Employers advised to use current employment equity legislation as reporting season opens this week - Department of Employment and Labour
5 September 2023
In a media release of 30 August 2023, the Department of Employment and Labour stated that although President Cyril Ramaphosa had, on 6 April 2023, signed the amended Employment Equity Act (EEA) into law, it is not yet effective – hence employers will be expected to report on their 2023 obligations using the current legislation, Department of Employment and Labour Director of Employment Equity advised employers.
The 2023 EE reporting season opened last Friday (1 September 2023) for both manual and online reporting. In terms of reporting timeframes, the manual reporting will close on 2 October 2023 and the online reporting closes on 15 January 2024.
To learn more about the Employment Equity Act and its impact on your business, book your place on our workshop, Effective Implementation of the Employment Equity Act being held on 20 September 2023. Alternatively, email us to discuss in-house training options with regard to plans, committee establishment and the scheduling of committee meetings and what is required of them: For more information or to book please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Increase in MIBFA Pension & Provident Fund Contribution Rates
19 June 2023
Please note that the employer contribution rates for the pension and provident funds will increase on 1 July 2023 by 0.2%, meaning that contributions from employers will increase to 7.9%, with the employee contribution remaining at 7.5%. This is in accordance with the Funds Surplus Apportionment arrangements.
For more information, please visit the MIBFA website:
http://www.mibfa.co.za/downloads/EIPFcomm.pdf (Pension Fund Surplus Apportionment information)
http://www.mibfa.co.za/downloads/MIPFcomm.pdf (Provident Fund Surplus Apportionment information)
Below is an information note for the MEIBC-MIBFA levies and contributions as at 1 July 2023, applicable to SAEFA member companies:
Working in Time Arrangements - 9 August 2023
7 August 2023
Please see below an advisory note on Working in Time Arrangements, for any members that are contemplating working in time for Women’s Day, on Wednesday 9 August 2023:
Wage Increases due 1 July 2023
9 June 2023
The Consolidated Main Agreement for 2021 – 2024 was gazetted and extended to non-parties with effect from 18 October 2022. Whilst SAEFA and others will continue to resist the unfair extension of this employer-hostile legislation in court, until such time as we are successful in this regard, the Main Agreement remains valid and binding on the entire industry. Consequently the wage increases applicable in terms of the Main Agreement are due from 1 July 2023.
Please see attached an explanatory circular for Management, dealing with the wage increases as well as an explanatory circular for employees at your businesses, which you may place on your notice boards.
Notice Regarding Protest Action on 6 July 2023
4 July 2023
Please see below with regards to the planned protest action on 6 July 2023:
Notice to members of protests on 6 July 2023
Notice to Nedlac of intension to proceed with protest action
Main Agreement Workshop - 7 June 2023
24 May 2023
Last year, the Main Agreement was extended to non-party employers, including members of SAEFA. Whilst every effort will be made to challenge this extension, until such time as we successfully overturn the extension, the Main Agreement is applicable to all scheduled employees on the shop floor.
In terms of the Main Agreement and industry norms, scheduled employees are due to receive wage increases. SAEFA will be presenting The Contents of the MEIBC Main Agreement Explained workshop on 7 June 2023 at the Birchwood Hotel. How to ensure that the wage increase process is seamlessly implemented in your workplace will be comprehensively covered, as well as all other aspects of the successful implementation of the Main Agreement on your shopfloor and is a must for all line managers, HR personnel, payroll staff, small business owners and any other staff that deal with the Main Agreement.
For more information or to book please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Are You Having to Consider Short-Time, Lay-Offs or Retrenchments in 2023?
3 July 2023
The metal and engineering industry is now under more pressure than ever before, following the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown. Coupled with severe loadshedding and the extension of a Main Agreement that is unaffordable to many companies, this means that short-time, lay-offs and even retrenchments may need to be considered as means of survival.
Legislation regulating these processes requires that specific procedures be adhered to. These legal requirements can often prove daunting to employers, particularly those who have never implemented short-time, lay-offs or retrenchments before or who have not had to for some time.
On Tuesday, 18 July 2023, the South African Engineers’ and Founders’ Association is running a one-day workshop to guide employers through the legislative requirements of the Labour Relations Act and other applicable laws.
For more information or to book please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Draft EEA Sectoral Targets Published
15 May 2023
The Department of Employment and Labour gazetted the Draft Employment Equity Regulations 2023 for public comment on Friday, 12 May 2023. The draft regulations, which are open for public comment for 30 days, set out the proposed 5-year sector targets for the various economic sectors in terms of population groups and gender for the top four occupational levels, being Top Management, Senior Management, Professionally Qualified and Skilled levels.
In summary, it is being proposed that any Gauteng-based designated employer (an employer employing 50 or more employees) involved in manufacturing will, within the next 5 years, have to achieve the following: