Many member companies are experiencing power supply disruptions. SEIFSA recommends that the following course of action be taken in the event that a company experiences load shedding (the following is an extract from section 7 of the Main Agreement Handbook, 2014/2015, from page 18):

Load shedding and power outages

SEIFSA recommends that management adopt the following course of action in dealing with load shedding:
• where power is cut and management takes a decision to send employees home, then employees must be paid a minimum of four hours’ pay;
• should management require employees to remain at work until the power is restored, then employees must be paid in full;
• regardless of the fact that management has sent employees home, they will still be credited with a shift for the purpose of leave pay and leave enhancement pay calculations

Planned load shedding

The definition of short time has been amended to cater for the differentiation between planned or foreseen load shedding as opposed to unplanned or unforeseen load shedding.

This means that where short time has not been implemented in response to planned or foreseen load shedding and employees report for work and are sent home by the employer, they will be entitled to 8 hours payment.

For further information, please contact the Industrial Relations Division on 011 298 9400.