Nedlac agrees on labour law amendments

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Mongezi Mtati

According to Business Report, employers will have to provide courts with reasons for employing people on a temporary basis. They may also face criminal charges for not paying people overtime, if the amendments to labour laws that have been agreed on by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) are approved by Parliament.

Nedlac is the chamber for negotiation between the government, business, labour and civil society.

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant told Business Report that Nedlac had agreed on the amendments to two labour bills, the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. The two amendments deal with the status of the employee as well as additional remuneration for overtime. Oliphant intimated that a Nedlac agreement on the more controversial labour law amendment bills - proposing to criminalise labour broking and limit temporary employment - was imminent.

Oliphant has called for a speedy conclusion to the debate around the bills - gazetted last December - so they can be tabled before Parliament as soon as possible. Cosatu has threatened mass action against labour broking at the end of February, saying that "[w]hile the government's legislative proposals did not constitute a ban on labour broking, they were also not the weak form of regulation originally called for by business." Nevertheless, Cosatu will maintain the call for a ban on labour brokers.

Read the full article on www.iol.co.za.