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.
In our Wednesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Tuesday, 10 January 2017.
|
Surge in 'senseless' attacks on medics getting out of hand Cape Argus reports that paramedics are increasingly coming under attack when responding to emergencies with many saying they fear for their lives. The latest incident was on Friday night when two employees who work for Melomed24, the hospital chain’s ambulance service, were attacked in Athlone. EMS spokesperson, Robert Daniels, said there were about 46 crime related incidents involving ambulances and paramedics between January and August last year – including assault, verbal abuse, hijacking, theft, and armed robbery. “My plea to the Western Cape communities is for their assistance in looking after our assets which include both our facilities and EMS staff, because mostly our EMS crew go to dangerous areas where they are senselessly attacked,” said Daniels. Melomed ambulance manager Salaama Joseph said: “We are now planning to have a meeting with the Department of Health and Department of Safety, we need to get a way forward on these incidents, because it is getting out of hand now. Read this report by Sandisiwe Ntlemeza in full at Cape Argus Paramedic attacks: government intervention sought Daily News reports that the rampant attacks on paramedics in the private and public sector have prompted the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health to ask for government intervention, Dr Sifiso Mtshali, the Health HOD, said on Monday. Trade union Nehawu has been pressurising the department for speedy intervention to safeguard its members, claiming that the department “was not doing enough” to protect paramedics. Nehawu also felt the department was moving at a “snail’s pace”. Mtshali said attacks on paramedics were a concern that could not to be dealt with by the department alone. “This is a societal issue. Part of our strategy is to involve all the societal structures, including the police,” he indicated. “We have told the unions that we understand the situation and are working on finding a solution,” he stated on Monday. Read this report by Chris Ndaliso in full at Daily News
Barbrook mine back in production by end of January, says business rescuer Netwerk24 reports that operations will recommence by the end of January at Vantage Goldfields’ Barbrook mine in Mpumalanga. The mine was placed in business rescue at the end of December and its operations were halted shortly after its sister Lily mine was also placed in business rescue. Business rescuer Rob Devereux said in a statement that operations at the mine will be more focused on ensuring maximum output under difficult circumstances. After a collapse at Lily Mine in February 2016, 130 mineworkers were redeployed to Barbrook. The workers there have not been paid since November 2016. At a meeting on 11 January they will be advised about the rescue process and how it will affect them. Meantime, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) says it was not consulted when Barbrook decided to put its operations under business rescue and that the move was in contravention of sections of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act. (Loosely translated from Afrikaans) Read this report by Elvira Wood in full in Afrikaans at Netwerk24 (limited access) Two illegal miners nabbed in Springs, Ekurhuleni Sowetan reports that two Mozambican national were arrested on Tuesday by Ekurhuleni police in connection with illegal mining in Springs. Police were conducting farm visits and monitoring old mining holes when they spotted illegal miners busy on a farm. When police approached the mining hole, eight of the suspects ran into the bushes, but the police managed to arrest two men. It was ascertained that they were from Daggafontein in Springs and were in the country illegally. Police seized six 32kg oxygen bottles, two 10kg gas bottles, two water pump generators, eight spades, a hacksaw, a pick, a hammer and two oxalic acid bottles. The suspects will appear in court soon The original of this report by Patience Bambalele is on page 8 of Sowetan of 11 January 2017 Other general internet posting(s) on mining
‘Hopelessly inadequate’ poultry duty on EU ‘will decimate jobs in SA’ BusinessLive reports that major chicken producer RCL Foods says the government’s new 13.9% safeguard duty on imported bone-in chicken portions from the EU is "hopelessly inadequate". RCL owns the Rainbow and Farmer Brown chicken brands. Local chicken producers, the SA Poultry Association and labour mainly blame "dumping" of dark chicken meat products, such as legs, for the industry’s woes in struggling to sustain operations. The Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) has also criticised the Department of Trade and Industry over the new safeguard duty and says it is not enough to stop thousands of workers in the industry from losing their jobs. Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola says the government has to impose "hefty tariffs” of up to 40% on the chicken pieces at issue. Scott Pitman of RCL says that SA is "almost unique in the world" in not protecting its domestic poultry market. Read this report by Mark Allix in full at BusinessLive. See too, Poultry industry to lose 50,000 jobs, at City Press. And also, Rainbow poultry farms close, on page 15 of The New Age of 11 January 2017 NFP slams chicken imports and claims they could be ‘poisonous’ Business Report writes that the National Freedom Party (NFP) has called for an end to the importation of chickens. This comes after media reports that some 3,500 workers in the chicken farming industry could be retrenched this year. Several chicken companies have been battling as a result of chickens being imported from the European Union (EU) and the US as they are not able to effectively compete. In a statement, the political party said it was government’s responsibility to ensure that the public was aware of the ramifications of the imports, adding that government should be supporting local businesses and saving jobs. Spokesman Sabelo Sigudu argued in the statement, issued under his name, that the chickens were genetically modified and could be “poisonous”. Read this report in full at Business Report Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Advocates ask justice minister to reject recommended race, gender quotas for council The Citizen reports that National Forum of Advocates (NFA) has “urgently” called on Justice Minister Michael Masutha to reject recommendations by the National Forum on the Legal Profession (NFLP) relating to the composition of the SA Legal Practice Council. At the NFLP’s November meeting, it was resolved when election to the council was finalised that “the compulsory race quotas and gender quotas” should be four black female and three black male attorneys, one white female and two white male attorneys, as well as two black female and male advocates, and one white female and male advocate. The council will be made up of 23 people and could take office by September. NFA spokesperson Adv. Jurg Prinsloo SC commented: “This is the future national controlling body of the whole legal profession. So we say it should be democratic, there shouldn’t be any quotas. You can’t say that you are electing people and then prescribe what they should look like, to what race they belong, what gender they should be.” Read this report by Amanda Watson in full at The Citizen. See too, Advokate wil rasklassifikasie van regslui keer, at Netwerk24 (limited access) Legal Practice Council quotas are final, says policy forum BusinessLive reports that the National Forum on the Legal Profession (NFLP), tasked with making the legal profession more accessible, says it will not budge from its recommended race and gender quotas in respect of the Legal Practice Council (LPC). According to the Legal Practice Act of 2014, the LPC, made up of 24 members, will, inter alia, have the power to regulate legal practitioners. The NFLP was set up by the Department of Justice to guide policy surrounding the LPC. Lobby group the Association for Afrikaans (VRA) has labelled the proposed quotas, which will be sent to Justice Minister Michael Masutha next month, illegal. VRA spokesman Tiaan van Dyk said the transformation mandate should not be thrust upon voting members in the council, as this was akin to prescribing which advocates and attorneys should be voted for. "Quotas have been declared illegal in any case by the courts, so I do not know why they insist on continuing," he added. Van Dyk said they would wait for the minister’s response to objections and then decide accordingly. Read this report by Khulekani Magubane in full at BusinessLive. Read the VRA’s press statement at SA Labour News
DTI still mulling binding shareholder vote on executive remuneration BusinessLive reports that a binding vote on executive remuneration is on the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI’s) radar, but it is not certain it will be included in the Companies Amendment Bill due to be put to the Cabinet next month. The DTI’s MacDonald Netshitenzhe said some stakeholders were keen to see a binding vote included in the Companies Act, but many stakeholders were not. At present, there is no requirement in the act for any form of vote on a company’s executive remuneration policy. It only requires companies to disclose the compensation paid to directors and prescribed officers. The King code recommends that listed companies put a nonbinding resolution to their shareholders to give them an opportunity to indicate their support for the company’s remuneration policy. The JSE indicated in November that it was considering including a mandatory, though nonbinding, vote on remuneration in its requirements. Read this report by Ann Crotty in full at BusinessLive
Sadtu calls on ANC for urgent talks about education crisis in Eastern Cape DispatchLive reports that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) has called on the ANC in the Eastern Cape to convene an urgent meeting to deal with an education crisis in the province. This followed the release of damning details contained in a report tabled last Friday before the ruling party’s sub-committee on education. The report revealed that hundreds of pupils at 16 Eastern Cape schools will return for the new school year to unsafe school structures as the department had failed to replace or renovate the schools as undertaken. The report also revealed that 15% of required textbooks have not yet been delivered to schools. A committee meant to determine the number of vacant teaching posts will only meet next Monday, five days after schools reopen. Sadtu provincial spokesman Sindisile Zamisa said the union had written to the ANC, Cosatu and SACP “for the ruling party to convene an urgent crisis meeting to find a solution to these challenges”. Read this report by Zine George and Aretha Linden in full at DispatchLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Arrests of Joburg licensing officials for fraud; services to be affected ANA reports that the City of Johannesburg has warned residents that services at some of its licensing centres would be affected following the arrest of several officials for fraud and corruption in a wide-ranging anti-graft clampdown. Mayor Herman Mashaba announced on Tuesday that four licensing department officials had been arrested for fraud and corruption following an investigation into syndicate fraud totalling more than R14 million. The four officials were from the Sandton licensing department and the Martindale bulk licensing department in Midrand. Three others are expected to be apprehended soon. Mashaba went on to indicate that at least 106 allegedly corrupt licensing centre officials would be arrested across the city's licensing centres in the coming days. Read this report in full at IOL News. See too, Joburg officials set to face the axe over licence fraud, at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category Munisipale werker van Bloemfontein, rekenaarsmous vas weens diefstal, at Netwerk24 (limited access)
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Tuesday, 10 January 2017 at SA Labour News
|
Get South African labour news reports at SA Labour News