In a media statement Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant voiced her strong feelings against prolonged industrial action and other matters concerning the current labour landscape, including labour broking and NEDLAC’s progress. ‘These are conditions that lie at the heart of the decent work agenda and we have to begin addressing these more effectively.’

One thing the general public can be sure of when it comes to finding or retaining employment is that there are no guarantees in the current unstable economic landscape. A university degree no longer holds the security and promise it once did, and individuals are now considering alternative methods to ‘making a living’, but is entrepreneurship the answer?

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has released its latest funding plan to help former students pay off university fees. The processes have been put in place through NSFAS in cooperation with the various public universities nationwide, who are now informing ex-students about this special fund.

Talks between British Prime Minister David Cameron and President Jacob Zuma are expected to centre on how SA and the UK can work together to build strong, sustainable, open and inclusive economies, which promote national economic stability as well as regional and international growth.

In a world where achievement is highly rated, how do individuals and businesses manage to stay motivated on their pathways to success? Pearl Seigel shares her experience with setting and achieving goals. Her 6 steps to setting goals have been used successfully by many entrepreneurs and business people.

Recruiting the 'right person' for the job has moved up on the list of management priorities as organisations begin to acknowledge the direct and indirect costs associated with hiring the wrong employee, an expense that companies can no longer afford as pressures caused by the economic downturn continue to intensify.

The National Skills Accord and the Accord on Basic Education and Partnerships with Schools which will see R6 billion injected into skills development and education and boost training within the New Growth Path framework was officially signed by government, business and labour.

Sonner or later South Africans will have to pay for their 'consume now' attitude. Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan shares his concerns about the lack of savings culture inherent in South Africa which he has labelled a 'consumerist society' and the reasons for this culture.

Why do companies fail to cut costs effectively? Severe economic times have prompted managers to assess the value of their processes and look at ways to reduce company expenses, however many fail dismally at this essential task. Cesare Mainardi, recognized thought leader, urges executives to approach their cost reduction initiatives strategically.

Excessive smoking, swearing or shouting and prolonged periods of sick leave are potential indicators of high stress levels in the workplace and managers who identify negative behaviours should keep the lines of communication open in order to resolve pressure situations speedily, says Renee Patrick.

National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel says a collective approach in government will be needed to address the inefficiencies in the country’s education system and other challenges raised in the diagnostic report of South Africa released by the National Planning Commission last month.

Is training the answer or is a performance improvement programme equally important? Debra Bekker says it is crucial for organisations to conduct a needs analysis with an employee to establish the reason for non-or below par performance.

Finance instructor Christine Tarbox gives you tips to keep on top of your personal budget.

Attention students: did you know about the R200m government scheme set up to help students to settle outstanding university fees? Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande announced the R200m grant during his budget speech in May this year, but no students have applied yet!

It was interesting to have witnessed how employers are still arrogant in narrowing wage gaps in the current conjuncture through the media platforms by still advocating that Trade Unions are unrealistic. A question was asked as to whether worker's demands for a double digit figure realistic?

How to constructively employ youth is not a uniquely South African question. But SA does have the additional complexity of a very poorly educated youth. Doing nothing about 80% of our youth being unemployed or underemployed is clearly not an option. The threat to social and economic stability is obvious.

Finding the 'right person' for the job requires competency based recruiting and selection processes that can predict how a potential employee will behave in the organisation by asking the right questions says Des Squire.

Does your company have a policy to handle incoming faxes about industrial relations matters? Most large companies have more than one fax machine and fax number. Many employees may well have the fax arriving into their computer. Ivan Israelstam explains the relevance of CCMA faxes in labour disputes.

Approximately 70% of all purchasing decisions are made in-store. With consumers spending an average of only twenty minutes in-store, it’s clear that packaging plays a critical role in influencing consumer purchasing decisions and how they engage and interact with the product.

Apart from giving back to the community, how do organisations benefit from CSI? Luckily, it is still in our culture to give back to society, but there are some ways in which companies can benefit from the giving, maybe to an extent that they are empowered to give more.

According to a recent survey most new managers are ill-equipped to perform their management roles while half of the 1000 respondents that were interviewed only accepted the promotion so that they could recieve an increase in compensation.

President Zuma's birthday message to former president Nelson Mandela on his 93rd birthday is a reminder to the world of the man, war-hero and leader who changed the course of history forever through one act of forgiveness and love.

Are ancient leadership styles and cultures stifling organisational growth? According to leadership specialist Christo Nel it is imperative that local business leaders establish practices that are aligned with competitive, market-based objectives, but at the same time, allows them to adapt easily to dynamic, global environments.