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Labour News

Report calls for freeze on new coal, warns of risks if energy transition is delayed

By: Terence Creamer 23rd July 2021 South Africa should freeze investment in new private coal plants, as delaying South Africa’s “inevitable” transition away from the carbon-emitting energy mineral will cause economic damage, a new Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) analysis on the country’s coal value chain states.... →

Biovac/Pfizer vaccine partnership will boost mRNA hub – Nzimande

By: Sane Dhlamini 23rd July 2021 The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande has congratulated the Biovac Institute for its partnership with Pfizer and its German vaccine partner BioNTech which will see the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine being manufactured in South Africa for distribution within... →

Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Dr Blade Nzimande

Young African project leaders highlighted

23rd July 2021 Industry association Project Management Institute (PMI) announced its second yearly Future 50 list, which features 50 rising leaders using bold and innovative thinking to transform the world through notable projects. The 50 standout project leaders, highlighted in a new digital experience on the... →

LEADING THE WAY The 50 individuals on the Future 50 list are changemakers whose range of projects exemplify the power and potential of transformation

Basa requests urgent meeting with Patel to save industry on the brink of collapse

By: Donna Slater 21st July 2021 In the wake of the recent civil unrest, which resulted in 161 liquor outlets and distribution centres being looted and damaged in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, the beer industry is urgently calling for the alcohol ban to be lifted so that legal businesses can operate. Enabling liquor business to... →

Report shines light on empowerment of women in green industry

By: Donna Slater 20th July 2021 The virtual launch of a assessment report on the Empowerment of Women in the Green Industry Policy on July 20 has been welcomed by Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina, who delivered an address at the event. The report is the result of the collaboration between the... →

Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi laments youth unemployment crisis in South Africa

By: News24Wire 20th July 2021 Young unemployed South Africans had "it tough" even before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi. And, now that the full effect of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions is being felt, they find themselves in a situation that's deteriorating more and more with... →

UIF opens applications for extended TERS payments

By: Schalk Burger 19th July 2021 Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has signed a direction for the Unemployment Insurance Fund to implement a third extension of the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme benefits. The Unemployment Insurance Fund will open the system for applications from July 19 and commence... →

Alcohol industry laments sales ban extension

By: Donna Slater 12th July 2021 The South African Liquor Brandowners Association (Salba) and National Liquor Traders (NLT) note their disappointment in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to extend the current ban of alcohol sales by another two weeks. In a joint statement, the two organisations suggest that the decision to... →

Salba requests excise duties deferment to offset liquor prohibition implications

By: Donna Slater 6th July 2021 The South African Liquor Brandowners Association (Salba) states that the current 14-day ban of alcohol sales declared by government on June 27 has left it with “no choice” but to request that the South African Revenue Service (Sars) provide extended payment terms on the excise duties currently... →

Govt still remiss in its consultation with private sector on Covid-19 lockdowns, says BLSA

By: Donna Slater 5th July 2021 Despite the improvements in government’s approach to tackling the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdown regulations, Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso says government has still not embraced consultation with the private sector. She points out this has been a case in point with... →

Seifsa has ‘high expectations’ that the economy will rebound this year

By: Simone Liedtke 29th June 2021 The Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) data released on June 29 by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reflect South Africa’s turbulent path to economic recovery amid the deepening negative impact of Covid-19 restrictions on the economy, the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of... →

New restrictions putting many jobs at risk, commentators warn

By: Donna Slater 28th June 2021 Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of the move to adjusted Alert Level 4 Covid-19 restrictions and the accompanying ban on alcohol sales, the South African Liquor Brandowners Association (Salba) is requesting government to reassess its measures and to focus on its vaccine rollout... →

Employment Equity report shows ‘slow progress’ of transformation

By: Simone Liedtke 25th June 2021 Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has called on Cabinet to “urgently review legislation and regulations”, stating that employment equity (EE) “needs to be seen as a catalyst for change”. Upon receiving the twenty-first iteration of the Commission for Employment Equity’s (CEE’s) annual... →

Vaccine registration for people 50 and over opens July 1

By: Sane Dhlamini 25th June 2021 Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane announced on Friday that South Africans aged between 50 and 59 years can register for the Covid-19 vaccine from July 1, with vaccinations for this age group scheduled to begin July 15. South Africa is battling a third wave of the pandemic, with... →

Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane announces that vaccine registration for people aged 50 and over opens July 1 (Camera: Kutlwano Matlala, Editing: Nicholas Boyd)

Pandemic has presented ‘economic reset’ opportunities

By: Sane Dhlamini 23rd June 2021 Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Boitumelo Moloi said on Wednesday that while the Covid-19 pandemic has been catastrophic, it has, in many ways, presented a lot of economic reset opportunities in the process. She was addressing delegates at the launch of Switzerland's Institute of... →

Illovo, Jobs Fund project benefitting community

23rd June 2021 Four years in, the Small-Scale Grower Cane Development project has recorded notable successes, with over 860 sustainable jobs created and 3 000 ha of cane developed on communal land owned by small-scale growers. Tasneem Bulbulia elaborates. →

Illovo, Jobs Fund project benefitting community

Seifsa tables three-year wage offer

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 22nd June 2021 The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa), which represents 19 affiliated employer organisations, has tabled a three-year wage deal. This followed after negotiations were held with labour unions, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, Solidarity,... →

South Africa’s labour law architect Mboweni sees need for change

By: Bloomberg 18th June 2021 Tito Mboweni, the architect of many of South Africa’s labour laws, said it may be time to review them to ensure they aren’t impeding economic growth. South Africa’s current finance minister told an investment conference on Thursday that when he served as the first post-apartheid labour minister... →

S Africa won’t budge on State wage bill, finance chief says

By: Bloomberg 17th June 2021 South African Finance Minister Tito Mboweni told an investment conference the Treasury won’t back down on its insistence that any wage agreement for state workers mustn’t breach the government’s fiscal ceiling. Mboweni made the comments at a conference organized by JSE Ltd. and sponsored by... →

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni

Shoprite spends R700m over five years training more than 30 000 youths

By: Schalk Burger 15th June 2021 Retail chain Shoprite Group has spent more than R700-million over the past five years on skills development and training programmes to enhance the career options of South Africa’s unskilled and unemployed youth. It has trained 24 308 people in its own Retail Readiness Programme, provided 1 027... →

Nxesi issues new directive for workplace vaccinations

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 14th June 2021 Employers should find a reasonable resolution that accommodates all parties where employees refuse to be vaccinated for medical and constitutional grounds. This is contained in the new consolidated directive on occupational health and safety (OHS) measures in certain workplaces, which was... →

Showcase to be hosted to boost tech SMMEs

By: Donna Slater 9th June 2021 Fourth Industrial Revolution laboratory Forge Academy, in partnership with Nokia and the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) SMME Chamber, will host a showcase for small and medium-sized tech businesses and tech startups in Fourways on June 30. The showcase is aimed at highlighting... →

Survey shows African business leaders have positive outlook for 2021

By: Donna Slater 9th June 2021 Professional services firm PwC’s twenty-fourth yearly ‘Global CEO Survey’ finds that CEOs have an improved outlook and record high optimism about the global economy, with 68% of CEOs in Africa believing growth will improve this year. This compares with 76% of CEOs outside of Africa being... →

Busa expresses concern over commission’s rejection of Burger King sale

By: Marleny Arnoldi 8th June 2021 Business Unity South Africa (Busa) has noted with concern the Competition Commission’s recent decision to block the sale of Burger King by Grand Parade Investments to ECP Africa, saying it would have unintended consequences. The commission cited ECP’s lack of black ownership credentials as the... →

SAHPRA registers Janssen Covid-19 vaccine with conditions

By: Sane Dhlamini 7th June 2021 The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) announced on Monday the registration of the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine on March 31, with conditions. SAHPRA CEO Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela explained that one of the conditions is that the vaccine be manufactured under conditions... →

Seifsa calls for national disaster recovery plan for metals, engineering sector

By: Schalk Burger 7th June 2021 Industry body the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) has called for the creation of a national state of disaster support and recovery plan for the metals and engineering sector. Such a plan should provide an opportunity for the industries to reset, reposition... →

South Africa’s overall employment picture still a cause for concern, says Minister

By: Simone Liedtke 3rd June 2021 While some industries have shown small employment gains, the overall picture is still a cause for concern, with a large decrease in employment between 2020’s fourth quarter and the first quarter of this year in industries classified as non-essential, which saw between 84 000 and 87 000 jobs lost.... →

Motus takes on 355 young people for YES working experience

By: Marleny Arnoldi 3rd June 2021 Automotive group Motus has come on board to support the Youth Employment Service (YES) by providing 355 young people with work experience. YES was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018 and encourages the private sector to create critical work experience opportunities for young people... →

Macsteel launches third Macsteel Express franchise partnership

By: Simone Liedtke 1st June 2021 Steel merchant Macsteel has launched the third of its independently owned Macsteel Express franchise partnerships, in Nelspruit, on June 1. Macsteel launched the first of its two franchise partner concept outlets in February this year in Klerksdorp and Welkom, respectively. →

Absa PMI rises in May, suggesting another quarterly expansion

By: Simone Liedtke 1st June 2021 The seasonally adjusted Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 57.8 points in May from 56.2 the month before, with four of the five subcomponents remaining well above the neutral 50-point mark. Only the employment index dipped back into negative terrain for May. →

New global report highlights growing demand for wind workforce training in South Africa

By: Terence Creamer 1st June 2021 South Africa is identified in a new international report as one of ten countries where training efforts will need to be intensified and accelerated over the coming five years to match the skills demand that will be created during the construction, installation, operation and maintenance of new... →

Urgent need to ramp up private vaccination sites to match dose delivery schedule

By: Terence Creamer 21st May 2021 The number of private vaccination sites will need to be ramped-up aggressively in the coming weeks if South Africa is to reach the daily inoculation tempo of 192 000 required by the start of June to position the country to consume the millions of vaccine doses that have been secured for its... →

Geospatial issues impact inequality levels in Southern Africa

By: Sane Dhlamini 21st May 2021 Professor Vimal Ranchhod from the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit at the University of Cape Town (UCT) says data show there is a strong geospatial component when it comes to serious inequality in Southern Africa. He was addressing a virtual debate organised by the Embassy of... →

Safety critical to ensuring ‘solid business case’ for projects

By: Simone Liedtke 21st May 2021 Safety excellence is not separate from construction or operational excellence – a safe site avoids the cost of incidents and improves personnel’s motivation and the company’s relationships with clients, thereby forming a “solid business case” for a project, says South Africa-based contractor... →

CRAIG LAWRENCE
The Covid-19 pandemic has added a layer of difficulty to focusing on safety

Concor’s Craig Lawrence talks about the company’s health and safety approach and protocols

Government releases competition policy strategy for jobs, industrial development

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 20th May 2021 More than R25-billion has been committed by major firms for investment in factories, refineries and construction projects in South Africa over the last five years, following agreement with government in terms of the provisions of the Competition Act. Further, more than R3-billion has been... →

Negotiations for new metals, engineering wage agreement to start in June

By: Donna Slater 19th May 2021 With the current wage and working condition agreement in the metals and engineering sector close to expiration, it was agreed at the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council management committee meeting on May 18 that the main agreement wages and conditions of employment negotiations... →

Construction starts on Boardwalk Mall in Gqeberha

By: Simone Liedtke 14th May 2021 Property investor Flanagan & Gerard (F&G) and Sun International subsidiary Emfuleni Resorts have officially started construction of the Boardwalk Mall, in Gqeberha (previously known as Port Elizabeth). The first phase of construction is set to be completed and launched in December this year,... →

The sod turning at the Boardwalk Mall's official development launch, in Gqeberha.

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