Higher minimum wages for SA domestic workers

The decision to increase domestic workers’ annual wages, in line with the new minimum wage, ANC’s commitment to improve the lives of lowly paid workers.

SA wage hikes of over 8 pct unsustainable: Marcus

South Africa’s struggling economy cannot sustain current wage settlements of around 8 percent, which are also a threat to jobs, Reserve Bank Governor Gill Marcus said on Thursday.

Business confidence at lowest in 15 years: SACCI

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s business confidence fell to its lowest in 15 years in July, amid concerns that rising wage demands by unions will lead to higher unemployment, a survey by the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry showed on Thursday. The SACCI business confidence index dropped to 87.9 in July from 89.7 in June, the … Read more

Update: South African employer body accepts government proposal to end strike

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s main metals employer body has “reluctantly” accepted a government proposal to raise wages by up to 10 percent, it said on Tuesday, raising hopes of an end to a strike sapping the continent’s most advanced economy. The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa (SEIFSA) said striking unions had until Friday to … Read more

SA’s unemployment rate rises to 25.2% in Q1 2014

PRETORIA (Reuters) – South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 25.2 percent of the labour force in the first quarter of 2014 from 24.1 percent in Q4, data showed on Monday. In its quarterly labour force survey, which polls households, Statistics South Africa said this amounted to 5.067 million people without work in the first quarter, up from 4.83 … Read more

Stats SA says only 39 000 new jobs in 2013 – not Zuma’s trumpeted 507 000

We were bemused by the Stats SA report claiming the economy created 507 000 new jobs last year. That implies almost 5% growth in employment when the economy expanded under 2%. A conclusion which only makes sense to the innumerate. And politicians, including President Jacob Zuma, who has been trumpeting the joyful news at every … Read more

Global Data: ANC desire for minimum wage a very bad economic idea

Debate is good. More so when it’s based on facts rather than narrative. In this excellent blog, advocate and labour lawyer Frans Rautenbach relies heavily on facts, providing plenty of links to his highly credible sources.  The only people who still believe Nationalisation can work are those who have never bothered to check its record. … Read more