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Labour News

Public servants wage deal on ice as unions move to declare dispute

By: News24Wire 2nd April 2020 An increase in the wages of public servants – originally due to kick in on April 1, in terms of a wage agreement reached in 2018 – is still on ice after Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced an ambitious plan in his Budget address to save some R160-billion in the state's wage bill over three... →

Nxesi urges sector-level applications for National Disaster Covid-19 benefit

By: Simone Liedtke 31st March 2020 Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi announced on March 31 that applications for the National Disaster Covid-19 benefit, which had been put in place to mitigate the effects of lay-offs during the lockdown, would not be handled on an individual basis and would instead need to be submitted... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi

SA adds 16 000 net jobs in fourth quarter of 2019, as part-time work grows

By: News24Wire 31st March 2020 Total employment in South Africa's non-agricultural formal sector grew by 16 000 between September and December 2019, Statistics SA announced on Tuesday in its latest Quarterly Employment Statistics bulletin. This is below the increase of 87 000 in the fourth quarter of 2018. While full-time... →

Covid-19 may exacerbate the abuse of power – Corruption Watch

By: Sane Dhlamini 31st March 2020 Not-for-profit organisation Corruption Watch on Tuesday released its yearly corruption report with executive director David Lewis saying South Africans should not expect corruption to lessen during the coronavirus pandemic. This year’s report is themed “The Writing is on the Wall” and shows... →

Corruption Watch executive director, David Lewis

UNTU calls for PPE for Transnet employees as iron ore line reopens

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 30th March 2020 The United National Transport Union (UNTU) has acknowledged the decision of Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe to reopen the iron ore rail line operated by State-owned Transnet. This will require Transnet employees from various divisions to be ready to report for duty from March... →

Transnet

Solidarity Fund sets aside R100m to procure protective equipment for frontline health workers

By: Terence Creamer 30th March 2020 The Solidarity Fund announced on March 30 that it would be using a portion of the R500-million raised during its first week of operations to facilitate the emergency procurement of the personal protective equipment – including five-million face masks – that was urgently required by public and... →

Staying home most effective way to contain Covid-19 – Ramaphosa

By: Sane Dhlamini 30th March 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday said it was clear that the most effective way for a society to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus is for the population to remain at home and physically isolated from each other for at least several weeks. As South Africa enters day 4 of its national... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Seifsa encourages re-industrialisation, development of artisans

By: Donna Slater 30th March 2020 The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) says that while South Africa remains a dual economy with one of the highest levels of inequality in the world, part of addressing the unemployment challenge can be tackled through re-industrialisation of its economy.... →

KZN MEC says dept has adopted zero tolerance on price hiking amid lockdown

By: Sane Dhlamini 27th March 2020 KwaZulu-Natal economic development, tourism and environmental affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube says her department is in communication with the management of Spar KZN with the view of terminating contracts of franchise owners who are involved in price hiking. This follows consumer complaints that... →

KZN MEC for EDTEA Nomusa Dube-Ncube

Company transforming amid difficulties

By: Mamaili Mamaila 27th March 2020 JSE-listed sugar producer Tongaat Hulett is striving to reconstruct its business to be innovative, resilient and cost effective. →

TRANSFORMATION IN SIGHT The three main shareholders in Uzinzo hold 65%

Working from home can be just as productive – professor

By: Marleny Arnoldi 26th March 2020 As South Africans face the reality of a 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, working from home has become the “new normal” overnight, and if its properly managed, people can be just as productive as being in the office. So says University of Stellenbosch Business School... →

Call for polymer, plastics industries to be declared essential as lockdown looms

By: Donna Slater 25th March 2020 South African plastics industry representative organisation Plastics SA has called on government to reclassify some sectors within the broader plastics industry as essential service providers owing to its contribution to packaging essential items during the upcoming 21-day national lockdown.... →

Department enacting labour support measures for Covid-19 lockdown

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 24th March 2020 Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that South Africa would enter a 21-day lockdown to help curb the spread of Covid-19, the Department of Employment and Labour is enacting several support measures for affected employers and employees. In a briefing on March 24, Minister Thulas... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Thulas Nxesi

Clothing industry reaches agreement to safeguard industry, workers

By: Donna Slater 24th March 2020 South Africa's first Covid-19 lockdown national collective agreement for the clothing and textiles industry was expedited and ratified by the end of March 23. The agreement was formulated by the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry in South Africa. →

ILO, Productivity SA collaborate on job creation, productivity

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 23rd March 2020 Social justice entity, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and public entity Productivity SA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on productivity and employment promotion in South Africa as pronounced in the mandate of the Department of Employment and Labour, as... →

SA labour department uses UIF to help companies hit by Covid-19

By: African News Agency 20th March 2020 The department of labour will soon formally publish special regulations offering Unemployment Insurance Fund relief to companies that find themselves in distress due to the Covid-19 outbreak in South Africa, a senior official has said. In cases where a company is forced to shut down for a limited... →

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Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi

Collaboration needed in electrical sector

By: Tracy Hancock 20th March 2020 South Africa’s entire electrical sector needs a “shake up” and a lot more collaboration, Electrical Conformance Board of South Africa (ECBSA) MD Peter Pedrick has learnt since taking up his position in May last year. Historically, South Africa was internationally recognised for its effective... →

FIRE STARTER There has been a significant rise in fire damage in South Africa over the past ten years amid a lack of regulation policing and governance

Re-engineering of coal sector skills needed

By: Tracy Hancock 20th March 2020 The South African renewable-energy sector will not have an adequate pipeline of competent individuals to train if it does not endeavour to re-engineer the skills of workers in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga coal mining regions, South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (Saretec) director Naim... →

Jacobs Transport strives to be a reliable and ethical company, providing its clients with the most efficient services possible.

Labour department unveils guidelines for managing Covid-19 at workplaces

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 17th March 2020 The Department of Employment and Labour has appealed to employers to use the prescriptions of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act in governing workplaces in relation to the Covid-19 virus. The OHS, read with the Hazardous Biological Agents Regulations, requires the employer to provide... →

Next gen of family business leaders have drive, but not necessarily support

By: Marleny Arnoldi 17th March 2020 The next generation (NextGens) of African family business owners consider themselves agents of change for digital transformation and able to succeed in a digital world; however, they feel constrained by the current generation of leadership about their role in driving business forward. NextGens... →

Economy will be severely impacted by coronavirus - Ramaphosa

By: News24Wire 16th March 2020 With South Africa's economy already feeling the pinch of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that government is on the verge of finalising a comprehensive package of interventions to mitigate the expected impact. The president announced this in an address to the nation... →

SAA says adhering to safety protocols on Covid-19

By: African News Agency 12th March 2020 National carrier South African Airways said on Thursday its operational health and safety procedures were in line with the World Health Organisation’s protocols to protect its passengers and crew from contracting Covid-19. On Wednesday WHO declared the coronavirus disease a pandemic as it... →

South African employers cite limited hiring intentions, payroll rises in Q2

By: Marleny Arnoldi 10th March 2020 South African employees have little to no intention to hire new employees during the second quarter of 2020, recruitment solutions company ManpowerGroup has found. Its latest Employment Outlook Survey shows that about 8% of employers expect to increase salaries, while 5% expect to decrease... →

DTIC reaches agreement with PepsiCo

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 5th March 2020 An agreement between the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and PepsiCo has been reached, and the buyout of Pioneer Foods by PepsiCo is currently with the Competition Tribunal for approval, Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel informed during the Black Business Council's yearly... →

Numsa heads to Constitutional Court to have Aveng Trident Steel workers reinstated

By: Marleny Arnoldi 4th March 2020 The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has approached the Constitutional Court to seek the reinstatement of 733 workers who were dismissed by Aveng Trident Steel. The steel fabricator in 2015 issued a Section 189 notice, informing workers of its plans to restructure the... →

Ramaphosa says key State wage bill savings will stem from lower wage growth, not job cuts

By: News24Wire 2nd March 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa says that the State's plan to cut the costs of the public sector wage bill does not mean that it also intends to "dramatically" cut the size of the civil service. In his weekly newsletter on Monday, Ramaphosa weighed in on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's Budget... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Stainless steel growth unlikely in 2020

By: Mamaili Mamaila 28th February 2020 The level of activity in the local stainless steel sector’s value chain has dwindled in the past decade, mainly owing to international competition, low steel prices and the slow growth of the local economy. →

FULL OF VIGOR Stainless steel is one of the youngest industrial materials globally, managing to positively change people’s lives

Digitalisation beneficial for steel producers

By: Mamaili Mamaila 28th February 2020 Digitalisation will become an increasingly important strategy for steel producers to achieve a competitive advantage in the market, says metallurgical industry plant and integrated systems provider SMS group MD Pieter Bezuidenhout. →

Volatile steel prices to continue in 2020

By: Mamaili Mamaila 28th February 2020 The volatile prices of domestic steel producers and domestic steel merchants are likely to continue in 2020, says national employer federation Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) chief economist Dr Michael Ade. →

MICHAEL ADE 2020 is still going to be a difficult year for the metals and engineering sector, with ongoing pressure on margins

Cosatu: We will collapse the public service if wages are reviewed

By: News24Wire 26th February 2020 The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has threatened to strike and "collapse" the public service if government does not honour the current public service wage agreement, Cosatu national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla told Fin24 on Wednesday. The agreement is non-negotiable and any attempt... →

Nehawu says govt wants to review public sector wage deal

By: Reuters 26th February 2020 South African public sector union the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) said on Wednesday that the government wanted to review a three-year wage deal with public sector workers struck in 2018, calling the move "a declaration of war". Nehawu said in a statement that if... →

Millennials making the biggest strides in education

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 25th February 2020 Millennials have made substantial strides in educational outcomes, Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said, releasing the ‘2018 Education and Labour Market Outcomes in South Africa’ report, in Pretoria, on Tuesday. Millennials makes up the largest share of the working-age population (54.1%),... →

Two trade unions demand that SAA business rescue respects workers’ rights

By: Rebecca Campbell 25th February 2020 Two trade unions – the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) – have jointly accused the Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs) currently overseeing the business rescue process for State-owned South African Airways (SAA) of... →

Group launched to tackle Compensation Fund issues

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 24th February 2020 A council of concerned industry leaders, the Injured Workers Action Group (IWAG), was launched on Monday, over concerns about what it says is the “technological collapse” of the R60-billion Compensation Fund that is legally mandated to cover the medical bills and disability pensions of workers... →

Cosatu’s plan on Eskom is immoral – Cape Chamber of Commerce

By: Sane Dhlamini 24th February 2020 The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry labelled the Congress of South African Trade Unions’ plan to save ailing power utility Eskom using Government Employees Pension Fund funds as immoral. Cosatu recently suggested saving Eskom by using R250-billion from the Public Investment Corporation,... →

Photo by Supplied by Cape Chamber
President of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Geoff Jacobs

Eskom’s survival cannot be based on continuing tariff increases, says Minerals Council

By: Marleny Arnoldi 21st February 2020 The Minerals Council South Africa has reiterated the significant job losses that may result from power utility Eskom being granted the additional R27.3-billion in revenue it is seeking. In a media release issued ahead of a submission at public consultations held by the National Energy Regulator... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Minerals Council South Africa chief economist Henk Langenhoven

4IR vocational training a viable alternative to Grade 12

By: Schalk Burger 21st February 2020 The digital world being ushered in by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) requires more than just office workers; it requires engineers, technicians and artisans. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) enables learners to further their studies, as it creates more opportunities... →

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