South Africa can – and should – top up child support grants to avoid a humanitarian crisis
South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown is likely to have a devastating impact on the incomes of workers and their dependants. There is broad agreement that the […]
Cyril Ramaphosa
Ramaphosa breaks his silence on gender-based violence
Protestors say that the promises that the President made are not enough to deal with the scourge of gender-based violence.
Protestors call for tougher measures against violent men
About 3,000 protestors gathered outside Parliament in Cape Town before going to the World Economic Forum meeting in the International Convention Centre, calling for action to combat men who rape and murder women.
Ex-mineworkers march to Parliament on Marikana Day
Ex-mineworkers marched to demand transparency from government on the monies owed to them.
Why restructuring South Africa’s power utility won’t end the blackouts
Recent power cuts and the announcement that South Africa’s power utility Eskom will be receiving R23billion (about USD$1.5billion) a year in government support for the foreseeable future are symptomatic […]
South African diplomacy on Zimbabwe can remain quiet – but it must get tough
Cries of moral outrage have greeted the brutal crackdown by the Zimbabwean security forces on nationwide protests sparked by a sudden, massive, government-ordained hike in the price of […]
COSATU defends proposed minimum wage and labour law amendments
In what was a show of force to the rival federation SAFTU and to opposition parties ahead of the 2019 general elections, COSATU and tripartite alliance leaders used the platform of Workers’ Day to defend the proposed labour law amendments and national minimum wage.
Vavi warns SAFTU shopstewards against new ANC leadership
SAFTU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has warned that the new ANC leadership led by former NUM secretary, President Cyril Ramaphosa aims to erode all the gains that workers have fought for in the past.
Eastern Cape care-worker with two dependents live on a R1,190 stipend
Nokhaya earns a R1,190 stipend which she does not receive every month. When her stipend is not paid, she manages to continue work anyway. In those parched months her family relies on a R350 child support grant.
Ramaphosa officially opens Empilisweni HIV/AIDS and Orphans care centre
Empilisweni Centre, mainly funded by National Lottery, helps the community of Ndevana and surrounding areas. It has 200 volunteers who do door-to-door visits to needy families. They clean houses for elderly people, assist orphans and help patients with chronic conditions and those who struggle to travel either due to lack of finance or sickness.
Radio documentary on the Marikana Massacre
On Thursday 16th August 2012, the state and its heavily armed police force, under pressure from the mine bosses, government officials and the NUM leadership, […]
Domestic workers’ union says the proposed minimum wage is too little
Whilst delivering his speech on the proposed minimum wage of R3,500 a month, Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa said that the national minimum wage was aimed at reducing income poverty and inequality. The advisory panel which was looking into the the issue proposed that wages in the domestic work sector should be set at 75% of the proposed national minimum wage. In a report released in June by The National Minimum Wage Research Initiative of the School of Economic and Business Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand, 90% of domestic workers earn less than R3,120 a month.
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