26-MAR-13·	A new cadre of Seta practitioners needed
	Posted by | labour
	The state of Seta bodies and the quality of administrators responsible for running these entities has come under scrutiny prompting Dr Blade Nzimande to call for a 'new cadre' of Seta practitioners and experts to manage this educational vehicle.

12-MAR-13·	Technology and training can solve many labour-related headaches - Accsys
	Posted by | labour
	The potential behind HR and payroll management technology should be utilised to manage labour disputes and to generally improve business relations. The following article discusses how this could be done and the impact it would have.

29-OCT-12·	Social dialogue will help address economy - Motlanthe
	Posted by | labour
	Economic contributions could be made by all South Africans who are in a position to help and this could be done through social dialogue between labour, government and businesses. Through improved partnerships the country would be able to address poverty.

15-OCT-12·	Investment and job creation efforts of government hindered by bureaucracy
	Posted by | labour
	Will legal action be the only way to obtain a proper decision on the most basic permit application in future? The processes followed by Home Affairs have been deemed unnecessary and even unlawful in certain cases as the requirements are not always based on national legislation, says Leon Isaacson.

12-OCT-12·	How should an employer prepare for a CCMA arbitration process?
	Posted by | labour
	Do employers always give sufficient time and importance to preparation for the CCMA process? To prepare for an arbitration - or a con-arb - process takes time. It's important to present documentary evidence and to have witnesses who are able to present the evidence and answer questions knowledgeably. Ivan Israelstam explains.

08-AUG-12·	Developing artisans in the Western Cape
	Posted by | labour
	Northlink College in collaboration with governmental departments aims to close the skills gap and empower people to become qualified artisans Through the DEDAT programme artisans will receive practical training designed to prepare them for the trade test.

08-AUG-12·	Position your artisans for success
	Posted by | labour
	How would you define the term maintenance? Is it a synonym for “quick-fix” or is it a strategic function? A good understanding of maintenance practices results in employee safety and the ability to set workers up for success. This is necessary for economic progress and business profitability.

20-JUL-12·	Developing artisans in 7 simple steps
	Posted by | labour
	The proposed 7 step programme for artisans presented by Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize is set to become a fundamental part of the department’s strategy to further develop and assist artisans in the country.

05-JUL-12·	Summit places spotlight on artisan development
	Posted by | labour
	Unless the training of artisans is accelerated, the number of people in this profession will fall short of the demands of the industry and adversely affect both production and job creation.

04-JUL-12·	Growing number of artisans good news for SA
	Posted by | labour
	South Africa is witnessing an increase in new artisan learners, a trend that has been welcomed and encouraged by Minister Blade Nzimande who believes that skilled workers are crucial to the economic development and prosperity of the country.

02-JUL-12·	DoL officially launches Job Fair to act on jobs for unemployed
	Posted by | labour
	The vision of contributing to the creation of decent employment through inclusive economic growth is expected to take shape when the Department of Labour (DoL) officially launches the national Job Fairs event.

25-JUN-12·	MPs briefed on workplace inspection blitzes
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has conducted inspections in 200 000 workplaces countrywide in the past year and ensured 80 percent compliance with various aspects of labour legislation, Parliament heard.

05-JUN-12·	Productivity SA punts youth entrepreneurship development
	Posted by | labour
	With the aim of developing youth entrepreneurs, Productivity SA, a public entity of the Department of Labour (DoL) has announced its joint effort to establish the Youth Group of Companies (YGC).

04-JUN-12·	Govt promotes fair labour practices on wine farms
	Posted by | labour
	Stakeholders in the agriculture industry have shown their commitment to ensuring reasonable working conditions by developing an 'ethical seal'. Only farms that follow sound labour practices will be permitted to bear the seal on their products.

25-MAY-12·	DoL's Compensation Fund steps up service delivery
	Posted by | labour
	A new web-based financial system, known as Return of Earnings (ROE), was recently implemented by the Compensation Fund. Despite experiencing minor teething problems the entity believes the new system has enormous potential to speed up service delivery.

25-MAY-12·	Premier Zille supports local youth wage subsidy
	Posted by | labour
	Local government has demonstrated its commitment to train and equip young people for employment and catalyse job opportunities through its skills development programmes under the umbrella of a youth wage subsidy scheme.

23-MAY-12·	DoL’s SEF hankers for government support to change its fortune
	Posted by | labour
	The lack of financial support from government has rendered the Sheltered Employment Factories initiative ineffective in its mandate to provide employment opportunities for disabled people who were unable to secure employment in the open labour market.

23-MAY-12·	DoL to beef up supplier management systems
	Posted by | labour
	The quality of the annual and financial reports of the Department of Labour has come into question and in response to these concerns the department has committed to improving its supplier management systems.

07-MAR-12·	Labour Dept shuts down company, issues warnings
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour closed down a company for non-compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and issued several warnings to other businesses during an inspection operation in Johannesburg.

06-MAR-12·	Cosatu plans march against labour brokering
	Posted by | labour
	The contentious issue of labour brokering that continues to polarize business and labour will come to a head when Cosatu gathers its working class members to march against this controversial practice.

02-MAR-12·	Cabinet to consider labour amendments - Motlanthe
	Posted by | labour
	Amendments to the Labour Relations Act might form part of Cabinets bid to ensure more jobs are created, while improvements to the higher education system would accelerate efforts to build a capable labour force.

14-FEB-12·	Labour Department declares war on non-compliance
	Posted by | labour
	The fight against entities who do not comply with labour laws has begun as social partners from business, labour and government have been asked to join hands against this illegal activity.Herbert Mkhize addresses the issue of non-compliance in South Africa.

13-FEB-12·	Zuma, labour meet in Pretoria
	Posted by | labour
	Unions have a role to play in helping South Africans navigate through the tough economic times and at the same time government should give them the space to do so, says President Jacob Zuma.

25-NOV-11·	Desperate times calls for informed leaders
	Posted by | labour
	The rise in CCMA cases over the last five years has sparked the interest of labour law professionals and emphasised the need to manage human resource processes with care. Labour relations specialist Sally Morgan speaks about the impact of this phenomenon on the business world.

08-NOV-11·	Is our labour law reasonable - or becoming more unreasonable?
	Posted by | labour
	The term "reasonable" is used in many contexts within employment and industrial relations. But what is "reasonable"? Ivan Israelstam explains how and when the term is used, and how the CCMA and Labour Court have interpreted the term.

08-NOV-11·	Workplace "whistle-blowers" are well protected
	Posted by | labour
	Are you an employee who has information about fraud and corruption in your company? Do you want to come forward to report the actions, but don't know your rights and protection in terms of the Protected Diclosures and Labour Relations Acts? Ivan Israelstam explains that this is still a very new area in our law. He explains the principles that apply using the few cases that have been heard under this legislation.

08-NOV-11·	Can you always dismiss employees who present false documents?
	Posted by | labour
	Every employer's nightmare - discovering that your new employee appears to have presented false documents during the recruitment process. What do you do? Can you simply dismiss the new employee for dishonesty? Ivan Israelstam explains how to proceed.

07-NOV-11·	Stricter laws to regulate labour brokers
	Posted by | labour
	Policy makers are expected to implement stricter labour policies to control labour broker operations as government seeks to regulate rather than prohibit temporary employment services, according to labour lawyer Peter le Roux.

02-NOV-11·	CCMA reports increased workload
	Posted by | labour
	The number of cases received by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has increased by 25 percent as a result of the unstable economy, while budgetary constraints are adding to the challenge of providing business health and job security in the country.

01-NOV-11·	Employment equity policy requirements
	Posted by | labour
	There are regulations that companies must adhere to in order to ensure compliance however many fail to meet these legal requirements which leads to costly and time consuming labour action. Des Squire provides guidelines to ensure employers meet the necessary requirements.

10-OCT-11·	Clean bill of health for Labour dept
	Posted by | labour
	The Labour Department received high praise from Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant after the latest audit reports were released. She commended the team for their hard work and commitment to spending 'the money entrusted to us by the people of South Africa in a prudent and responsible manner'.

22-SEP-11·	G20 Labour meeting to focus on job creation
	Posted by | labour
	Job creation will be top on the agenda when the G20 members gather at the Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting in France to provide progress reports on the failures and achievements of current strategies derived from the recommendations of the previous meeting.

30-AUG-11·	Minister meets labour for climate talks
	Posted by | labour
	Government met with representatives from Cosatu and Fedusa to discuss the role of labour in reaching climate change objectives, according to International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane 'without labour, we cannot achieve adaptation and mitigation goals

25-AUG-11·	Cabinet denies labour law rumours
	Posted by | labour
	Government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi reminded South Africans that the Department of Labour was still the final authority on all labour law matters and has strongly refuted speculations that South Africa's labour legislation might be relaxed in the future.

04-AUG-11·	Cosatu slams government for poor report
	Posted by | labour
	To say that the Employment Equity Act is failing to transform South Africa would be an understatement, especially in light of recent findings which has infuriated Cosatu members who are calling it a 'national disgrace' after 17 years of democracy.

04-AUG-11·	Government still hasn't cracked glass ceiling
	Posted by | labour
	13 years of reform have proven to be insufficient in eradicating inequality in the workplace according to the Employment Equity (CEE) Annual Report which has shown that black and female employees are still battling to attain top and senior management positions.

02-AUG-11·	Domestic workers exploited
	Posted by | labour
	SA's labour councils and committees gathered to present the plight of domestic workers in the country, where it was revealed that SA currently had more than a million domestic workers, primarily African women, many of whom endured sexual and emotional abuse by their employers.

22-JUL-11·	What if you don’t get notification of your arbitration hearing?
	Posted by | labour
	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.

20-JUL-11·	Tackling the heart of the work agenda
	Posted by | labour
	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.’

14-JUL-11·	Officials address skills shortage with National Skills Accord
	Posted by | labour
	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.

12-JUL-11·	EE Code of Good Practice essential reading for employers
	Posted by | labour
	Just before October, does your company turn its attention to completing employment equity documentation? Or are the requirements of the Employment Equity Act and Code of Good Practice integrated into your daily human resource policies and practices? Ivan Israelstam counsels employers.

08-JUL-11·	Labour inspectors target security industry
	Posted by | labour
	Labour inspectors will turn up the heat next week when they target the private security industry to ensure that companies are complying with the relevant labour laws. The inspection will include intricate examinations of company records and employee and management interviews.

29-JUN-11·	Business heavyweights meet government halfway
	Posted by | labour
	The inaugural meeting of the HR Vision Society tackles thorny question of the slow pace of transformation in corporate South Africa. Now businesses are accepting some responsibility and are exploring ways of assisting government in driving transformation.

21-JUN-11·	No shortcuts in IR training
	Posted by | labour
	Can labour law practices be taught in a day or two? Many training providers claim that they are able to provide a comprehensive programme but fail to cover what line managers really need to know. Bruno Bruniquel highlights some questions to ask when we are approached by training companies.

13-JUN-11·	Labour inspectors target farming industry
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour’s inspectors have embarked on a week-long inspection blitz targeting the farming industry in the Free State. According to the department, the inspectors will be checking labour law compliance. Besides enforcing labour laws, inspectors will also promote sound labour relations and provide information and advice on labour laws to employers and workers.

06-JUN-11·	SA stands firm against global migration trends
	Posted by | labour
	Despite recent amendments to the Immigration Act which have impeded the ability of foreigners to find work in SA, labour migration is being seen as a means of relieving the global skills and talent shortage. But is this the answer to economic growth?

17-MAY-11·	Labour department investigates calamities
	Posted by | labour
	Two freak industrial accidents, which have resulted in 19 fatalities and 13 people sustaining serious injuries, have been investigated by the Department of Labour. The inquiry was established to determine whether the Occupational Health and Safety Act had been upheld in both workplaces.

26-APR-11·	Labour law expertise makes dismissals stick
	Posted by | labour
	Employers constantly complain that labour law does not allow them to fire employees for breaking the rules. Media reports frequently repeat this entirely incorrect view. Employees can be dismissed, but the law requires that the employer must be able to prove that what they have done is both procedurally and substantively fair. Ivan Israelstam explains what is required.

09-MAR-11·	Gauteng employers warned: Watch out for bogus inspectors
	Posted by | labour
	As if employers didn't have enough to worry about running their businesses and complying with labour law, now Gauteng employers are warned to watch out for bogus labour inspectors. Complaints have come from the Brakpan and Springs areas of people attempting to intimidate employers to buy posters.

07-MAR-11·	More labour inspectors to arrive
	Posted by | labour
	The Labour Department is renewing its quest to ensure that all work spaces comply with the standard health and safety regulations. According to Labour Minister, Nelisiwe Oliphant, "farms will be raided and errant employers will have nowhere to hide."

02-MAR-11·	Schools shut down for asbestos contamination
	Posted by | labour
	Two schools have been shut down by the Department of Labour for contravening the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The schools, near Kuruman in the Northern Cape, were closed by labour inspectors as they were found to be contaminated with asbestos and bare electrical connections.

07-FEB-11·	No more loopholes for employers
	Posted by | labour
	In December 2010, the Minister of Labour announced changes to a series of labour laws - the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the Labour Relations Act, and the Employment Equity Act, and the introduction of an additional law covering Employment Services. Ivan Israelstam continues his series of articles providing his assessment of the proposed legislative changes.

07-FEB-11·	Time to equalise pay
	Posted by | labour
	It was about time the principle of equal pay for work of equal value becomes the order of the day in the country, the Department of Labour said in Kimberley. This was during the last public hearing into the proposed labour law amendments following a punishing three week campaign across all provinces.

03-FEB-11·	Labour bills threaten to weaken employers & increase job losses
	Posted by | labour
	Will the labour law bills published for public consultation weaken employers and increase job losses? Ivan Iraelstam argues that the positive aspects of the proposals are outnumbered by provisions that will cause severe damage to employers. This article sets out his argument that the proposals will cause "indecent unemployment" and gives information about his up-coming "Changes and Dangers" workshop.

02-FEB-11·	Labour broker research challenges misperceptions
	Posted by | labour
	The most common reason for a labour broker employee's contract ending is that the contract period ends. This is one of the many findings of research into labour broking carried out in 2010. Adcorp's Loane Sharpe believes this refutes the claim made by the Department of Labour and several trade unions that labour brokers are a 'subterfuge' for avoiding labour relations and, especially, dismissal protections. Sharp's article describes the research findings in greater detail.

10-JAN-11·	Domestic workers salaries were increased 1 December
	Posted by | labour
	Domestic workers have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group of employees. For this reason, there is a Sectoral Determination stipulating their terms and conditions, and providing for regular increases related to the number of hours they work per week, and the areas in which they work. If you employ a domestic worker, child care worker, or gardener ensure that you are in line with this Sectoral Determination.

15-DEC-10·	Labour law reforms introduced
	Posted by | labour
	The Labour Minister has announced that major reforms to the country's labour laws will be published in draft form on Friday 17th December. The Minister characterised the changes to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Labour Relations Act, and other labour laws as 'far reaching'. Tha national government has been attempting to clamp down on labour brokers and other atypical employment practices. * Download the amendment bills here

09-DEC-10·	Fawu ends Earlybird strike with agreement on permanent jobs
	Posted by | labour
	The status and use of labour brokers has been a major source of contention between the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) and employers. Now as part of the agreement to end Fawu's strike, Earlybird Farm has agreed to a 6.5% wage increase and accepted that 270 casual staff will be offered permanent status.

23-OCT-10·	Inspection blitz on building companies
	Posted by | labour
	After a week's focus on the construction sector in Limpopo, the department of labour inspectors have clamped down on three building sites - for failure to provide safety gear. The inspectors will return in three weeks to follow up. Failure to address the complaints will result in legal action. For details ...

12-OCT-10·	Criminal law and labour law are not the same
	Posted by | labour
	Many employers are aware that labour law and criminal law are not the same, and this is usually demonstrated by the "balance of probabilities" required for a decision, compared to the "beyond reasonable doubt" in the criminal court. But beyond this "test" not many are clear on how the difference between criminal and labour law affects evidence. Ivan Israelstam explains ...

24-SEP-10·	Pregnancy, maternity leave and labour law
	Posted by | labour
	South Africa's labour laws protect women employees when they become pregnant and ensure that they receive maternity leave.

12-AUG-10·	President Zuma on two-day visit to Lesotho
	Posted by | labour
	President Jacob Zuma has touched down in Lesotho for a two-day visit which will look into how South Africa can further assist the kingdom overcome its socio-economic challenges. The economies of South Africa and Lesotho are interdependent with Lesotho providing a strategic resource to South Africa in the form of labour and skills.

26-JUL-10·	Department of Labour boost unemployed youth
	Posted by | labour
	In its quest to curb unemployment and reduce the number of workseekers the Gauteng Department of Labour funded the Public Lighting Project where 48 unemployed people sourced from Department of Labour’s database of work seekers completed various electrical courses and were placed in 12 depots of City of Tshwane upon completion of their training.

22-JUL-10·	Bendix: Labour relations in Practice. An Outcomes-Based Approach
	Posted by | labour
	“Not every woman is an affirmative action appointment or candidate. Neither is every black person.” Ferial Haffejee quoted in a Mail and Guardian article – one of the many newspaper “cuttings” illustrating the real world practice and included in Sonia Bendix’s recently published: Labour Relations in Practice An Outcomes-Based Approach.

13-JUL-10·	Labour inspectors target iron and steel industry
	Posted by | labour
	Department of Labour inspectors have embarked on a week-long workplace inspection in the iron and steel industry in all provinces to ensure that health and safety regulations are adhered to.

13-JUL-10·	Writs of execution
	Posted by | labour
	Parties who are not happy with the decision of a CCMA arbitrator can apply to the Labour Court to review the arbitrator's conduct. That is, while the arbitrator's decision itself is not subject to appeal, the Court has the right to set aside awards and rulings of CCMA arbitrators where such decisions were made as a result of the arbitrator's misconduct.

17-JUN-10·	SASAWU on Manyi’s suspension
	Posted by | labour
	It has been reported previously that Jimmy Manyi, the Director General of the Department of Labour has been suspended from his duties, amid conflicting reports of the reasoning behind this action. Mr M Tyatyansti of SASAWU issued the following statement on that union's perspective of the circumstances surrounding the suspension.

11-JUN-10·	Govt hopeful of amicable labour solution
	Posted by | labour
	Despite the public sector unions declaring a dispute, the parties have agreed that there will be no strike action during the World Cup, and government says it remains committed to finding an amicable solution.

18-MAY-10·	Transnet labour unions to march to Parliament
	Posted by | labour
	The labour union strike at Transnet is set to continue with SATAWU and UTATU workers due to march to Parliament.

14-MAY-10·	Is Case Law Legal?
	Posted by | labour
	How safe is it for an employer or an employee to rely on case decisions in order to get to grips with the law? Many legal terms are undefined in the statutes. The legislators have left gaping holes in the legislation to be filled by CCMA and bargaining council arbitrators and Labour Court Judges. The big question that then arises is how legally binding are the decisions made by these judges and arbitrators. That is, do these decisions constitute labour law? How safe is it for an employer or an employee to rely on case decisions in order to get to grips with the law?

17-FEB-10·	R52bn for public works projects
	Posted by | labour
	Around R52 billion will be made available in the next three years to roll out various Expanded Public Works projects over the next three years.

28-OCT-09·	Retrenchment laws do not favour employers
	Posted by | labour
	Updated legislation makes it harder for employers to retrench employees. Employees now have the choice of going to court or of going on strike in order to challenge retrenchments, but the effect of a strike could further weaken the employer’s finances and necessitate further retrenchments. Ivan Israelstam explains the factors to consider.

27-OCT-09·	Business, labour welcome MTBPS
	Posted by | labour
	Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s maiden Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) has been welcomed by business and labour. Gordhan tabled the MTBPS in Parliament, saying that government would over the next three years focus on five key areas to grow the economy and transform South Africa into a safer, healthier, more skilled country that is able to create and sustain more jobs.

21-OCT-09·	Education minister heads human development cluster
	Posted by | labour
	The clusters that co-ordinate the work of government departments have been reconfigured by the Presidency to take account of new ministries. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga will chair the human development cluster which includes her Higher Education and Labour colleagues.

28-SEP-09·	Training in labour law is a must
	Posted by | labour
	We have represented countless employers taken to court because a manager mishandled a shop floor grievance or disciplinary matter and the employee was unfairly dismissed. ln some cases, because the line manager mishandled the matter, the line manager gets fired for incurring unnecessary legal costs!

23-SEP-09·	Cosatu takes stand for public holidays
	Posted by | labour
	Cosatu has spoken out against employers trading on election days and public holidays, stressing the importance of "honouring history and our struggles".

03-SEP-09·	Over-engineering of SA’s labour broking laws
	Posted by | labour
	As public hearings take place around the practice of labour broking, the Confederation of Associations in the Private Employment Sector has warned that over-engineering the already more than adequate labour law in place, could have dire repercussions for South Africa’s economy, employment statistics and productivity.

01-SEP-09·	Employers beware, acting on impulse can be costly
	Posted by | labour
	In many cases hasty and unprocedural dismissals occur because the employer acts in anger, writes Ivan Israelstam. A damaged reputation, poor service and procedural irregularities can cause the employer much embarrassment and anger; but acting against the employee in the heat of the moment can prove very costly.

18-AUG-09·	Mininster to put brakes on labour broking
	Posted by | labour
	Although Minister Mdladlana is keen to do away with labour broking, employers defer, as "it is one of the last vestiges of flexibility in our labour economy. That is, employers are able to relieve themselves of some of the constraints of labour law by hiring workers through employment agencies and labour brokers," writes Ivan Israelstam.

18-AUG-09·	Excitement mounts as QCTO policy firms
	Posted by | labour
	For the first time, business can look forward to demand-led education that is responsive and tailored to the needs of the economy. When it eventually gets off the ground, the QCTO will dramatically change the lives of all skills and organisational development professionals, writes Jim Freeman.

11-AUG-09·	Is reference checking legal?
	Posted by | labour
	Even those employers that have religiously and expertly carried out thorough employee reference checks are saddled with three problems, namely South Africa’s Constitution, the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Code of Practice and the Employment Equity Act (EEA).

04-AUG-09·	Employers are sick of absenteeism
	Posted by | labour
	Even if an employee has already received a final warning, the employer may still not be entitled to dismiss him for being absent again depending on the nature of the job and the circumstances of the lateness, writes Ivan Isrealstam.

28-JUL-09·	Unemployment rate increases slightly at 23.6%
	Posted by | labour
	Information released from StatSA indicates that professional people are "losing jobs in big numbers". There is also a higher movement of people out of jobs compared to the number of jobs being created.

27-JUL-09·	Drive to highlight looming Employment Equity deadline
	Posted by | labour
	In an effort to remind employers to complete their annual Employment Equity Reports, the Department of Labour will launch campaigns in the Northern Cape and Mpumalanga, with awareness roadshows scheduled throughout August.

22-JUL-09·	When strikers blockade premises
	Posted by | labour
	Strikes in South Africa are more often than not accompanied by picketing, and picketing easily develops into violence and blockades. Employers often seek to enter into picketing rules with unions, but end up making the situation worse.

20-JUL-09·	When can a trade union demand recognition?
	Posted by | labour
	A trade union will be successful in gaining recognition at your workplace if it can prove to you or to the CCMA that it has sufficient representation amongst your employees. The question is, what constitutes sufficient representation?

13-JUL-09·	Mdladlana commends bid to end construction strike
	Posted by | labour
	According to the National Union of Mineworkers, contractors have offered striking workers an 11 percent wage increase. South Africa held its breath recently as construction work on several 2010 World Cup stadia halted owing to the strike.

29-JUN-09·	Retrenchment laws are still being broken
	Posted by | labour
	While the Labour Court is fairly flexible on an employer’s reason for retrenchment, the courts rigidly insist on adherence to retrenchment consultation procedure. Too often, Ivan Israelstam writes, employers suffer the crippling consequences of not following retrenchment law.

22-JUN-09·	Controlling shop stewards is tough
	Posted by | labour
	There are numerous circumstances where a shop steward’s activities have drawn a retail manager into assaulting, threatening or otherwise ill-treating the shop steward.The additional danger is that, if the union members get to hear of ill-treatment of a shop steward, a wildcat strike could start without warning, writes lvan lsraelstam.

06-APR-09·	Deputy President launches 2nd phase of EPWP
	Posted by | labour
	In the second phase of the government public works initiative, home-based care and community health are high on the agenda, and provinces are offered incentives to achieve labour-intensive job creation.

25-MAR-09·	Labour inspectors swoop on accident-prone steel industry
	Posted by | labour
	“Our intention is not to punish anybody. We want to work together to eliminate incidents that have bedevilled this (the iron and steel) industry,” said Thobile Lamati, the Chief Inspector of health and safety in the workplace.

16-FEB-09·	Labour appoints National Chief Inspector
	Posted by | labour
	A National Chief Inspector has been appointed in the Department of Labour to beef up labour law enforcement in all business sectors and workplaces. The role will include responsibility for coordinating and professionalizing the labour law inspectorate to ensure an increase in inspection visibility.

20-JAN-09·	Minister reassures Youth Commission, Umsobomvu employees
	Posted by | labour
	Employees of the National Youth Commission and Umsobomvu Youth Fund have been reassured that their jobs will be safe when the two institutions merge to form the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA).

25-NOV-08·	Choose a career as a recruitment consultant
	Posted by | labour
	It is a career certainly not for the individual who sees it as: 'A cushy interviewing job' Interviewing only forms a small part of the diverse and responsible role of a recruitment consultant.

13-NOV-08·	Bumbling along
	Posted by | labour
	The South African industrial relations climate has not moved - the old confrontational collective bargaining head-banging continues post 1994. Why? When the advanced market economies have moved ahead, re-invented themselves, why are we being left behind?

12-NOV-08·	Labour inspectors should be paid better - minister
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said departmental inspectors should be paid better in line with their duties of ensuring adherence to labour laws in various sectors. Addressing the media at a Construction Summit hosted by the department in Johannesburg, Minister Mdladlana said while he was hoping to increase their remuneration, the department was working on increasing the number of inspectors.

06-NOV-08·	Don’t get caught not doing risk assessments!
	Posted by | labour
	The OHS Act requires every employer and every user of machinery to make an evaluation of the risk attached to any condition or situation which may arise from the activities of such employer or user and to take such steps as may under the circumstances be necessary, to make such condition or situation safe.

24-OCT-08·	Green Point Stadium naming rights to go on sale post-2010
	Posted by | labour
	The City of Cape Town has come up with several clever ideas to cover its budget deficit and deal with the escalating construction costs of Green Point Stadium, writes Michael Appel.

15-OCT-08·	UIF receives third unqualified audit report
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has expressed satisfaction at the performance of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) which has earned an unqualified report from the Auditor General for the third successive year.Speaking at the release of the 2008 Annual Report of the UIF in Pretoria, the minister said the fund had seen a successful turnaround.

17-SEP-08·	ISO 26000 enters final stages
	Posted by | labour
	The global standard on social responsibility, ISO 26000, is a major step closer to completion after fruitful negotiations on the working draft by 400 experts from 80 countries in Santiago, Chile last week.

28-AUG-08·	National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Bill passed in National Assembly
	Posted by | labour
	The National Assembly passed the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Bill on 19 August and it will become law later this year.

05-AUG-08·	Pupils, workers urged to attend govt info sessions
	Posted by | labour
	High school pupils, employers, workers and the public in general have been urged to attend the career guidance and labour-related information sessions which are to be held in schools in the Eastern Cape.

05-AUG-08·	Cosatu national strike action on the electricity crisis
	Posted by | labour
	The strike action is in accordance with COSATU’s Notice under Section 77 (1) (b) of the Labour Relations Act, dated 13 March 2008, in response to the danger of retrenchments in the mining sector and elsewhere due to Eskom’s decision to reduce electricity supply to industry and its threat to oppose any new major construction initiatives.

04-AUG-08·	Is there upward mobility with disabilities
	Posted by | labour
	As a person with a disability myself, I believe that every attempt to promote access to training and employment opportunities should always be applauded.

31-JUL-08·	EE definitions to assist companies
	Posted by | labour
	Audits by the Department of Labour have found that many companies are not complying fully with the Employment Equity Act, either because of lack of knowledge or simply because they don't take their obligations seriously. To assit those who do want to comply with the Act we have compiled definitions of some of the common terms used in Employment Equity.

30-JUL-08·	Labour Minister to raise awareness of UIF
	Posted by | labour
	Labour minister Membathisi Mdladlana is to interact with employers and employees in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, about the importance of registering for the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).

29-JUL-08·	Historic agreement on managed shutdown of Western Cape clothing industry
	Posted by | labour
	In a first for the clothing industry and the country, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) and the Cape Clothing Association (CCA), have agreed upon a disciplined MANAGED shutdown of the industry.

21-JUL-08·	UIF registered a staggering R27 billon
	Posted by | labour
	The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) registered a staggering amount of R27 823 billion at the end of March this year, says Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana. “This figure shows a massive growth from the R7.031 billion reported in April 2004. When I came in 1998, the fund was technically bankrupt," explained Mdladlana.

17-JUL-08·	Home Affairs unable to deliver on basic constitutional respnsibilities
	Posted by | labour
	The South African Department of Home Affairs’ vision states that it (the department) “strives to become the leading Department in South Africa in terms of service delivery and effective and committed staff members.” The strategic plan lists Mission Success factors such as “client focus orientation, accessibility of services, corruption free system...” among others.

15-JUL-08·	Forestry employers opposed to wage increases
	Posted by | labour
	Public hearings have been held with employers and employees in both the forestry and farming sectors to consider details of wage and benefit rates in the sectors. The wages and benefits are being reviewed ahead of 2009 when the different conditions within the different determinations will lapse.

01-JUL-08·	Employers urged to invest in their staff
	Posted by | labour
	Speaking at the 21st Annual Labour Law Conference held in Sandton, the minister said workers who had no means of getting to work and arrived with hungry stomachs could not be productive.

01-JUL-08·	Mdladlana to attend World Congress on Safety
	Posted by | labour
	The event, which starts in Seoul on 29 June 2008 and ends on 2 July, is being jointly organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) the International Social Security Association and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

19-JUN-08·	Nation building through skills development
	Posted by | labour
	“Setas have a key role to play in assisting South African companies to meet economic growth and job creation targets," explains Fasset CEO, Cheryl James. "By improving finance, accounting and management consulting skills, Fasset is not only contributing to the sound functioning of the economy, but to nation building.”

09-JUN-08·	Poor health, safety conditions at most KZN hospitality workplaces
	Posted by | labour
	Of the 871 workplaces visited by Labour inspectors throughout the province, almost half of the law contraventions recorded related to conflicts with the Occupational Health and Safety Act – resulting in defaulters being served with 60-day notices to improve or face prosecution.

09-JUN-08·	The BANKSETA reaches out to the Eastern Cape
	Posted by | labour
	His Excellency, King Zwelonke Sigcawu, Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana, MEC for Education: Eastern Cape, Johnny Makgato, representatives from South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), representatives from the BANKSETA and educators from the Eastern Cape attended the launch of the BANKSETA’s Thuthuka Resource Centre Project, in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.

08-JUN-08·	Half the salary=half the performance
	Posted by | labour
	I’m afraid of employers paying half the salary: I believe one reaps what he has sawn. If the employers will be happy to pay half the salary they must expect the half performance of employees, and that may contribute so much in down fall of SA economy.

19-MAY-08·	Labour dept to increase labour inspectors
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has set aside R690 million of its R1. 7 billion budget for this purpose, said Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana during his budget vote in Parliament.

13-MAY-08·	Minister declares war on worker-right violating employers
	Posted by | labour
	Addressing the International Workers Day celebrations in Orkney, North West, Minister Mdladlana said that despite the constitution in which the protection of every worker's right and the promotion of fair labour practices are enshrined, clear evidence was that millions were continuing to suffer varying kinds of vulnerability, including retrenchments and casualisation.

08-MAY-08·	Sell your labour not your health!
	Posted by | labour
	The Congress of South African Trade Unions, together with trade unions around the world, will be marking World Health and Safety Day on Friday, 9 May, a day which the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has established to highlight their campaign to curb injuries and reduce fatalities in workplaces.

22-APR-08·	Unions must protect workers against HIV/AIDS discrimination
	Posted by | labour
	Trade unions must ensure that their members are not discriminated against HIV and AIDS and that they benefit from the awareness programmes available, says Minister of Social Development, Zola Skweyiya.

21-APR-08·	Labour minister embarks on workplace inspections
	Posted by | labour
	Among the areas the minister will be visiting are several farms where he will inspect the working conditions and compliance to laws providing for Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS) as well as those governing the payment of wages to vulnerable workers.

21-APR-08·	Why Invest in Training ?
	Posted by | labour
	Even though most executives say that their employees are their greatest asset, the fact remains that investments (such as training) in human capital are considered expenses, and not necessarily an investment.

14-APR-08·	Five years on, domestic worker social coverage thrives
	Posted by | labour
	It was on 1 April 2003 that the department first included domestic workers in the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and today, five years later, scores of them continue to enjoy the social protection offered to millions of their fellow citizens.

01-APR-08·	Holidays are a waste of time
	Posted by | labour
	Public holidays are a waste of time regardless of what they signify. If it is a break from the "monotony" of work that employees want then they should take annual leave - no do not increase the leave entitlement.

01-APR-08·	How to end the job crisis for the young
	Posted by | labour
	One of the most pressing challenges facing societies across the world today is the high unemployment among the youth. Even though the current generation of youth enjoy better educational opportunities, youth unemployment has reached alarming levels.

01-APR-08·	Strikes and Deaths: Are they becoming two sides of the same coin?
	Posted by | labour
	The wage negotiation season in the collective bargaining calendar in South Africa is upon us. Unions are mobilising their members in preparation for this annual “tsunami” battles. Can we continue to promote the old adage that there is no war without casualties? - Or should we be working towards mediating issues of conflict without inflicting such pain?

29-MAR-08·	Workers feel bargaining pressure
	Posted by | labour
	THE increase in atypical forms of work in the formal economy and the extensive growth of the informal economy mean that better collective-bargaining systems are needed, says a report released last week by labour think-tank Naledi.

12-MAR-08·	Labour inspectors shut down wood factory
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour inspectors have shut down a wood manufacturing factory in the Mkondeni Industrial Area, after discovering unworkable conditions which workers were subjected to.

11-MAR-08·	KZN employer convicted for child labour
	Posted by | labour
	A KwaZulu-Natal employer has been fined R8 000 or will have to spend 18 months in prison after being convicted for practicing child labour by the Lower Tugela Magistrates Court.

06-MAR-08·	Law to change skills development structures open for comment
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has published the Skills Development Amendment Bill for public comment. The Bill includes details of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) which will take over many of the quality assurance work of the Seta ETQAs. The National Skills Fund is also set for changes to improve its governance.

04-MAR-08·	SA must develop ICT skills – e-skills Council
	Posted by | labour
	South Africa’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) needs have to be addressed in order to further development and service delivery, according to the e-Skills Council

28-FEB-08·	Colleges Simply do not deliver
	Posted by | labour
	Since the start of the SETAs I was very involved in their activities because I really believed that they could make a difference – just to be proofed wrong again.

28-FEB-08·	Labour summit strengthens social dialogue
	Posted by | labour
	The role of labour administration in strengthening social dialogue is expected to be one of the topics up for discussion at the five-day African Regional Labour Administration Support (ARLAC) summit.

27-FEB-08·	National Qualifications Framework Bill
	Posted by | labour
	Big changes are in store for the legislative framework that guides education and training in the country. Des Squire is feeling excited about the proposed changes, particularly the streamling of the quality assurance function and an end to the arguments about who owns what qualification! He outlines the proposed changes in more detail.

26-FEB-08·	Labour summit strengthens social dialogue
	Posted by | labour
	The role of labour administration in strengthening social dialogue is expected to be one of the topics up for discussion at the five-day African Regional Labour Administration Support (ARLAC) summit.

20-FEB-08·	Legal status of R1,6bn fund to be finalised soon
	Posted by | labour
	The legal status of the National Skills Fund has been under review for a number of years and this should be clarified by the Skills Development Amendment Act which is nearing completion. The NSF receices more than R1,6billion currently and this is projected to pass R2 billion per annum by 2010.

13-FEB-08·	Strikes and Deaths: Are they becoming two sides of the same coin?
	Posted by | labour
	The wage negotiation season in the collective bargaining calendar in South Africa is upon us. Unions are mobilising their members in preparation for this annual “tsunami” battles

12-FEB-08·	All SA learners now on same curriculum
	Posted by | labour
	This year marks the first year that all learners will be on the same national school curriculum

07-FEB-08·	China's experts on experience-sharing visit to SA
	Posted by | labour
	Skills experts from China could be heading for South Africa in the near future following a formal call by Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana on that country to lend a helping hand. The minister was speaking after a meeting with a Chinese delegation that is visiting South Africa.

07-FEB-08·	Namibia stands against child labour
	Posted by | labour
	Following in South Africa’s footsteps, Namibia has become the second country in Southern Africa to endorse a national plan of action to tackle and eliminate the worst forms of child labour

07-FEB-08·	Presidential golf meet to raise R10m for students
	Posted by | labour
	The Eighth Annual Presidential Address Golf Challenge is expected to raise R10 million, which will be donated to benefit the county’s students. The Trust funds the university education of students in the fields of Science, Technology and Economics.

31-JAN-08·	Chinese Minister visits local skills programmes
	Posted by | labour
	South Africa's trade relations with China will be further boosted, with artisan skills training and job creation dominating discussions when Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana hosts his Chinese counterpart Tian Chengpin.

28-JAN-08·	Task team to rebuild power supply at mines
	Posted by | labour
	A joint task team has been formed to take responsibility of looking at ways to rebuild in a stable way the supply of power to the mining industry

28-JAN-08·	Probe into workers’ exposure to poisonous fumes
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour is conducting a formal inquiry into the exposure of workers to poisonous fumes at the Assmang manganese plant in Cato Ridge in Durban

05-DEC-07·	New minimum wages for contract cleaners
	Posted by | labour
	Workers in the contract cleaning sector covered by the Sectoral Determination 1, Contract Cleaning Sector, and South Africa will receive an increase of 7,3 percent which is equal to the current Consumer Price Index (CPIX).

05-DEC-07·	Tough stance against fraudulent Unemployed Insurance Fund claims
	Posted by | labour
	Department of Labour has urged employers and workers to join it in the fight against fraudulent unemployment claims by certain workers

27-NOV-07·	UIF pays 2 million unemployed workers
	Posted by | labour
	In the past financial year the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has made close to two million payments to unemployed workers in the country

12-NOV-07·	ICC satisfied with SA’s preparation for 2010
	Posted by | labour
	The International Investment Council (IIC) is satisfied with South Africa’s preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup

08-NOV-07·	Steel workplace compliances sink even deeper
	Posted by | labour
	Preliminary findings of the ongoing inspections have painted a picture of an iron and steel industry fraught with high disregard of labour legislation countrywide.

08-NOV-07·	Over 2000 nurses to start community service
	Posted by | labour
	More than 2000 nurses will be deployed to public health facilities next year, as part of their one-year community service

08-NOV-07·	Workplace safety training for KZN union reps
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour is to train 50 union representatives on health and safety issues in KwaZulu-Natal by the end of November, in a bid to curb workplace fatalities.

06-NOV-07·	Our Labour Laws not one sided
	Posted by | labour
	Labour laws are being portrayed as being one sided and all in favour of the employee.Balancing the rights and obligations of employers and employees.

05-NOV-07·	Steel and iron industries ignore safety rules
	Posted by | labour
	Preliminary findings of ongoing inspections have painted a picture of an iron and steel industry fraught with high disregard of labour legislation countrywide.

02-NOV-07·	Iron and steel blitz inspection kicks off in the Western Cape
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana launched the blitz inspections into the iron and steel industry in the Western Cape by reiterating the importance of health and safety in the workplace.

02-NOV-07·	UIF pays beneficiaries close to two billion
	Posted by | labour
	This was announced at a recent meeting of regional heads of the Department of Labour.

02-NOV-07·	Labour inspectors order closure of Germiston factory
	Posted by | labour
	Department of Labour Inspectors have shut down the affected section at Tiger Brands Enterprise in Germiston following a gas explosion, the Ministry of Labour has announced.

01-NOV-07·	Employees should work as slaves and earn peanuts
	Posted by | labour
	Last week there was another barbaric decision taken by another owner of a Restaurant who deems it fit to claim R40.00 daily from his staff from their tips to share with others.

31-OCT-07·	Assessing Poor Performance
	Posted by | labour
	It is the employee’s duty to get the job done despite what may be classified as genuine obstacles. These obstacles can relate to health and in particular HIV/AIDS related issues that impact on performance but do not necessarily have dire consequences that can be incapacitating. Other issues might be transport problems, family problems and similar.

29-OCT-07·	Farm workers urged to know their workplace rights
	Posted by | labour
	A North West farmer has been given 20 days to submit proof that he has ensured his employees for compensation of injuries and diseases and unemployment as required by the Unemployment Insurance and Compensation of Injuries and Diseases Acts.

29-OCT-07·	Home Affairs bridging SA’s skills gap
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Home Affairs is to bridge the country’s skills gap by streamlining the process of applying for scarce skills permits and business permits for foreigners.

26-OCT-07·	Joint Policy Statement- Part Three
	Posted by | labour
	With these considerations in mind, the revised architecture will be based on the following principles:An integrated approach to education, training and skills development will be served through the incremental registration on the NQF of qualifications and competency standards acquired throughout the learning system, the recognition and appreciation of distinctions between different forms of learning and their specific contributions to the entire spectrum of education and training and expanding access,progression and mobility within and across all learning sectors.

26-OCT-07·	Joint Policy Statement- Part One
	Posted by | labour
	This is the first formal statement of government's policy on the implementation of the NQF since the historic passage of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Act in 1995

24-OCT-07·	Public warned about bogus inspectors
	Posted by | labour
	Employers and members of the public must to be on the look-out for conmen pretending to be Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) officials. This warning comes from the Free State Department of Labour, following a complaint by a Welkom employer who claimed to have fallen prey to the bogus officials.

23-OCT-07·	Labour dept trains 20 000 ABET learners
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has trained almost 20 000 unemployed Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) learners for the 2006/07 financial year. Addressing the Labour and Public Enterprises Committee on its 2006/07 annual report, Deputy Director-General Les Kettledas said, “the total funds available was R2.2 billion, and of this, R37.8 million was paid for the training of 20 000 unemployed ABET learners.”

19-OCT-07·	Law-flouting security boss arrested
	Posted by | labour
	A security company owner is scheduled to appear in court this week following his arrest in Durban. The man, who cannot be identified at this stage, was caught during a joint clampdown which involved the Department of Labour inspectors and the police.

19-OCT-07·	Set up for success or failure
	Posted by | labour
	HR publications often carry discussions and surveys on the value and reputation of human resource and personnel services; these articles invariably are critical of the contribution of these personnel within the company. The response invariably centers on these personnel becoming more strategically aware or business oriented. How valuable are these analyses?

18-OCT-07·	Skills conference begins with neither bang nor whimper
	Posted by | labour
	When the last National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) conference took place in May 2005, substance immediately took a back seat to style when it was revealed that the event – attended by some 2000 people – had cost a phenomenal R45 million to stage. This year's conference is going to be different, explains Jim Freeman.

16-OCT-07·	SA’s productivity averages 3% annual growth
	Posted by | labour
	Between 1996 and 2005, South Africa’s real output grew on average by an annual rate of 3.9 percent, while multifactor productivity grew at an average annual rate of 3 percent across all sectors of the economy.

15-OCT-07·	North West identifies priority skills
	Posted by | labour
	The North West has identified priority skills after its 3rd Provincial Skills Development Conference. The conference recommended to amongst others, focus on addressing the critical and scarce skills’ needs in the province, in order to build the capacity of the workforce and ensure the employability of graduates.

10-OCT-07·	Mappp Seta not the only one in trouble
	Posted by | labour
	The decision to place the media Seta, Mappp, under administration is not the only action that the Minister of Labour is considering to deal with Setas that aren't performing up to the required standard. Another six Setas are also in his sights.

10-OCT-07·	Inspections, law courses lined up for EC employers and workers
	Posted by | labour
	Labour inspectors in the Eastern Cape have today started a five-day blitz campaign to enforce labour laws in the eastern parts of the province.

09-OCT-07·	Aids epidemic: labour will become “dispensable”
	Posted by | labour
	If one had to liken the prevalence of HIV / Aids in South Africa to the seasons of the year, the country seems to be headed to a bleak winter of discontent. The signs were there for all to see, maintained Metropolitan chief executive Peter Boyle when he unpacked the group’s HIV and Aids scenarios at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business recently.

04-OCT-07·	Labour brokerage needed to address the rampant workplace fatalities
	Posted by | labour
	A government intervention in the labour brokerage system was urgently needed to address the rampant and unnecessary workplace fatalities, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said in Richards Bay.

01-OCT-07·	Labour Dept releases new UIF income threshold
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has announced a new maximum income threshold of for contributions towards the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) for 2007, with immediate effect. According to the department, this is in line with last month’s announcement by Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana of a 7 percent increase in the maximum earning level of contributions.

24-SEP-07·	Scarce Skills: Defining 'scarce' and 'critical' skills
	Posted by | labour
	Know the difference between Scarce and Critical skills? And the difference between Relative and Absolute scarcity? The Minister of Labour helps us to define these concepts and debunk some of the myths around skills shortages.

24-SEP-07·	Labour calls employers to submit workers details
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has called on employers to submit new details of their workers in line with the increase in the maximum earning level of benefits, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). The department urges that employers who fail to comply with the provisions of the Unemployment Insurance Act, will be constituted as an offence.

18-SEP-07·	Joy and celebration as rural schools receive computers
	Posted by | labour
	The learning process is set to change forever for pupils of two rural Ntabankulu schools in the former Transkei after they were presented with 40 computers by Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana. He urged the pupils and staff of Ntsikayezwe and Ntabankulu Senior Secondary Schools to make full use of the units to improve their studies.

18-SEP-07·	Minister to visit Sheltered Employment Factories
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana is expected to visit Sheltered Employment Factories (SEF), charged with providing short to long-term jobs to people with disabilities. The SEFs were created 60 years ago to provide employment to disabled people who may have had difficulties finding work in the open market.

14-AUG-07·	VII - During the audit: the Committee
	Posted by | labour
	In Part seven, we look at what documentation is required for the formation, and subsequent actions of your EE Committee.

14-AUG-07·	IV - What can you expect if you are a company identified for an audit? – The audit checklist.
	Posted by | labour
	In Part four of this series on EE inspections, we look at what the audit checklist is, and what to expect.

09-AUG-07·	SA’s labour laws 'empower women'
	Posted by | labour
	South Africa’s labour laws are in line with the empowerment of women, says Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana. In a Women’s Day statement, the minister said the improved wage and working conditions for domestic workers were contributing immensely to the total emancipation of South African women.

30-JUL-07·	Education MEC looking to strenghten ties between grass-roots and FETs
	Posted by | labour
	MEC for education in the Western Cape Cameron Dugmore has stated that he is looking to start an initiative linking grass-roots literacy and numeracy courses with the FET colleges in an attempt to try and speed up the process of addressing the crucial skills shortage currently hampering our country's growth

21-JUN-07·	ILO adopts standards for fisheries sector
	Posted by | labour
	The just ended 96th session of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has adopted new standards designed to improve the conditions of over 30 million people working in the fisheries sector worldwide. The new standards, contained in a convention, to be known as “The Work in Fishing Convention, 2007", will come into effect when it is ratified by 10 of the ILO’s 180 member states.

20-JUN-07·	Taxi operators advised to make UIF contributions
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has called on taxi operators to ensure they make monthly contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) of no less than R28. As per the government and taxi industry agreement, the current minimum wage in terms of the Taxi Sectoral Determination is R1 431 per month for a taxi operator.

08-JUN-07·	The Golden Rules of Employee Suspension
	Posted by | labour
	The practice of suspending an employee's employment is once again in the public arena following the suspension of radio presenter Gareth Cliff. Mr Cliff was suspended from broadcasting for two days after a complaint that he had insensitively re-broadcast a newsclip about the looting of a Bangladeshi's watermelon shop in the Free State. Media reports are that Mr Cliff is seeking legal advice. Despite the absence of any instructions, here's our brief advice to Gareth Cliff.

21-MAY-07·	Inspectors equipped to enforce hospitality sectoral determination
	Posted by | labour
	A total of 674 Department of Labour inspectors are currently being trained to enforce compliance with the newly promulgated sectoral determination in the hospitality sector.

21-MAY-07·	More jobs available for health professionals
	Posted by | labour
	There are more jobs available for health professionals in the North West provinceaccording to MEC Nomonde Rasmeni. “We have over 1700 vacant posts in our system and the reality is that we are unable to completely fill these vacant posts owing to very few numbers of graduates we are receiving.” she said.

18-MAY-07·	High blood pressure on the rise in SA
	Posted by | labour
	More than 6.3 million South Africans over the age of 15 years have hypertension also known as high blood pressure. This was revealed by the Southern African Hypertension Society. The occasion aims to raise awareness about high blood pressure and its consequences.

16-MAY-07·	Western Cape employer fined R7 000 for non-compliance with UIF
	Posted by | labour
	A George employer in the Western Cape was this week fined R7 000 by the Small Claims Court for failing to comply with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Act regulations. The UIF Act stipulates the payment of benefits to all employees.

16-MAY-07·	Workplace discrimination still rampant- ILO report
	Posted by | labour
	The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has raised concerns about the rampant rate of discrimination in the workplace. “Although progress had been made at combating discrimination in the workplace, rising gender disparities in income and other forms of discrimination including age, sexual orientation and HIV and AIDS status were a cause for growing concern,” said ILO in a new report.

16-MAY-07·	Taxi operators called to register with UIF before deadline
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour calls on taxi operators to register with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) before the month end deadline. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is currently offering tax amnesty to small businesses including taxi operators with a turnover of R10 million. The amnesty is set to expire on 31 May 2007.

10-MAY-07·	Dept of labour cracks down on company violating safety rules
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has cracked down on a leading tombstone manufacturing outlet, Capricorn Tombstones, because of non compliance with health and safety laws. The department’s inspectors issued a stern warning against the employer to comply with the provisions of the Occupational Health and safety Act, 85 of 1993 or face prosecution or a complete shut down.

09-MAY-07·	New protection for workers in tourism sector
	Posted by | labour
	The Minister of Labour will soon announce a Sectoral Determination for workers in the tourism and hospitality sector. The determination follows a five-year investigation by the Employment Conditions Commission which surveyed 900 employers and more than 1000 employees in the sector.

25-APR-07·	Survey reveals faulty lifts in Durban buildings
	Posted by | labour
	A random survey of buildings in parts of Durban’s inner city and surrounding suburbs, by the Department of Labour found 67 of inspected buildings have faulty or non-functioning lifts. “The findings of the study also show that a total of 33 buildings out of 49 have lifts that are not functioning or defective.

22-APR-07·	New head for UIF
	Posted by | labour
	The Acting Commissioner for the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), Boas Seruwe, has been appointed the fund’s head with effect from 1 May 2007, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has announced.

15-APR-07·	Public warned against fake UIF officials
	Posted by | labour
	The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has alerted the public of con-artists posing as Labour inspectors, swindling both employers and the unemployed into paying money for non-existent UIF registrations. The UIF said the scam was detected in areas including Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria.

12-APR-07·	Manganese poisoning inquiry set to take off
	Posted by | labour
	A formal enquiry into the exposure of workers to poisonous fumes at the Assmang plant in Cato Ridge, Durban is set to start on the 12 April. The enquiry forms part of the Department of Labour's investigation which started in November 2006, when six workers were reported to be suffering from poisoning. Manganese fumes or dust that is inhaled primarily affects the central nervous system.

04-APR-07·	China a role model for SA business
	Posted by | labour
	Businesses in South Africa should look up to China for lessons in developing the country’s economy. Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has urged Business South Africa (Busa) to establish contact with their Chinese counterparts. The minister was speaking at a meeting with the employer organisation, the China Enterprise Confederation in Beijing.

01-APR-07·	Presidency, Labour, Cabinet discuss protection of SA workers
	Posted by | labour
	Discussions between trade union leaders and cabinet, as part of the Presidential Trade Union Working Group, focused largely on a common programme for greater equity and security for South Africa's workers. Speaking to the media after the discussions at the Cape Town presidential offices of Tuynhuys, Minister Alec Erwin said that government and the labour movement were succesfully trying to develop a common programme.

16-MAR-07·	Security summit underway in KwaZulu-Natal
	Posted by | labour
	Problems faced by officers in the security industry are being discussed at the Provincial Security Summit currently underway in KwaZulu-Natal. The summit is organised by the Department of Labour in collaboration with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). It aims to establish a provincial forum that will monitor the implementation of a compliance strategy to be developed.

12-MAR-07·	Teta still confident they will get their money back
	Posted by | labour
	Although the curators of the Fidentia group are struggling to find enough money to meet the company's monthly payroll, transport Seta, Teta are still confident that they will be able to retrieve the nearly R250m that was invested with the group. The board of the training authority have welcomed the arrest of J Arthur Brown and continue to co-operate with all investigative authorities involved in the matter.

11-MAR-07·	Labour Minister's early morning blitz surprises cape contractor
	Posted by | labour
	Employers in the construction industry have been warned to step up their management of sub-contractors to protect their image. Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana sounded the warning during a blitz inspection at the Berg Water Project in Franschhoek in the Western Cape. He noted that contraventions of occupational health and safety regulations in the sector were largely caused by sub-contractors, who were giving the companies and the country at large a bad image.

11-MAR-07·	Eastern Cape construction crackdown exposes rot
	Posted by | labour
	Disregard of workplace safety measures continues to prove a trend as Labour Inspectors embark on surprise inspections in the construction sector around the country. This is what the Labour Department inspectorate discovered in four Eastern Cape towns.

06-MAR-07·	Labour dept stops Durban cleaners due to presence of asbestos
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has stopped a cleaning operation at a business complex in Durban, as workers were not adequately protected from asbestos at the site. Spokesperson for the department Zolisa Sigabi said three workers of a private company were removing debris from an asbestos roof without the use of the necessary protective equipment.

28-FEB-07·	Department of Labour investigates injury of workers
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour is investigating an incident at the QK Meats in Johannesburg which left 11 people injured while on duty at the weekend. The incident prompted the department to issue a prohibition notice to the Management of QK Meats, barring it from using its cold storage facility until it met the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and other relevant regulations.

25-FEB-07·	KZN domestic employers fail to adhere to legislation
	Posted by | labour
	Twenty domestic employers in KwaZulu Natal were wrapped on the knuckles by Labour Inspectors for failing to produce employment records of their workers on Friday. The employers were among those raided by officials during a blitz inspection of 1 912 households throughout the province.

21-FEB-07·	86 724 employees benefit from skills training
	Posted by | labour
	Accompanying the release of the national budget, and the financial plans for government departments, is an update on the performance of the Setas. Included in the Labour Department's annual plans, the review shows performance against targets set up to 2010, with the Seta system managing to register more than 86 000 workers on learning programmes in the current strategy period.

09-FEB-07·	Economic growth not translated into new jobs
	Posted by | labour
	Economic growth has not translated into new and better jobs that could reduce poverty, the Deputy Director-General for the Department of Labour Les Kettledas said. Kettledas was speaking at the United Nations Social Development Commission held at the UN headquarters in New York.

08-FEB-07·	Employer fined R50 000 or imprisonment for risking worker's life
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has welcomed the Odendaalsrus Magistrate Court ruling, against an employer who violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) regulations. The employer was sentenced to pay a fine of R50 000 or 12 months imprisonment for exposing his employees to unsafe working conditions.

26-JAN-07·	Global unemployment still high despite economic growth - ILO
	Posted by | labour
	Global unemployment remains high, despite the current climate of strong economic growth, a report by the United Nations mandated International Labour Organisation (ILO) has revealed. Figures indicated that while world productivity increased by 26 percent, the global number of the employed rose by only 16.6 percent.

16-NOV-06·	Team to clean labour dept’s audit queries
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has appointed a project team to rectify recent audit qualifications the Auditor General has raised about it. Speaking during a roadshow in Johannesburg, Director-General Vanguard Mkosana said the newly established project team would help manage the department’s assets and report on issues timeously.

14-NOV-06·	Department of Labour top brass at the coalface
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour's top brass will embark on countrywide roadshows aimed at gathering firsthand experience from the labour centres for the purposes of rendering better services.

07-NOV-06·	CCMA celebrates 10th anniversary
	Posted by | labour
	South Africa’s workers and employers will celebrate improved relationships when the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) marks its 10th anniversary on 11 November. The CCMA was one of the first major organisations established by the new government after it took power in 1994, to promote social justice and equality in the workplace.

25-OCT-06·	Future of sheltered factories hangs in the balance
	Posted by | labour
	The future of Sheltered Employment Factories (SEF) is to be determined when the Department of Labour meets with the National Treasury next month to decide whether the factories should be turned into trading entities under the Public Finance Management Act.

23-OCT-06·	Sasol report handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has handed over the long awaited Sasol Report to the National Prosecuting Authority, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has said. This follows the probe by inspectors in the department's occupational health and safety unit.

20-OCT-06·	SA to learn from Irish and Thai examples in tourism sector
	Posted by | labour
	South Africa could learn from the experiences of Ireland and Thailand on how to address the shortage of skills in the tourism industry. A preliminary skills report in the sector released by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism found that, like South Africa, Ireland and Thailand had in the past experienced similar challenges regarding skills shortages and relatively high levels of staff turnover.

19-OCT-06·	Call to accelerate skills development in tourism sector
	Posted by | labour
	Delegates at a tourism-sector skills conference heard that 90 percent of the scarce skills in the tourism sector are in the high-skills level band. The main areas with shortages include technical management skills; information and knowledge management; product knowledge and language communication skills.

19-OCT-06·	Dept introduces measures to enhance delivery
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has introduced project management as a new way of doing business, in an effort to contain bureaucracy and enhance service delivery. For this reason, 14 projects have been prioritised for this financial year that has seen 250 staff getting training in this regard, to reduce waste of time and resources on bureaucratic detail.

12-OCT-06·	Mdladlana wants to learn from Chinese example
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has called on South Africans to learn from the economic success that China has achieved. Speaking at the signing of an agreement between labour ministries in the two countries, Mdladlana emphasised that China had decided to take part in the international economy on its own terms and managed to achieve this under the banner of a socialist state.

04-OCT-06·	Limiting employer liability for the actions of employees
	Posted by | labour
	The recent Old Mutual decision and 2005’s Naspers decision should serve as lessons to employers that they must take proactive steps to avoid being held liable for the unlawful actions of their employees. Work-In-Solutions take a look at those decisions and list some of the practical ways that employers can prevent liability.

04-OCT-06·	Public hearings on private security sector conditions
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour in the Northern Cape will conduct public hearings for the Private Security Sector. The hearings form part of the Department’s efforts to establish sound employment conditions, including the minimum wage, working hours and leave accruement in the Private Security Sector.

28-SEP-06·	Dwindling unemployment an indication of good labour market policies
	Posted by | labour
	The decline in unemployment figures as projected by Statistics South Africa is a vindication of sound and flexible labour market polices being pursued by government, says Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana. He was reacting to news that unemployment has dropped from 26,5% in March 2005 to 25,6% in March 2006.

19-SEP-06·	EE model should emphasise skills development above ownership
	Posted by | labour
	"The worst thing about the BBBEE model is that it gives more points for ownership than skills development. A skills strangled economy will simply increase poverty further."

13-SEP-06·	EE Commission stands by its accusations
	Posted by | labour
	The Employment Equity Commission (EEC) insists that it correctly identified companies it said had failed to comply with employment equity reporting procedures and warned that evaders would be charged with fraud.

13-SEP-06·	Investigations begin into tourism sector labour conditions
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has begun a series of public hearings in the Free State on working conditions and wage levels in the province’s hospitality sector. The hearings are to give feedback on the suggestions given earlier this year to the Employment Conditions Commission (ECC) on a proposed sectoral determination.

13-SEP-06·	Has your company been shamed by the Labour Dept?
	Posted by | labour
	Controversy surrounds the list of more than 1200 companies that the Department of Labour claim have not submitted Employment Equity reports as required under the Act. However many of those names have hit back claiming that they have submitted the required reports - and some have the receipts to prove it! Download the full list here.

23-AUG-06·	Mdladlana to open Zimbabwe border crossing centre
	Posted by | labour
	In a move to curb illegal migration, the abuse of labour laws and rampant crime, South Africa and Zimbabwe will officially open an office at the Beit Bridge border. The office, a first of its kind in Africa, is set to help Zimbabweans seeking employment in South Africa with legal documents. Illegal Zimbabweans who are repatriated on a weekly basis from South Africa will also be received at the office.

16-AUG-06·	Labour Department promotes SMME sector with skills programme
	Posted by | labour
	Efforts to empower emerging business operators are to be stepped up with the national launch of the Active Labour Market Strategy (ALMS) programme which aims to arm the unemployed with the knowledge necessary to start their own small businesses.

16-AUG-06·	Molahlehi and Botha for Essential Services Committee
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has appointed Advocate Edwin Molahlehi, former CCMA Director, as the Chairperson of the Essential Services Committee. He will be joined by business and labour representatives for the three-year duration of the current committee.

09-AUG-06·	Labour Minister’s Women’s Day Message
	Posted by | labour
	"The leading role that women play in the shaping of our economy reflects the changes in our labour legislation that the government has introduced since democracy," the Minister of Labour has said in his Women's Day message. He committed his Department to ensure that the most vulnerable female workers are protected.

09-AUG-06·	The formal induction process – still a necessity in business
	Posted by | labour
	When you take on a new employee are you happy for them to take a few months to learn the ropes - or would you like them to become efficient as soon as possible? Some time spent on day one taking a new recruit through a formal induction process will pay dividends later on says Teryl Schroenn.

09-AUG-06·	Labour Department nominated as Top 300 company
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour is very proud to have been nominated to appear in the Top 300 companies directory, to appear later this year. Publisher Richard Fletcher has written to the Minister of Labour explaining that the Department was selected, “due to your record of performance excellence over the past year”.

02-AUG-06·	Cabinet calls for Education and Labour Depts to co-ordinate
	Posted by | labour
	The mid-year Cabinet lekgotla saw the President and national ministers address the question of economic growth and the roll-out of the Asgisa programme. The Cabinet identified the need for the programmes of the Departments of Labour and Education to be more closely co-ordinated as one of two priority objectives.

02-AUG-06·	Department of Labour signs agrement with two unions
	Posted by | labour
	The dispute regarding an alleged unilateral phasing out of the bonus incentive scheme at the Unemployment Insurance and Compensation Funds offices in Pretoria has been laid to rest, following a settlement reached between the Department of Labour and unions.

02-AUG-06·	Farmer may be charged if boy is under-aged
	Posted by | labour
	A Reddersburg farmer outside Bloemfontein in the Free State faces a possible charge of contravening the legislation that regulates child labour which prohibits the employment of children, if Labour Department inspectors investigating should find that a boy employed in his livestock farm is under-aged.

26-JUL-06·	Setas present labour law workshops for employers
	Posted by | labour
	Two Setas are working together to present a series of national workshops entitled 'Labour Law for Non-Lawyers'. Stakeholders of the Bankseta and Fasset Setas will be able to attend the events, presented by labour law experts from Webber Wentzel Bowens, free of charge.

26-JUL-06·	Coida pays out over R1 billion
	Posted by | labour
	More than R1 billion has been paid out by the Compensation Commissioner, Mr Phineas Mothiba, to medical providers who treated workers who sustained injuries or diseases as a result of the duties they are employed to perform.

19-JUL-06·	Department of Labour saves R23 million in bank charges
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour is hailing a government-business partnership to bring secure payment solutions for Unemployment Insurance Fund beneficiaries as a resounding success. The new system has allowed the Department to save R33 million this year in bank charges.

19-JUL-06·	Labour Dept HIV/AIDS prevalence at 12%
	Posted by | labour
	At an annual evaluation meeting this week, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana announced that an HIV prevalence study had found that 12% of his Department's staff were HIV positive. He called on staff members to use condoms as one means to ensure the number of infected personnel does not increase.

19-JUL-06·	Safety first: employers and employees warned
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour says it is at pains to explain the reasons why employers ought to always put the safety of workers before profits.

12-JUL-06·	Trade unions and employer bodies de-registered
	Posted by | labour
	Bogus trade unions and employer organisations official records at the Department of Labour show that many unions and employer organisations are not in good standing as far as registration procedures and legal requirements expected from bona fide organisations are concerned.

12-JUL-06·	Kettledas bemoans lack of progress on child labour
	Posted by | labour
	Department of Labour DDG, Les Kettledas told the recent conference on child labour that it was a "serious indictment" that Sub-Saharan Africa had made the least progress of any region in reducing child labour.

12-JUL-06·	Conference highlights adult exploitation of children in crime
	Posted by | labour
	At the recent three-day conference on child labour, convened by the programme on Reducing Exploitative Child Labour in Southern Africa (RECLISA), experts spoke about their research on the issue of children used by adults to commit crime and their efforts to ensure legal processes take account of adult exploitation.

05-JUL-06·	Department of Labour staff out on strike
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Department Director-General Dr Vanguard Mkosana has laid down the lay to striking staff at his department. Strikers have been advised that the action is unlawful and unprotected and that they should return to work or face disciplimnary action.

05-JUL-06·	Conference discusses “increasing” child labour trends
	Posted by | labour
	The issue of children who are not attending school has come under the spotlight at a conference discussing the exploitation of children in Southern Africa. Organised by Reducing Exploitative Child Labour in Southern Africa [RECLISA), the conference seeks to find solutions on why 50 million children aged between five and 14 in sub-Sahara are not at school.

30-JUN-06·	Pensions for disabled workers increase by 2%
	Posted by | labour
	The pension payable to injured employees, or dependants of fatally injured employees, has been increased by 2 percent. The monthly grant is paid to employees who have disabilities of more than 31 percent resulting from an accident or injury.

28-JUN-06·	High level debate on changes to labour legislation continues
	Posted by | labour
	Employment creation and poverty eradication could not be exclusively limited to the labour market and therefore deserve dedicated attention and intervention by all stakeholders, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has said at the resumption of the roundtable discussions on possible changes to labour legislation.

28-JUN-06·	Sheltered Employment turnaround strategy
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has embarked on a comprehensive turnaround strategy aimed at addressing the plight of the people in sheltered employment, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) was told in Parliament.

27-JUN-06·	Conference aims to reduce exploitative child labour
	Posted by | labour
	Governments and civil society organisations of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland will assemble in Johannesburg in July to focus their efforts on combating child labour in the region.

24-JUN-06·	DoL is over-stretched already so can't monitor funds as well
	Posted by | labour
	I am not sure that the management of the funds should be a DoL function, why will it be better, they are already stretched to do what they need to do.

24-JUN-06·	DoL must exercise more control
	Posted by | labour
	CETA can not afford any support i.e. help desk for the tool and their own personnel are not even trained to assist SDF's. Imagine Microsoft releasing a new version without any support on how to use it???

21-JUN-06·	R50m bonuses for Department of Labour senior management
	Posted by | labour
	Director General, Dr Vanguard Mkosana, defended the performance of the Department of Labour against criticism from MPs on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Scopa, about the payment of bonuses to senior management and the high level of staff vacancies.

15-JUN-06·	Road freight workers protest outside Mdladlana’s office
	Posted by | labour
	Road freight workers have taken to the streets, accusing the Labour department of failing to intervene and implement a wage agreement signed between them and their employers.

14-JUN-06·	Child labour offenders face tough government action
	Posted by | labour
	Employers who violated children’s rights by illegally engaging them in child labour practices would be prosecuted, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said at the International Labour Conference in Geneva.

14-JUN-06·	Mdladlana to head international labour body
	Posted by | labour
	South Africa’s Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has been unanimously elected as the new governing body chairperson of the United Nations affiliated International Labour Organisation (ILO).

14-JUN-06·	ILO should play pro-active role: Minister Mdladlana
	Posted by | labour
	The International Labour Organisation (ILO) cannot remain uncommitted in a world in which, for many workers, life at work still presents a serious deficit said Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana during the 95th Session of the ILO Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

14-JUN-06·	Workers to benefit from second UIF increase
	Posted by | labour
	Unemployed workers are to have more cash in their pockets following the announcement of the second increase in maximum earning levels of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).

14-JUN-06·	Labour Minister leads delegation to ILO discussions in Geneva
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister, Membathisi Mdladlana is leading a delegation representing all the social partners to the International Labour Organisation conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

08-JUN-06·	KZN workers and employers invited to learn about UIF
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has invited workers and employers in KwaZulu-Natal to learn more about the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) at a free community outreach event, to be held in Kwa Mashu this weekend.

08-JUN-06·	Inspectors in Sasolburg to examine plant blast
	Posted by | labour
	A team of investigators from the Department of Labour is to examine the cause of an explosion which left a number of workers injured at a Sasolburg plant. The blast, which petrochemical company Sasol described as a “minor explosion”, occurred at a site known as Venko Park and left up to 19 people injured.

01-JUN-06·	Labour inspectors to probe construction fatality at car plant
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has commenced with investigations into the fatal accident in which three construction workers were killed at the Volkswagen plant in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape.

31-MAY-06·	New findings on job hopping amongst black talent
	Posted by | labour
	Culture clash and the dream of leaving a legacy - rather than the promise of higher salaries - are key contributors to job hopping in the labour market amongst skilled black employees, according to new research.

18-MAY-06·	Cabinet condemns Cosatu strike
	Posted by | labour
	Cabinet has described the nationwide strike by the labour union federation Cosatu as not only ‘unwarranted” but also “counter-productive” to government’s efforts to fight poverty.

17-MAY-06·	Labour Dept projects impact on skills development
	Posted by | labour
	Parliament heard details of a range of training programmes run across the country by the Department of Labour. According to the Minister of Labour the interventions were successfully completed and most participants were subsequently placed in employment. He also announced a new subsistence allowance for learners on Department schemes.

09-MAY-06·	Plans to reduce work-related fatalities on farms
	Posted by | labour
	The Minister of Labour spent World Day for Health and Safety at Work in Limpopo where he officially launched a project that will train farm workers to identify hazards as part of a plan to reduce the number of work-related fatalities.

03-MAY-06·	Public hearings on security guards’ salaries cancelled
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has called off public hearings on the sectoral determination for the security industry due to the ongoing wage dispute between the employers and the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) over the 11 percent wage increase demand by security guards.

25-APR-06·	Mdladlana: Employers and Satawu hold key to ending violent strike
	Posted by | labour
	Employers and the striking workers in the security industry were the only ones capable of bringing the ongoing violent dispute to an amicable end, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has reiterated. He has also called on Satawu to stop their members from assaulting non-striking workers.

19-APR-06·	Mdladlana defends Setas from SME attacks
	Posted by | labour
	The Minister of Labour has defended Setas from complaints that they are no longer assisting SMEs who are not contributing to the Skills Development Levy. However he also claimed that “some Setas are cheaters” and chasing targets without ensuring that they meet the needs of learners and employers.

19-APR-06·	CCMA not for the rich says Mdladlana
	Posted by | labour
	Addressing a community meeting in Atlantis, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has called on wealthy employees with a grievance against their employer to use the Labour Court and not clog up the CCMA.

19-APR-06·	Fishing company bosses shun Mdladlana
	Posted by | labour
	Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana fulfilled a prearranged appointment to visit the premises of Sea Harvest in Saldanha Bay. He was greeted by large groups of toi-toi-ing workers but no management.

19-APR-06·	Watershed judgment expected against equity flouting employers
	Posted by | labour
	“Employment equity is not about to be scrapped and it is time we live with that fact,” says Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana, speaking ahead of a judgement in the Durban Labour Court on two KZN companies believed to have flouted the Employment Equity Act.

11-APR-06·	Violence at security guard protests criticised
	Posted by | labour
	“It is quite disturbing to note that some people will not hesitate to use violence to push their viewpoint despite all the dispute resolution mechanisms at their disposal," says the Minister of Labour.

05-APR-06·	Mdladlana praises job creation strategies
	Posted by | labour
	The continuing growth in formal employment as shown by the latest Statistics South Africa survey was a clear vindication of the government’s sound job creation strategies, says Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana.

05-APR-06·	Labour market flexibility debate set for kick-off
	Posted by | labour
	The long awaited discussions on the labour market flexibility will kick off on a high note when Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana tables the matter for debate with social partners in Gauteng.

05-APR-06·	Shortage of social workers ‘threat to well-being of society’
	Posted by | labour
	The shortage of social workers in South Africa threatens the well-being of society according to presenters at a recent conference, with 16 000 social workers needed and only 300 graduating from universities each year.

24-MAR-06·	Labour Dept receives memorandum from security guards
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has reiterated Minister Mdladlana’s call on both employers and strikers in the security industry to urgently seek an amicable solution to their ongoing wage dispute.

22-MAR-06·	Blitz inspections target small businesses
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has announced that they will be running a campaign of inspections of labour standards at employers across the country.

22-MAR-06·	New Determination to protect forestry workers
	Posted by | labour
	A new Sectoral Determination has been released to cover the forestry sector. Workers in this part of the economy will now be guaranteed a minimum wage and compulsory annual increases at 2% above the prevailing inflation rate.

15-MAR-06·	Employers urged to submit their Return of Earnings on time
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour’s Compensation Fund has launched a campaign to urge all employers in the country to submit their Return of Earnings forms before the deadline of 31 March.

15-MAR-06·	Mdladlana lashes out at IT contractor
	Posted by | labour
	IT problems at the Department of Labour's Unemployment Insurance Fund have left the Minister of Labour, "fed up" with the company contracted to provide the service, and he wants them to step aside.

15-MAR-06·	Compensation Fund and KPMG fighting fraud
	Posted by | labour
	In a bid to combat corruption and dishonesty, the Compensation Fund has joined forces with the KPMG Ethics Line to set up a hotline that staff members can call to report fraud or any other unethical behaviour being committed by fellow colleagues.

08-MAR-06·	Labour Minister turns his attention to the UIF
	Posted by | labour
	One of the top priorities of the Minister of Labour in the 2006/07 Financial Year and beyond is to have an improved service delivery by all organs of the Department of Labour.

08-MAR-06·	Wage hike no excuse for mass farm dismissals, says CCMA
	Posted by | labour
	The minimum wage is not a factor in driving dismissals in the agricutural sector according to CCMA senior convening commissioner Glen Cormack, commenting ahead of the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the agricultural sector.

08-MAR-06·	Making sense of corporate governance in the Services Seta
	Posted by | labour
	The Services Seta has undergone a major restructuring of its governance structures comprising organised business and labour. CEO Ivor Blumenthal explains the thinking behind the changes.

22-FEB-06·	Mdladlana welcomes maritime workers convention
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has welcomed the proposed convention by the International Labour Organisation to improve working conditions for the maritime industry.

22-FEB-06·	Mdladlana lambasts African colleagues
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has lambasted fellow African countries for being in arrears with their financial obligations to the African Regional Labour Administration Centre.

08-FEB-06·	Labour Dept inspects roof collapse
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has sent inspectors to the scene of an accident in Centurion, Pretoria, where a building roof collapsed; injuring seven people.

01-FEB-06·	Labour official loses out at CCMA
	Posted by | labour
	Compensation Fund Commissioner Bongiwe Ncube was dismissed by the Department of Labour because of her inability to deal with the serious backlog in the fund's affairs. She turned to the CCMA for help, but didn't get any.

25-JAN-06·	More jobs - and more unemployment
	Posted by | labour
	Good news and bad news on the jobs front. More than half a million jobs have been created in 9 months last year but the number of people unemployed and looking for work has still gone up slightly.

20-DEC-05·	UIF to become autonomous
	Posted by | labour
	Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana has announced that the Unemployment Insurance Fund is to become a Government Agency with assigned powers.

09-DEC-05·	Skills acquisition a government priority
	Posted by | labour
	The national Cabinet has committed the government to equipping South Africans with the skills needed by the economy and will also be recruiting South Africans now living abroad.

15-NOV-05·	Mdladlana to address the ILO
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana will attend the 294th session of the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that will be held in Geneva, Switzerland.

02-NOV-05·	UIF monies to be accessed electronically
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has called on all beneficiaries of the Unemployment Insurance Fund to put their bank accounts into order and avoid experiencing unnecessary delays in the payments of their UIF money now that payments are made electronically.

28-OCT-05·	Minister puts disabled before foreign investors
	Posted by | labour
	Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana was very clear when he spoke to the Services Seta Disability Conference; he will not remove workplace protection for people with disabilities to make the labour market more attractive to foreign investors.

28-OCT-05·	Labour to embark on UIF campaign
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour is embarking on a project aimed at educating and increasing awareness on the rights and obligations of both the workers and employers in terms of the Unemployment Insurance Act.

28-OCT-05·	SA Business throws support behind Setas
	Posted by | labour
	Business Unity SA’s CEO, Bheki Sibiya has praised the Services Seta as an excellent performer, but believes many other Setas are not up to the job. Rather than tampering with the skills development system, Sibiya has a plan to improve performance all round.

13-OCT-05·	Mdladlana travels to Zimbabwe for discussions
	Posted by | labour
	Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana will be visiting his Zimbabwean counterpart to discuss labour matters, the plight of Zimbabwean farm workers and a range of other issues.

21-SEP-05·	Wholesale and retail wages under review
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has begun a process of reviewing minimum wages for the wholesale and retail sector after its three-year life circle lapses in January next year.

31-AUG-05·	Employers urged to prioritise safety
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana says it is important for employers to place employees' safety before profits.

25-AUG-05·	Mission to Cuba for Labour department staff
	Posted by | labour
	Twenty-one employment skills practitioners (ESP 2s) from the Labour department are visiting Cuba as part of a skills empowerment programme organised by the two governments.

03-AUG-05·	Labour Dept delivery in action
	Posted by | labour
	As part of President Thabo Mbeki’s clarion call on the civil service to fulfil the agreements reached at the Growth and Development Summit, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has embarked on a two day Imbizo tour in the Johannesburg area as part of his campaign to interact and bring services closer to the people.

27-JUL-05·	Labour market reform still on the cards
	Posted by | labour
	After a cabinet Lekgotla, President Thabo Mbeki has confirmed that labour market reform is still on the agenda and importing individuals with scarce skills is to be part of the government's plan to improve delivery in municipalities.

14-JUL-05·	Labour services now reach rural areas
	Posted by | labour
	Mafikeng - Rural residents of North West are now able to access services from the labour department on their own doorstep.

04-JUL-05·	Labour services reach rural communities
	Posted by | labour
	The Department of Labour has launched mobile units countrywide in an effort to bring services closer to communities.

30-JUN-05·	Minister please come to our rescue!
	Posted by | labour
	The message from training providers in KwaZulu Natal to the Minister of Labour was clear. A thick document comprising letters of complaint had a common theme – please come to our rescue!

28-JUN-05·	Labour services firm probed for fronting
	Posted by | labour
	The Nelson Mandela Metro has laid a charge of fraud against a Uitenhage man for allegedly using illiterate black men as a front for his employment companies.

21-JUN-05·	Mdladlana brings services closer to the people
	Posted by | labour
	The Minister of Labour, recently returned from the ILO meeting in Switzerland, officially opened a new department office in Nyanga, Cape Town with a rousing address to a packed hall of local dignitaries.

19-JUN-05·	ILO fails to adopt fishing convention
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister, Membathisi Mdladlana has expressed disappointment at the International Labour Conference’s failure to adopt a Convention that would regulate the working conditions of Maritime Workers.

15-JUN-05·	UIF expecting influx of taxi owners
	Posted by | labour
	The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) is gearing itself up for the anticipated influx of taxi owners wanting to register as employers and their employees - the drivers - with the fund. The registrations commence from 1 July.

06-JUN-05·	ILO targets unsafe work environments
	Posted by | labour
	Job related accidents and illnesses claim more than two million lives annually worldwide - an International Labour Organisation conference has heard.

13-MAY-05·	No more long queues for UIF beneficiaries
	Posted by | labour
	Receiving money from the Unemployment Insurance Fund will no longer be tedious for many who used to travel long distances, risking being mugged in the process.

28-APR-05·	Minimum wages for the taxi industry
	Posted by | labour
	Government has stepped up its efforts to regulate the taxi industry with the announcement of minimum wages and working hours for taxi drivers.

19-APR-05·	Collective action to tackle Africa's problems
	Posted by | labour
	Individual countries cannot single-handedly overcome the challenges of poverty alleviation, employment creation and addressing the social ills in their societies, said Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana.

12-APR-05·	Mdladlana visits Volkswagen plant
	Posted by | labour
	The Labour Department’s long standing pursuit of sound relations with workers and employers was further evidenced today with Minister Mdladlana’s high profile visit of the Volkswagen car manufacturing plant in Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape.

31-MAR-05·	UIF delivers sound financial results
	Posted by | labour
	After years of poor performance, weak internal controls and bankruptcy, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has finally come out of the doldrums.

22-MAR-05·	Mdladlana welcomes ILO budget discussions
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has welcomed the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Governing Body discussions on budget proposals for the 2006-2007 biennium.

09-MAR-05·	Mdladlana reassures Parliament on Setas
	Posted by | labour
	The Minister of Labour has told parliament that the Labour Department has conducted an extensive review of Setas and has put systems in place to ensure they are monitored quarterly.

01-MAR-05·	UIF is financially viable, says DoL
	Posted by | labour
	The Labour Department says the Unemployment Insurance Fund is now financially viable after formulating reserves of up to R8.4 billion.

24-FEB-05·	Labour Court finds against Multichoice
	Posted by | labour
	The Labour Court has ruled that broadcast carrier Multichoice could not unilaterally change employment conditions for its staff.

21-FEB-05·	Labour laws are an impediment
	Posted by | labour
	Labour legislation is a stumbling block to them employment.

16-FEB-05·	Minister questions Learnership effectiveness
	Posted by | labour
	Research has been commissioned by the Department of Labour to find out, once and for all, whether the national Learnership initiative is bearing fruit.

08-FEB-05·	Bogus labour inspector arrested
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has welcomed the prosecution of a Western Cape woman for allegedly masquerading as a departmental inspector and extorting money from local businesses.

04-FEB-05·	Labour committee and unions visit Sasol
	Posted by | labour
	Parliament's portfolio committee on labour, along with the Department of Labour and trade unions visited the Natref refinery in Sasolburg on Friday following the number of accidents that have occurred there recently.

02-FEB-05·	Labour department official suspended
	Posted by | labour
	A top labour official has been suspended, for "bringing the department into disrepute", the Department of Labour said.

01-FEB-05·	Zim threatens to deport Cosatu delegation
	Posted by | labour
	A Congress of SA Trade Unions delegation would be kicked out of Zimbabwe if it went ahead with a planned visit to that country, a Zimbabwean minister said.

01-FEB-05·	Mixed message over Cosatu mission
	Posted by | labour
	The ANC thinks Cosatu should go to Zimbabwe, but ANC minister Membathisi Mdladlana says they shouldn't treat that country like another province of South Africa.

18-JAN-05·	Mdladlana tackles Telkom retrenchments
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana will seek to meet with his Communications counterpart Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburi to discuss ways to avert the looming retrenchments at Telkom.

01-DEC-04·	Labour inspections yield good results
	Posted by | labour
	A recent inspection blitz at wholesale and retail businesses in Mpumalanga has yielded good results, that saw the Department of Labour forcing some employers to establish corrective measures.<

24-NOV-04·	Labour to investigate roof collapse
	Posted by | labour
	Structural investigators from the Department of Labour are to investigate the collapse of a 30-year-old roof structure at Wits Technikon, at Auckland Park, Johannesburg, at the weekend.

22-NOV-04·	Official appointment for Labour DG
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has appointed Dr Mbuyiseli Vanguard Mkosana as his department's new Director-General with effect from the 1 December.

08-OCT-04·	How to get onto a learnership
	Posted by | labour
	Here are some tips if you would like to do a learnership.

04-OCT-04·	Zim and SA sign labour agreement
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister, Membathisi Mdladlana, said a memorandum of understanding signed between South Africa and Zimbabwe would help to stem the tide of unscrupulous employers who employ Zimbabweans without valid work permits.

29-SEP-04·	Employment Equity deadline looms
	Posted by | labour
	The Labour Minister has reminded all designated employers to submit their latest employment equity reports on October 1st.

23-SEP-04·	Unions urged to protect workers
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has called upon trade union leaders to visit workplaces often and has emphasised that workers should not be left to the mercy of abusive employers.

23-SEP-04·	Mdladlana welcomes arrest of dept official
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has welcomed the arrest of the Eastern Cape's Labour Deparment Executive Manager for alleged corruption relating to bribery and contravening government's tendering processes.

08-SEP-04·	Minister confirms that CCMA services are free
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has confirmed to the public that the services of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) are free to anyone who wishes to use them.

02-SEP-04·	Labour Inspectors shut down Sasol
	Posted by | labour
	Inspectors from the Department of Labour have shut down operations at the Sasol plant in Secunda in Mpumalanga following an explosion that killed six workers and injured several others.

27-AUG-04·	Compensation fund fraudster locked up
	Posted by | labour
	Labour Minister Memebathisi Mdladlana has welcomed the conviction of a Krugersdorp woman after the Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria found her guilty of defrauding the Department's Compensation Fund.

27-AUG-04·	Labour Dept check domestic worker compliance
	Posted by | labour
	The Labour Department has embarked on a blitz inspection in four provinces to check employer compliance with the sectoral determination that sets minimum wages and conditions of employment in the domestic sector.

26-JUL-04·	Minister praises CCMA intervention
	Posted by | labour
	Mdladlana hails CCMA's case management system Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has praised the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) after some unfairly dismissed farm workers were given their jobs back.

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