This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
BL Premium reports that organised business has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa not to sign the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, threatening legal action should it become law.
The bill is on Ramaphosa’s desk after the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) passed it in December, paving the way for the government’s intention to reform SA’s healthcare and achieve universal coverage. The President could sign the bill into law or send it back to parliament for amendments should he have any concerns. The NHI is aimed at ending the two-tier health system in SA, laying the groundwork for sweeping reforms intended to realise the ANC government’s ambition for universal health coverage. However, the legislation, which is likely to see the phasing out of private health insurance, has had pushback from opposition parties, business lobby groups and professional health bodies. Business Unity SA (Busa) CEO Cas Coovadia said that while legal action would be the organisation’s last resort to prevent the bill becoming law, the option has not been ruled out. “What the country needs is an NHI underpinned by the constitution and which is affordable and implementable. This bill does not meet these criteria and is not ready to be signed into law. Legal action is certainly an option we will consider because any attempt to implement the legislation in its current form will have significantly negative consequences for health care in our country, across society, as well as further reducing investor confidence,” Coovadia indicated.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thando Maeko at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
- Read too, Kick the NHI Bill back, because it’s unconstitutional, Busa tells Ramaphosa, at Moneyweb
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page