinstatement, nor did they compute what the loss of pay and benefits to the date of the award amounted to. In some cases, the arbitrator left the quantification of damages to be agreed upon between the parties, but no such agreement was reached. The applicants sought to register these awards as orders of the High Court to enable execution. The matters were consolidated and heard together by Makarau J to determine the common legal issue arising.