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15 February 2025 Labour & Employment Watch

Focus


Minimum wage increase barely covers workers’ costs

There has been pushback from business regarding the 1 March increase in the national minimum wage, but the latest Household Affordability Index report has highlighted how difficult it is for low-income earners to feed their families with nutritious food, writes ... Read More

South Africa


Current growth rate won’t tackle unemployment

The World Bank cautions that a 2% GDP growth rate in SA is insufficient to significantly reduce poverty and unemployment. In its latest economic update, which also includes a section on SA’s basic education system, the lender says it expects ... Read More

Scramble to deal with freeze on US foreign aid

SA’s healthcare community is scrambling to deal with the fall-out from the Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid. The freeze has put more than 15 300 healthcare workers’ jobs on the line, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi told Parliament. The personnel ... Read More

One month reprieve for Amsa workers

ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) has again delayed the shutdown of its longs business following a R380m cash injection, writes BusinessTech. Amsa is quoted as saying it had delayed the closure by about one month to enable the fulfilment of the higher-than-anticipated ... Read More

Analysis


Retirement age dismissals not clear-cut

A Constitutional Court judgment, handed down in December, creates legal uncertainty regarding the consequences of an employee reaching the normal or agreed retirement age. JJ van der Walt, counsel in employment law at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, notes that two matters ... Read More

Rolling back DEI could impact companies’ bottom line

In recent weeks, headlines have been dominated by US companies scaling back their DEI (diversity, equality, and inclusion) initiatives. The Trump administration and big names like McDonald’s and Meta are among those rebranding or even dismantling their diversity programmes in ... Read More

World


Judges block Trump’s executive actions

A US federal judge granted a temporary restraining order, halting the Trump administration’s attempt to sideline nearly 2 700 US Agency for International Development (USAID) employees by placing them on paid leave and recalling most of those stationed abroad. A ... Read More

Kenya’s new policy of sending workers abroad

They line up by the hundreds to meet recruiters at schools in provincial towns and convention halls in large cities, some carrying advanced diplomas, others with only a primary education to their name. BusinessLIVE reports each is hoping to land ... Read More

Lesotho health workers caught up in USAID suspension

About 1 500 health workers, including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians and counsellors – working in Lesotho in US-funded programmes, have been directly affected by Trump’s unilateral suspension of USAID. Minister of Health Selibe Mochoboroane said the government was working to ... Read More

Briefs


Pick n Pay announces store closures

* Pick n Pay has announced that it has closed the doors of 32 stores and converted five company-owned supermarkets to franchises. The retailing giant said that all staff affected by the store closure and conversions were consulted and ‘more than ... Read More

Fraud accused told to pay back the money

* A Western Cape municipal official convicted of defrauding the municipality has been ordered to pay back R500 000 using his pension fund. Bergrivier Municipality's former chief of credit control, Pieter Jacobus Adams was found guilty of 435 counts of ... Read More

KZN health workers protest work conditions

* Healthcare workers affiliated with the Public Servants Association are picketing outside the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi, south of Durban. They say that the hospital has been without water for two weeks, affecting hygiene and patient care, and the ... Read More

Case Law Briefs


Shaw v Absa (Pension withdrawal)

Financial Services Tribunal: Shaw v ABSA Bank Pension Fund and Another Judgment: 25 January 2025 Keywords: Pension Funds – Reconsideration application – entitlement to one-third lump sum withdrawal – election on retirement is binding Summary: The applicant, Hermann Matthysen Shaw ... Read More

SA Municipal Workers Union v Miya (Court jurisdiction)

Free State High Court (Bloemfontein): SA Municipal Workers Union v Mokone Moses Miya Judgment: 30 January 2025 Keywords: Jurisdiction – residence – definition of residence Summary: The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) instituted action against Mokone Moses Miya for payment ... Read More

Mthetho Hlamandana v Premier, Eastern Cape (Powers of removal)

Eastern Cape High Court (Mthatha): Mthetho Hlamandana & Another v Premier, Eastern Cape Provincial Government & Others Judgment: 4 February 2025 Keywords: Review application – Disciplinary hearing – Allegations of procedural irregularities in hearing and acting ultra vires statutory powers ... Read More

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