The past year has been incredibly challenging for employees for a multitude of reasons. The greatest pressure has been felt by unskilled workers, youth and women...
Jeandie Leone 1 Apr 2021
Skills development facilitator for the EIE Group Millicent Mphela is on a mission to prove that women are every bit as capable as men when it comes to male-dominated industries like the heavy machinery sector...
Since the initial shutdown and panic buying of goods, especially essential ones, we are now seeing the easing of restrictions and a wider variety of goods being offered once more. The entire distribution chain has had to adapt to these fluctuations in order to ensure a steady supply of goods to customers...
Kim Coetzee 29 Jun 2020
When South Africa entered full lockdown, many industries were forced to shut their doors. Yet rather than remain closed, these industries adapted their offerings. We saw clothing manufacturers turn to the manufacture of personal protective equipment, and alcohol producers branch out into cleaning products and sanitizers...
Jeandie Leone 22 May 2020
Despite the increasing rate of unemployment in South Africa, businesses can play a meaningful role in creating sustainable job opportunities for the youth, those that are most affected. The opportunity lies where Temporary Employment Services (TES) can facilitate the sharing of skills...
Theresa Ackerman 6 May 2020
Due to the rise in cybercrime attacks, South Africa's information technology (IT) experts have warned businesses to ensure their electronic information is correctly stored and protected...
Disruptive business models will require new job specifications, which in turn will demand an element of upskilling...
Since the landmark decision in the Constitutional Court - in the Assign Services matter - much has been written in the media about the notion that temporary employment services are now out of the picture...
During the summer holiday season there is increased demand at retailers for consumer goods and products. This increases demand across the sector right through to manufacturing...
Tebogo Moalusi 11 Oct 2019
It is good practice for employers to review and audit their human resources and labour relations policies and practices annually. This is especially true when there are amendments to labour laws as well as when significant case law that has passed through from the Courts...
Despite the Constitutional Court ruling on Temporary Employment Services (TES) of placed workers being deemed employees of the client, employees should not have an automatic expectation of being transferred onto the books of the client...
All labour brokers have to register themselves with the Department of Labour before getting into the business of placing work seekers in the job market...
The world as we know it is on the brink of a revolution, driven by emerging technologies that are set to fundamentally alter our lives in unprecedented and unanticipated ways...
Tebogo Moalusi 22 Feb 2019
Labour brokers are finding ways to sidestep the recent amendment to South Africa's labour law and judgement by the Constitutional Court that compels companies to provide permanent contracts to temporary employees after a three-month period...
For a country that contributes to highly technical and specialist industries of mining, oil and gas, South Africa has a dearth of many of the artisanal skills required within these sectors...
Tebogo Moalusi 11 Sep 2018
2018 World Breastfeeding Week, which runs from 1-7 August, is emphasising breastfeeding as 'the foundation of life' and highlighting the advantages of improving breastfeeding for communities and countries...
Issued by Association for Dietetics in South Africa 6 Aug 2018
The Constitutional Court handed down its judgment in the matter, CCT 194/17: Assign Services (Pty) Limited v National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa and Others, yesterday 26 July 2018.
Craig Kirchmann 27 Jul 2018
The Labour Appeal Court has ruled on the interpretation of section 198A of the Labour Relations Act, deciding that the client of the temporary employment service (TES) becomes the sole employer of the TES employees...
Lauren Salt 13 Jul 2017
Hiring of temporary or seasonal employees is becoming increasingly common with companies all over the world...
Charles Mburugu 31 Jan 2017
Temporary employment services are a valuable asset for many companies, providing skilled and suitable workers quickly to ensure businesses have the resource they need, when they need it...
In the recent matter between Assign Services v the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (the CCMA) & Others, handed down on 8 September 2015, the Labour Court, considered, inter alia, the interpretation of the deeming provision contained in section 198A of the Labour Relations Act...
Talita Laubscher and Nadine Mather 19 Nov 2015
The new amendments to the Labour Relations Act give wider protection to staff employed through Temporary Employment Services (TES) providers or labour brokers and have had a major impact on the way local businesses approach staffing...
APSO white paper, 'A comparison of labour laws worldwide, their impact on the global workforce and South Africa's Labour Law disposition' notes that contractual agreements, employee benefits, etc. are common labour law considerations across the world...
A business and its executives are on a daily basis exposed to a vast array of risks - both internally and externally...
The judgement by the Labour Court provides clarity to the confusion created by the deeming provision, which was introduced to the Labour Relations Act at the beginning of this year...
Lawrence Diamond 13 Oct 2015
The Employment Services Act (ESA), which came into effect on 9 August 2015, specifically excludes s13 from coming into operation. This section deals with the registration of private employment agencies...
The 28th Annual Labour Law Conference takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 4-6 August 2015. It is jointly facilitated by the law departments at UCT, Wits and the University of KwaZulu-Natal...
Nicci Whitear-Nel 4 Aug 2015
The staffing and recruitment industry has grown and evolved drastically since the early establishment of agencies to fill the workforce with those returning from war in the 1940s...
From midnight on 31 March 2015 a new dispensation kicked in for employees on fixed term or part time contracts and for clients who employed the services of labour brokers (called temporary employment services in the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995)...
Ingrid Lewin 14 May 2015
With the Labour Relations Amendment Act (No. 6 of 2014), which took effect on 1 January, 2015, as well as the Amended B-BBEE Codes, businesses in the hospitality industry will have to make significant changes to the way they do business...
Can one review a decision of a commissioner who fails to provide cogent reasons for his decision?
Fiona Leppan and Bryce Bartlett 27 Mar 2015
The Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Act (BCEAA) came into effect on 1 September 2014.
The Labour Relations Amendment Act (LRAA), 2004 (Act No.6 of 2014), signals yet another move by government to streamline the country's labour environment.
The Employment Services Act, No. 4 of 2004, was assented to by the President on 3 April 2014. The Act repeals the Employment Services Provisions contained in the Skills Development Act, No. 97 of 1998.
Inez Moosa 11 Jun 2014
The Labour Relations Amendment Bill (LRAB) that was recently adopted by Parliament will have a significant impact on labour relations in South Africa. Gavin Stansfield, director in the employment practice says the LRAB provides more protection to fixed-term employees.
Temporary employment services (TES), or labour brokers as they are commonly known, have been under scrutiny by the government and unions for some time. The motivation for this is a perception that TES employees have much lower job security and that there is a violation of these employees' rights.
Hugo Pienaar and Andrea Taylor 19 Aug 2013
Business Unity SA (Busa) warned of significant job losses should African National Congress (ANC) MPs decide to change provisions in the Labour Relations Amendment Act in order to ban labour brokers.
Linda Ensor 10 Jun 2013
According to recent surveys and reports, South Africa has some 13 million employed people, with at least 1.2 million employed on a limited duration contract. An industry index released at the beginning of the year revealed that from 2000 to 2012, the number of permanent jobs declined by 1.9 million, whereas the number of temporary jobs increased by 2.6 million. In addition, temporary jobs presently account for 30.5% of all jobs in South Africa.
Linda Madayi 20 Feb 2013
The unregulated nature of labour brokerage practices have been at the centre of debate around job creation and retention in South Africa. The portfolio committee on labour has entertained various industry and stakeholder submissions in respect of the proposed labour law amendment amid calls to scraping labour brokerage.
John Wentzel 21 Dec 2012
A study about young job seekers has found that temporary employment services - usually referred to as labour brokers - play a big role in helping unskilled and inexperienced workers find employment.
Human resources company Primeserv reported diluted headline earnings on Friday of 7,88c for the year ended March, a slight decline from the previous year's 7,98c.
The proposed amendments to s21 of the Labour Relations Act, No 66 of 1995 (LRA) bring about two fundamental changes in determining whether or not a registered trade union is "a representative trade union", which materially affects the granting of the rights contained in s12 to s16 of the LRA.
Johan Botes and Lara Thomas 29 Mar 2012
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa has called off its strike action after reaching an agreement with the employers' federation, the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa on Sunday.
The retail industry is one of the biggest users of labour brokers, but since the debate about banning them broke out early this year, it has been remarkably quiet.