Month: November 2016

The Bachelor Finland, the reality romance TV series for fans in Finland, has started shooting along the Garden Route – this includes Plettenberg Bay.

Producer Patrick Walton of Shootaway Productions has arrived with his film production team to begin preparations. The show revolves around a single bachelor who interacts with select candidates to find a romantic ‘spark’. Throughout the series, the bachelor eliminates candidates, and then hopefully finds true love at the end. The participants travel to romantic and exotic locations for their romantic adventures, and conflict generally ensues amongst the contestants.

The series will be filmed at iconic locations in Plettenberg Bay including the Plett Winelands, select coastal locations and one of two gardens in South Africa to receive an international award from The World Federation of Roses.

“We are delighted and excited to see that the film industry has taken more interest in the Garden Route. The combination of natural beauty and world-class services make towns like Plettenberg Bay ideal for premier programme filming locations,” says Plett Tourism Media Spokesperson, Patty Butterworth.
The filming of this series has become a reality due to close cooperation between Shootaway Productions, local municipalities and the Cape Film Commission. Patrick is chairman of the Official South African Casting Association (OSCASA) and member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Shootaway Productions and the Cape Film Commission are excited about this opportunity along the Garden Route. In 2015, the SA filming industry was estimated to be a R5-billion generator in the Western Cape alone.

Keep on the lookout for beautiful, exotic Finnish women – you may just snag one for yourself!- THE GREMLIN

On Saturday, the 29th October 2016, Mrs Uschi Schultz, a champion for conservation in Knysna dedicated a bronze statue to SANParks. The statue serves as a milestone for the journey travelled thus far to protect South Africa’s number estuary in terms of biodiversity conservation.
‘I learnt this was not a lagoon but an estuary because of various tributaries to it and also that it opens to the sea’ says Schultz.

Former Area Manager of Knysna, Peet Joubert, who is affectionately known as ‘Oom Peet’ said Schultz trialblazed for open access National Parks, raising awareness for Knysna. ‘Although we do not have big furry animals, the estuary has over 200 animal species’ says Joubert.

Tina Lovely, Mrs Schultz’ daughter who grew up in Knysna and now lives in Swaziland shared fond memories of her parents’ love for nature. Reading from a passage of scripture, Lovely said protecting nature is God’s heart.

The family referred to real threats facing the protection the estuary – pollution, poaching, overfishing and others. Attending the event was Speaker of the Knysna Municipality, Georlene Wolmarans, Councillor Mark Willemse, Mrs Schultze’s family and friends, members of the press and businesswoman Claudia Pirker.Representing SANParks was Representing SANParks was head ranger for Marine in Knysna, Owen Govender and Regional Communications Manager, Nandi Mgwadlamba.

The statue is at the Knysna Heads View Point. ‘We are proud of the Schultz family and are glad to have received such a gift from them. The gift will definitely be a selfie spot for visitors to Knysna as it overlooks the Knysna estuary.’ – THE GREMLIN

 

What is meant by a ‘differential wage’?
If the employer tells an employee to do someone else’s job in a higher category of pay than the employee’s own job, then the employee should get the higher wage if he/she performs this work for an extended number of days. (Equal pay for work of Equal value)
An employer can ask an employee to do work below his or her own work category, but the employee should not get paid less than his or her own normal wage and also provided the employer is not doing this to make the employee’s life at work intolerable.
The BCEA doesn’t have a rule about differential wages. But if an employer refuses to pay the higher wage, the employee could take a dispute about an unfair payment to the Department of Labour or the Bargaining Council.

What constitutes ‘Bonus Pay?’
‘Bonus Pay’ means monies paid to employees which is over and above their wages and overtime money. This is ‘extra money’ and is usually paid out at the end of the year, for example for good performance during the year, or for targets reached for the production or sale of goods.
Bonus must be paid in the following cases:
If an employer gave a bonus to the employees at the end of every year in the past, the employer created an ‘expectation’ in the employees that they will get the bonus every year. And it has become the custom to get the bonus. The employees then have a right to demand the same bonus every year. If the employer suddenly decides not to give the bonus the employees can claim the bonus as a custom and practice.
If it states in a contract of employment or collective agreement that the employee will get a bonus-the employer must pay the bonus as agreed. (unless it depends on the employee doing something the employee did not do)For example, if an employment of contract stipulates that the employer must pay a 13th cheque to an employee then the employer must pay this.
Is an ex-employee entitled to a reference letter from the ex-employer?

• A job reference letter is a letter from an ex-employer saying whether the employer thought the employee was a good employee or not.
• The Basic Conditions of Employment Act says employees are entitled to a written certificate of service when the employee stops working for the employer.
• The certificate of service must set out:
• The full name of the employer and employee
• The jobs and functions that the employee was doing
• The date that the employee began working and the date the employee ended work.
• The wage at the time the employment ended, including payment in kind

What constitutes dismissal?
Dismissal means:

• An employer terminates a contract of employment with or without notice
• A contract employee whose fixed-term contract is suddenly ended or renewed on less favorable terms, where the employee expected the contract to be renewed because it has often been renewed or because an expectation exists that the employment will be ongoing.
• A woman who is not taken back into her job after maternity leave.
• An employer dismisses a number of employees for the same reason (fro example for being on strike) and offers to re-employ one or more but not all.
• An employee who was forced to walk out or resign because the employer made the working environment impossible to tolerate.
• The employee leaves his or her work (with notice or without notice) because a new employer has taken over the business and is not paying the employee the same wages and conditions of employment he/she enjoyed before.

Employees have been retrenched. The employer must pay the employee severance pay of at least one week’s remuneration for every full year the employee worked for the employer. The payment must include the value of payment in kind. So the employee must get wages for the hours worked, plus any leave pay, plus notice or payment in lieu of notice, plus severance pay.
Employees in these circumstances are entitled to fair dismissal reasons and fair dismissal procedures under the Labour Relations Act. An employee could claim unfair dismissal through the CCMA or relevant Bargaining Council.

• What constitutes an automatically unfair dismissal?
  The following reasons for dismissal are invalid. The dismissal will be regarded as automatically unfair if the worker was dismissed for:
• Exercising any of the rights given by the LRA or participating in proceedings in terms of the Act.
• Taking part in lawful union activities.
• Taking part in a legal strike or other industrial action or protest action.
• Refusing to do the work of someone else who is on strike.
• Being pregnant, or any reason related to pregnancy.
• Refusing to accept a change in working conditions.
• Reasons that are due to arbitrary discrimination.
• A reason relating to a transfer following a merger of the company with another organization.
• Where an employee is dismissed following a disclosure made by him/her in terms of the ‘Disclosure of Information Act’. -lawyer.co.za