Firstly the National Minimum Wage which makes provision for the introduction of the minimum wage of twenty rand per hour which the Cabinet still believes is due to come into effect on the 1st May 2018.  Obviously the exception will be for farm workers and domestic workers.  This Bill still has to in fact go to Parliament and has to be debated and enter into a rather lengthy process.  It is still our guess that the National Minimum Wage will not become legislation on the 1st May 2018.

Secondly the Basic Conditions of Employment Act has a Bill amending it.  This will become law next year.  The amendments are good, it doesn’t really affect employers but there will be new inspectors and inspectors will be able to enforce the National Minimum Wage.

The good news is that the Labour Relations Act is going to be amended where there will be an advisory arbitration measure to resolve strikes that are intractable or violent.  Furthermore, there will be a Code of Good Practice on collective bargaining, industrial action and picketing.  This is good news for the whole of South Africa and we will probably see less strikes.

The Department of Labour has said that they will be going public on all these issues and will be going to have sessions to speak to employers and employees over the next few months.

MICHAEL BAGRAIM