Latest news with #labourrights
News24
5 hours ago
- Business
- News24
Setback for casual workers as court rules forum is not a union
The Simunye Workers Forum (SWF) has lost its bid to register as an official trade union, preventing its 6,600 mainly casual worker members from access to formal representation in disputes. The Labour Court of Appeal ruled that the forum's non-hierarchical approach with no permanent office bearers fails to comply with the union registration requirements of the Labour Relations Act. The court said SWF can amend its constitution and reapply for registration. For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page. In a blow to the Simunye Workers Forum (SWF), the Labour Court of Appeal has ruled that the forum does not qualify to be registered as an official trade union. The Registrar of Labour Relations appealed against an earlier ruling by the Johannesburg Labour Court, which directed the Registrar to immediately registrar the SWF as a union. This would have meant that the forum, which has about 6,600 members, mainly casual, vulnerable workers, would be able to represent them formally in disputes, wage negotiations, and in matters before the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). But Appeal Court Acting Judge President Kate Savage (with two judges concurring) has said the ruling was wrong. The SWF was formed with the assistance of the Casual Workers' Advice Office (CWAO), a non-profit organisation that assists casual workers with labour disputes. At the end of 2020, it decided to apply for registration in terms of the Labour Relations Act (LRA). To that end, it adopted a constitution, opened a bank account, and held an annual general meeting. In June 2022, its application to the Registrar was refused. SWF said it was a 'modern trade union', not constituted in the same manner as traditional trade unions, which it did not 'trust'. It had no 'hierarchical structure' or permanent office bearers It approached the labour court after the Registrar refused to register it as a union. In the lower court, Judge Andre Van Niekerk said SWF aimed to keep decision-making power in the hands of those members affected by the decision and to ensure that all work done by members was without remuneration, so as to remove any potential for personal financial interest. Membership fees were fixed at R12.50 a month or R150 annually. Ordinary meetings were convened when necessary. Each meeting elected a chairperson and a secretary for the next meeting. Decisions were taken by a majority vote. Judge van Niekerk said while the structure was unique, the Registrar had refused to register SWF, saying its constitution did not meet the requirements of the LRA. The Registrar did not consider it to be a 'genuine trade union' independent of the CWAO. He said since the LRA had been brought into operation in 1995, the labour market had changed and 'new forms of worker organisations will inevitably emerge to meet these challenges and better serve the interests of the more vulnerable'. There was no legal impediment to its registration, he ruled. Appeal court ruling But Judge Savage said the LRA dictated that unions had to establish permanent offices with defined functions and clear procedures for elections and removals. The SWF did not comply with these requirements. She said the Act created a framework for registration to ensure accountability, transparency and democracy. 'This serves to protect members, the organisation itself and the external parties with whom it relates,' she said. 'While the express intent of the SWF constitution is to keep decision-making powers in the hands of those members affected by the decision in question with all work done by members and no person remunerated for any work done, it fails to comply with the requirements for registration,' Judge Savage said. She said SWF should be permitted to revisit and amend its constitution, and it could apply again for registration. She upheld the appeal but made no order as to costs, saying 'the SWF and its members are the most vulnerable of workers, whereas the Registrar performs a regulatory function, resourced by the State'. A spokesperson for SWF said it had met its lawyers over the weekend and resolved to launch a constitutional challenge. GroundUp.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
South Korean delivery workers allowed rare pause in services to vote in snap election
SEOUL, June 2 (Reuters) - South Korean e-commerce and courier companies agreed to a rare halt of their delivery services on Tuesday to allow busy delivery workers time to cast their ballot in the country's snap presidential election after pressure from unions and activists. Asia's fourth-largest economy has a highly tuned e-commerce sector and South Koreans typically rely on couriers to deliver everything from fresh food to clothing, often in a matter of hours, with the service normally available throughout the year. South Korea's biggest e-commerce platform Coupang (CPNG.N), opens new tab, agreed to halt express deliveries for the first time since it launched in 2014, joining other local delivery services such as CJ Logistics ( opens new tab and Hanjin Logistics. "Rocket delivery will be paused during the day on June 3," New York-listed Coupang said in a notice on its platform, pausing deliveries between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Most of the tens of thousands of delivery workers in South Korea are considered gig workers or self-employed and do not enjoy the same legal protections as permanent employees. The job is also notorious for long working hours and a heavy workload, with couriers complaining they have seen few of the benefits from an improvement in labour rights in other sectors. The agreement to temporarily halt services during the polls, was positively received by some workers. "I welcome the decision. But on the other hand, it is a little regrettable that night drivers cannot rest," said Cho Shin-hwan, a Coupang courier, who had to work on past elections. Nearly 8 in 10 eligible voters in South Korea voted in the last presidential election in 2022, a far higher turnout than recent elections held in other democracies such as the United States and Japan. Presidential election days are designated as a national holiday in South Korea to encourage workers to vote, with polls for the snap election staying open between 6 a.m. (Monday 2100 GMT) and 8 p.m. (1100 GMT) on Tuesday. "Those affected worked hard to achieve this," said Kim Eun-jung, Deputy Secretary General at the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, a non-governmental body, highlighting how delivery workers were excluded from current labour protection laws. The June 3 presidential election was called after the Constitutional Court ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol earlier this year for his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
OFL Commemorates First Official Injured Workers' Day and Demands Recognition Be Met with Justice
TORONTO, June 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One year after celebrating the successful second reading of the Injured Workers' Day Bill, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) proudly stands today with injured workers, community groups, allies, ONDP Leader Marit Stiles, and ONDP MPP and Shadow Minister for Labour, Mining, and Energy, Jamie West to mark the first officially recognized Injured Workers' Day in Ontario. 'For over four decades, injured workers have fought to be seen, heard, and protected,' said Laura Walton, OFL President. 'Today, we can proudly say their fight is recognized in law, but the work to fix a broken workers' compensation system is far from done.' In Toronto, injured workers and allies gathered at Queen's Park for a rally featuring speeches from injured workers, MPP Jamie West, and supporters. Rallies also took place in London, Oshawa, Peterborough, Thunder Bay, and Windsor, led by the Ontario Network of Injured Workers' Groups (ONIWG). Jamie West added the collective effort behind the legislation: 'Whenever I'm congratulated for passing 'my bill,' I remind people this is really 'our bill'. I tabled Bill 118: Injured Workers Day Act, but it wouldn't have existed without the injured worker groups who made it clear that June 1 had never been officially recognized by the province.' In April 2024, the OFL partnered with ONIWG and launched the Injured Workers' Bill of Rights, outlining a bold, worker-driven platform for justice. Today, the OFL's Injured Workers Committee continues to push for those urgent and unmet demands which include, full and fair compensation, an end to deeming, equitable healthcare access, and strong protections for migrant and precarious workers. David Newberry from Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic added, 'This year's official proclamation of 'Injured Workers' Day' by the legislature is very exciting and deeply meaningful, but it needs to be followed up with meaningful action that makes a material difference in the lives of the workers who lost their health at work and are struggling in poverty and pain.' The OFL and its allies will continue the fight to transform Ontario's workers' compensation system, because recognition alone is not justice. No worker should be punished or neglected for being injured at work. Media Contact:Jenny SellathuraiDirector of Communications, Ontario Federation of Labourjsellathurai@ | 416-894-3456 cj/COPE343Sign in to access your portfolio
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Minimum wage in B.C. is increasing to $17.85 per hour
British Columbia's Ministry of Labour is reminding people that the minimum wage is increasing to $17.85 an hour starting Sunday. That marks a 2.6 per cent jump from the previous minimum rate of $17.40. Resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers, live-in camp leaders and app-based delivery and ride-hail services workers are included in the 2.6 per cent increase. The minimum agricultural piece rates for hand harvesters will increase by 2.6 per cent on Dec. 31. The province says the timing of the increase is different to ensure that crop producers won't need to adjust wages during the harvesting season. This year's pay jump marks the fourth time the government has tied annual minimum-wage increases to inflation. "Minimum wage earners are vulnerable to jumps in the price of groceries, rent and gas," said Minister of Labour Jennifer Whiteside in a February statement. "That's why we took action last year to ensure the minimum wage keeps up with the cost of living so workers don't fall further behind." In February 2024, the Employment Standards Act in B.C. was amended by the government to automatically increase minimum rates annually. The province cited Statistics Canada data saying there were about 130,000 workers in B.C. who earned minimum wage or less in 2024. Anastasia French of Living Wage B.C. — an organization that advocates for employers to pay a living wage, and for the government to support living wage policies — says that while annual increases to the minimum wage are a good thing, there is still too large a gap between the minimum wage and a living wage, which is defined by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives as the hourly rate that each of two parents working full-time needs to make in order to support a family of four in their community. "Unfortunately the costs of everyday essentials like food and rent keep rising at a much higher rate than general inflation," French said. "So while a 45-cent pay increase is definitely good for those workers, it's actually far short from what they need in order to get by." According to Living Wage B.C., the 2024 living wage in Metro Vancouver is $27.05, more than $9 higher than the updated minimum wage. French says the living wage in B.C. is highest in the country because of the housing crisis. She says a third of workers in B.C. do not earn a living wage, and those workers are more likely to be female and racialized. "In Metro Vancouver half of all racialized women don't earn a living wage," French said. "We really need the government to take action on the housing crisis, on food affordability, on better transit, on rolling out $10-a-day child care, all of these things will make substantial differences to everyday people."
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Sri Lanka workers in limbo after UK garment factory abruptly shuts
On a Monday morning that began like any other, Nandani*, a machine operator at the Next Manufacturing factory in Sri Lanka's Katunayake Free Trade Zone, was unexpectedly asked to go home early. Later that day, the news came – not in a meeting or an official letter, but via WhatsApp. Advertisement The factory was shutting down. Permanently. 'I am 49 years old. My livelihood suddenly ended. I don't know what to do,' said Nandani, who had worked for 19 years at the Next factory. Like Nandani, more than 1,400 of roughly 2,800 workers were blindsided by the abrupt closure of Next Manufacturing, a subsidiary of the British retail giant Next. The company blamed 'increasingly high operating costs' in a media release dated May 19. Next Manufacturing's parent company had reported more than £1 billion (US$1.35 billion) in pre-tax profits in the last financial year. Advertisement Labour rights advocates say Next Manufacturing's closure has violated Sri Lankan law and risks undermining the country's fragile economic recovery, as global firms rethink their footprint in post-crisis economies.
