Press Release: 1 September 2010
     
There are two battles being fought at the moment between government and the unions. On the one hand there is an ostensible fight for better wages; on the other hand, there is a political battle of wills. It is quite clear from the statement made by Cosatu Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi this evening according to EyewitnessNews -- that the majority of Cosatu-affiliated unions have rejected government’s revised wage offer -- and from the conduct of Ne...
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23 August 2010 - Source: IOL

As the SACP defended itself from Cosatu's criticism that its support for the public sector strike was lukewarm, the DA said the law should be changed to allow for unions to be fined if members destroyed property or put lives at risk.

SACP spokesman Malesela Maleka called for cool heads yesterday, urging Cosatu to forge unity in the tripartite alliance instead of "flinging irritable insults".

The SACP's statement came after the Sunday Tribune reported that ...

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August 2010 - Source: News Today

Striking public service unions have rejected the government's latest wage offer, South African TV reported on Wednesday.

"The overwhelming majority have rejected the offer," Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says.

The government was offering a 7.5% wage increase and a R800 monthly housing allowance.

The strike has been ongoing for more than two weeks, with unions wanting an 8.6% increase and R1000 monthly housing allowance.

The Democratic Alliance h...

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Press Release: 22 August 2010

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will be proposing an amendment to the Labour Relations Act to enable penalties in the form of fines to be imposed upon unions, or indeed any party to a strike, if a member of those parties, such as a union member, does not follow prescribed good practice during legitimate strike actions. We shall be submitting a Private Members Bill in this regard.
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19 August 2010 - Source: Business Report

The draft employment services bill intends to give the government an essential role in facilitating employment, but critics say centralising hiring in the Department of Labour will damage the job market.

Ian Ollis, the DA’s deputy spokesman on labour, said this week that aspects of the bill had potentially devastating consequences.

These include the establishment of a public employment service, the reporting of vacancies by the private sector ...
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Press Release: 17 August 2010

The Democratic Alliance (DA) views the draft Employment Services Bill and its explanatory memorandum, recently leaked in the media and currently being tabled before cabinet, as an ominous indication of an ANC shift towards the implementation of aspects of a planned economy. The DA believes it will hamper job creation and represents another attempt to centralise control ahead of promoting entrepreneurship and investment. The provisions detailed in the Bill wo...
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18 August 2010 - Source: 2B Business

Yet another piece of legislation with the potential for devastating the South African economy, the Employment Services Bill, is being tabled before Cabinet. If this Bill becomes law, it will see the Department of Labour become a massive, centralised labour broker that decides whom companies will employ. Contract work, seasonal work and temporary jobs will also be strongly discouraged.

“This legislation will hamper job creation and represents another ...

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17 August 2010 - Source: Business Report

Draft legislation now before Cabinet will make the labour department a massive labour broker and severely restrict the free market in employment, the Democratic Alliance said on Tuesday.

The draft Employment Services Bill was an ominous indication of an ANC shift towards implementing aspects of a planned economy, DA spokesman Ian Ollis said.

It would hamper job creation and represented another attempt to centralise control ahead of promoting entr...
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