Many labourers in the Sundays River Valley have never seen a cent after suffering debilitating pain and even disability from accidents while at work. A non-profit trust wants to change this. By Anna Majavu and Bonile Bam Working outdoors in an orchard of orange trees or on a game farm in a beautiful valley is not as pleasant as it sounds....

Domestic workers should earn the same by 2022, say majority of commissioners By James Stent Nine of the 12 members of the National Minimum Wage Commission have recommended a 4.5% increase to R21.68 an hour next year. This is higher than the current annual inflation rate of 3%. The other three members, representing business, said the increase should be limited to...

The court has ruled that these employees can claim from the Compensation Fund if injured while on duty. The ground-breaking judgment also ensures domestic workers can apply retrospectively. By Musawenkosi Cabe “It’s unbelievable. We feel like flying, we are so happy. I nearly broke into song inside , breaking the law…” These were the words of 77-year-old Eunice Dhladhla,...

The company refuses to recognise a union and a community group as worker representatives By Joseph Chirume About 80 workers were recently suspended from Truda Foods in Queenstown. Some of the employees were suspended for joining an unprotected strike and others were fired for liking a controversial Facebook post by a community group. The workers were initially protesting over alleged poor...

Workers’ Compensation Act to get first overhaul in 23 years By Justin Brown Proposed changes to the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act to include domestic workers have been welcomed by unions. The Act was passed in 1993, before the Constitution, and has not been amended for years. The proposed amendments follow court rulings that the exclusion of domestic workers...

AMCU challenged sections of the Labour Relations Act By Wilmien Wicomb When a union negotiates a retrenchment agreement with an employer, should this be binding on employees who are not members of the union? The Constitutional Court ruled on this last week. The court found that in some circumstances the answer is yes. An employer can finalise a retrenchment agreement with a majority union...

City of Tshwane asked to provide land suitable not only for living but for work  By Elna Schütz Wastepickers facing eviction from land in Centurion are arguing that the City of Tshwane must provide not only alternative housing but space for their materials. The group of 200, some of whom have lived and worked in the area for 15 years or more, want...

Volkswagen South Africa has turned to the courts to prevent former employees and the EFF from picketing at the Eastern Cape plant, demanding compensation for their dismissal 20 years ago. By Anna Majavu Hundreds of Eastern Cape auto workers are still fighting for compensation almost 20 years after Volkswagen South Africa fired them for holding an unprotected strike. The dismissed workers turned...

“We have achieved this milestone after a long struggle” By Joseph Chirume Eastern Cape fishers say their lives will improve immensely now that the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has finally issued them with fishing rights. The fishers said they had been denied fishing licenses by both the apartheid and democratic South African governments. They said the issue had been the subject...

Judge expected to rule next week on whether Oak Valley case will be heard in Labour or Equality Court By Tariro Washinyira and GroundUp Staff Next week Judge Owen Rogers will rule on whether a case between Oak Valley and its workers will be heard in the Labour or Equality Court. It may seem a mere technicality, but a lot is at stake. For the...