The Essential Services Committee will receive the power to represent government in labour law matters. The number of workers required to be on duty during a strike is one of the issues the committee is expected to address and resolve.

In project management, the aim is always to achieve the project’s goal while working within the time and resource constraints and capitalising on those things that are available to you. Here are the five stages of project management.

The qualifications levels of South African sheriffs needs to be enhanced so that they are on par with international standards, says Deputy Justice Minister Andries Nel. This is needed to ensure effective performance.

The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs has committed to ensuring that 55 percent of women and two percent of people with disabilities benefit from the department’s programmes.

When it comes to online communication do you have a strategy? Companies who fail to plan their communication are prone to missing the mark. Follow these steps to ensure you hit the right target market everytime.

As part of efforts to deepen relations with India, South Africa has invited the Asian nation to invest in the country’s massive infrastructure plan announced in the State of the Nation Address.

Exorbitant travel costs are forcing companies to seek new ways of up skilling staff. To meet this need Byte People Solutions has launched a real-time training centre at its headquarters which allows participants across the country to access live instructor-led training programmes.

What should managers do when an employee fails to meet a required performance standard? This week Ivan Israelstam provides his views on a few CCMA cases that involved poor performance dismissals.

The uMkhanyakude Skills Development Project was launched by the Services Seta in an effort to ensure rural economic development participation in the mainstream economy.This initiative is in line with the Services Seta’s strategy of addressing poverty, unemployment and inequity.

Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande discusses the plight of humanities and social sciences programmes in South African universities as technology and engineering skills begin to dominate government priorities.

SEDA has played a significant role in helping SMMEs stay afloat through its Payment Assistance Hotline which administered R300 million worth of late payments on behalf of SMMEs for services rendered to public sector institutions.

The North Gauteng High Court granted an urgent interdict against e-tolling, placing the project on hold until a full review can take place. "We respect the decision. We will study the ruling thoroughly and decide on the next course of action" - Department of Transport.

Better working environments can reduce absenteeism, saving the economy billions per year. The country’s best employers boast a 46% lower rate of absenteeism than the average South African company, recent research has shown. Their staff are healthier, and work more often, for longer.

The UK CIPD is reporting that a study of 39,000 people found that one in three people came to work "drunk". Not because they had been consuming alcohol or using substances, but rather because they were not getting sufficient sleep.

There was a time when companies supplying highly beneficial training interventions - that did not match the sometimes archaic Unit standards - were grouped as Recorded Providers by the Services Seta. This ensured that they were in some recognised for their value. This has fallen by the way.

The Green Paper gives a critical and very frank appraisal of the skills development system. It confirms the weaknesses and concerns that have been raised by informed commentators over a number of years. Employers and most key stakeholders should welcome the proposals in the Paper.

I attended a meeting today in my school for electing the new governing body. It was shocking to see how some parents neglect their role in education. Out of 620 learners only 19 parents attened the meeting, which was postphoned two weeks ago.

Skills development facilitators and HR practitioners will need to realign there practices to the latest requirements set out by the National Skills Development Strategy in order to correctly administer workplace education and training.

Plans by the DHET to re-open teacher training colleges and assist historically disadvantaged universities have been warmly welcomed by the SACP. However concerns over the increasing commercialisation of universities have yet to be allayed.

As a training administrator you may clearly see the benefits of introducing a training programme but communicating those benefits to employees, middle managers, and senior executives can be tough. Sharon Lefkowitz shares the secrets to successfully sell training within your organisation.

The Department of Labour is stepping up their inspection programmes nationally, and will be visiting more residential houses. In the spirit of both Freedom Day and Worker's Day, the rights of domestic workers need to be highlighted.