News

South African Engineers and Founders Association

20 July 2022

Please see below an important notice issued by the DG of Employment and Labour regarding COIDA registration and compliance, audits and site visits.  The notice is self-explanatory, but any member requiring assistance is welcome to contact us for advice.

Government Gazette NOTICE 1149 OF 2022

23 June 2022

Please see letter below that may be issued to employees regarding wage increases for 1 July 2022:

Letter to Employees Wage Increases 1 July 2022

14 July 2022

The TCOE Agreement provides that in the event of an employer not being able to work due to unforeseen circumstances, such as load shedding, and management takes a decision to send employees home as a result, the employees are entitled to a minimum of four hours’ pay for the day. This means that if your employees arrive at work and there is no power and you send them home, they must be paid 4 hours for the day. If they have been at work for 4 hours already and the power goes out, then you have already paid them the minimum and nothing further would be due.  If employees remain at work until power is restored, then they are entitled to be paid in full for the day. 

Company-level agreements can be concluded with employees around working time in for time lost due to load shedding, if you wish.  You will need to put an agreement in place stating that employees will be paid at normal rate after hours if you would like them to “make up” the time lost during the week. In the absence of an agreement overtime rate will apply. 

For more information, please see below:

The TCOE Agreement and Load Shedding

21 June 2022

Please join us for a free webinar, where we will take members through the wage increases due for 1 July 2022, as well as the procedure to be followed when applying for an exemption from the MEIBC.  The webinar will be hosted on the dates below:

We look forward to connecting with you.

5 July 2022

The Minister of Employment and Labour, Mr Thulas Nxesi, has recently expressed grave concerns about the rate of transformation in South African workplaces.  This concern has motivated him to fast track the amendment of the Employment Equity Act.  The imminent implementation of the Employment Equity Bill signals a more aggressive approach to transformation which focus on enforcement measures as well as sectoral targets being introduced

It is essential for employers to familiarise themselves with the amendments to the Employment Equity Act, as failure to comply upon their enactment may result in gruelling labour inspector audits or hefty fines imposed by the Labour Court. 

13 June 2022

Please see document below regarding wage increases due 1 July 2022 for your information:

Wage Increases - 1 July 2022

23 June 2022

This serves as a reminder that the employer contribution rates for the pension and provident funds will increase on 1 July 2022 by 0.1%, meaning that contributions from employers will increase to 7.7%, 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)

Please see note below for the levies and contributions which are applicable to SAEFA member companies:

MEIBC-MIBFA Levies and Contributions as at 1 July 2022

5 May 2022

Section 185 of the Labour Relations Act gives all employees the right not to be unfairly dismissed.  Yet many employers still make fundamental mistakes when taking corrective action against their employees.  As an employer, there is nothing more frustrating than having to compensate or reinstate an employee who has broken your rules.  The key to successful workplace discipline starts with understanding the principles of progressive discipline and ensuring you know the procedural requirements to ensure fairness. 

All too often, employers are ill prepared when taking disciplinary action against troublesome employees, particularly when it comes to conducting disciplinary enquiries.  Even if you have experienced expert consultants available to chair such enquiries, things will not go your way unless you prepare thoroughly and present a well prepared, structured case to maximize your chances of success.

SAEFA, in association with Gordon Angus and Associates, is running a one-day workshop to guide employers through the discipline provisions of the Labour Relations Act.  

For further details and to book your place please contact the office.