In our Tuesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Monday, 23 January 2017.
|
Fedusa urges Motsoaledi to address attacks on Western Cape paramedics EWN reports that the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) has called on the Health Department to urgently intervene following a spate of attacks on emergency medical staff in the Western Cape. Fedusa has written to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi calling on him to take the necessary measures to address the issue. President Godfrey Selematsela said it was shocking that more than a hundred attacks on ambulance crews were reported in the Western Cape last year. He indicated that seven attacks on ambulance crews had happened during the festive season. “It is the responsibility of the employer to create a safe working environment, hence our appeal to the national ministry,” he stated. This short report by Shamiela Fisher is at EWN. Read Fedusa’s press statement in this regard at SA Labour News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
NUM temporarily saves jobs at AngloGold Ashanti’s SA operations ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Monday said that it had successfully negotiated an agreement to avoid retrenchments at AngloGold Ashanti (AGA). The union met on Monday with AGA to seek avoidance measures that would minimise the retrenchment of workers to zero after the gold producer issued a Section 189 notice to retrench 849 workers. The NUM’s Tafa Moya said it was agreed that workers would be transferred to other business units within the company and the other workers would be re-skilled for other jobs. AGA spokesperson Chris Nthite confirmed the meeting with labour representatives to explore steps to mitigate job losses, but said it was too early to predict the overall outcome of the agreement. He stated: “This engagement is ongoing and it remains too early to pre-empt an outcome.” Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read too, Job cuts at AngloGold’s SA mines crucial precursor to reinvestment, at Miningmx. And also, Duarte takes dig at Pityana over AngloGold job losses, at TimesLive Mining sector ‘in for torrid times’ in 2017, says Nedbank analyst BusinessLive writes that South African’s mining industry is entering another turbulent year, with developments on the legal and regulatory fronts needing political leadership that is absent. This is according to Paul Miller, a Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking mining investment banker. He maintains that this year’s finalisation of the third iteration of the Mining Charter and the amendments to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act as well as a number of court cases will pit the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) against the mining industry. "I’m concerned 2017 is going to be a very, very difficult year for the industry," Miller said. Read this report by Allan Seccombe in full at BusinessLive Read too, Nedbank says ‘very tough’ mining year ahead as ‘lawfare’ breaks out, at Mining Weekly Other labour posting(s) in this news category
Other general internet posting(s) on mining
Bench Marks Foundation to attend Lonmin AGM to urge possible divestment drive BusinessLive reports that the Bench Marks Foundation (BMF) says it will campaign to persuade Lonmin shareholders to divest from the platinum miner, should it not meet the organisation’s housing, wage and compensation demands by the fifth anniversary in August of the Marikana massacre. The nonprofit organisation, which monitors corporate social responsibility in SA, will also take the unusual step of attending the group’s annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday in London, where it will address shareholders on its concerns. It will be five years in 2017 since the massacre that saw 34 miners shot and killed in a strike for a R12,500 basic monthly wage and better living conditions. BMF chairman Bishop Jo Seoka, who is planning to attend the Lonmin AGM, said that the organisation would "not rest until justice is achieved for the massacred, arrested and the widows and orphans [who have been] left behind". Should Lonmin not meet the BMF’s demands, the foundation said it would call for international solidarity to have Lonmin’s mining licence revoked. Read this report by Lutho Mtongana in full at BusinessLive. Read too, Lonmin still has long road ahead to win back stakeholders, at Moneyweb
Satawu readies for tough wage talks in road passenger bargaining council ANA reports that the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) said on Monday it was ready for tough wage negotiations beginning this week at the road passenger bargaining council. Transport unions and employers will put their demands and offers on the table at negotiations set to take place in three phases, starting this week. Satawu, the biggest union in the industry, said it had this year managed to influence other unions to bring radical demands to improve working conditions. The demands include a 30% across-the-board wage increase and an industry basic minimum wage of R15,000 a month. Working hours are also addressed in the demands. Read this report in full at Business Report. Read Satawu’s press statement in this regard at Cosatu Today
No registrations at WSU’s Butterworth campus due to strike over water crisis TMG Digital/Daily Dispatch reports that the registration of newcomers at the Walter Sisulu University’s (WSU’s) Ibika campus in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape, due to start on Monday, was delayed after staff went on strike due to the water crisis. The campus is a victim of the water crisis that has been affecting the entire Mnquma Municipality since early last year. All water taps at Mnquma have run dry. The students’ representative council (SRC) has warned university management to engage them about a possible solution, failing which protracted protest action was looming. The registration delay might continue beyond Monday. Read this report in full at TimesLive Workers who continued strike after interdict face contempt of court, public violence charges ANA reports that a group of 25 workers appeared in the Parow Regional Court on Monday as a sequel to an illegal strike at business premises in Epping Industria. There were supposed to be 29 in court, but four were absent without explanation. Warrants were issued for the arrest of those who were absent. The men all face charges of public violence and contempt of court. According to the charge sheet, the group went on strike in November 2014, causing their employer to obtain a high court order declaring the strike unlawful and ordering them to stop the illegal strike and return to their jobs. Allegedly, they ignored the court order – giving rise to the charge of contempt of court – and continued with unruly behaviour. In the process, they allegedly damaged a gate – giving rise to the public violence charge – and were arrested. The case was postponed to 5 June for trial. Read this report in full at The Citizen
Rehabilitation work begins to prepare Highveld structural mill for restart Engineering News reports that rehabilitation work at Highveld Steel’s heavy structural mill, located at the mothballed steel plant’s site in Mpumalanga, is under way to prepare the facility for recommissioning. This follows the conclusion of a supply and marketing deal with ArcelorMittal SA (AMSA) in December. A small crew of contractors, mostly former Highveld employees, are currently on site to prepare the mill. Highveld CEO Johan Burger indicated that, in addition to the implementation of duties, the timing of resumption of production was dependent on domestic market conditions, as well as the import cycles of buyers of structural steel. For this reason, neither Highveld nor AMSA were willing to be drawn on firm timeframes. Burger also said it was premature to state for certain how many permanent jobs would be created from the reopening of the mill. He expects, however, that hundreds of employment opportunities should arise and confirmed that former employees would be given preference. Read this report in full at Engineering News Fly Blue Crane’s business rescue practitioner confident of successful rehabilitation ANA reports that the business rescue practitioner overseeing Fly Blue Crane’s re-engineering process, Etienne Naude, says he is confident that the airline will overcome its current problems and go on to prosper. He has also been encouraged by the high morale, determination, and focus of both the management team and general staff in the time that he has worked with them. Naude said in a statement on Sunday: “I’m very confident about the airline’s future and have every reason to believe that it is a matter of time before Fly Blue Crane overcomes its challenges. Yes, there is lots of hard work ahead but all is well and the airline is operating as usual and servicing its routes.” Fly Blue Crane lodged a voluntary application for business rescue late last year to facilitate the rehabilitation of the company. Read this report in full at Engineering News
Cosatu alarmed by the ongoing job losses in a number of sectors ANA reports that labour federation Cosatu on Monday said it was alarmed and deeply concerned by the ongoing jobs losses in a number of economic sectors. This came after brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) began a voluntary severance programme to reportedly let more than 1,000 managers in South African operations go following its takeover of SABMiller last year. In a statement, Cosatu said: "We are troubled by the reports that AB InBev has offered voluntary severance packages to some of its middle managers, despite its commitments on post-merger employment. This follows AngloGold Ashanti's announcement that it plans to retrench 849 workers in all its operations in South Africa; and the jobs carnage currently taking place in the poultry industry." Cosatu said the jobs crisis called for an activist government that would deliver on the promise of making sure that every cent spent by government creates jobs, and that would also have a hands on approach in the economy. Read this report in full at BusinessLive. Read Cosatu’s press statement in this regard at Cosatu Today
Equal Education blames government for lack of jobs amongst TVET graduates Pretoria News reports that according to Equal Education, the unemployment rate among young graduates of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system could be attributed to the unequal treatment they received from both the government and society at large. The lobby group noted that the unemployment rate of TVET graduates stood at around 20%, while that of youth with university degrees was 8%. Equal Education’s Daniel Sher noted that for those who could choose university education it remained preferable in the labour market over TVET graduates. He said compounding the unemployment problem was that many students dropped out before they were done with their courses, and this was largely due to poor teaching. Also, the failure by the department to release results and certificates on time hindered graduates from finding employment and generating an income. Read this report by Rapula Moatshe in full at Pretoria News. Read too, Students shut down TVET colleges to demand better governance, at BusinessLive. And also, Registration blocked at Motheo TVET College in Bloemfontein, at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Eskom’s pension funds blame incorrect tax deductions on a system fault Netwerk24 reports that a technical system fault got the blame for the inaccurate tax deductions which affected about 6,000 Eskom pensioners at the end of December. Eskom’s pension and benefit funds process nearly 35,000 payments monthly. It seems that the tax deductions in respect of the annual bonus were made both at the beginning of December (in respect of November pay month) and again at the end of December (in respect of that month). One pensioner’s normal deduction of R60 to R160 shot up to R1,100. The problems were was sorted out quickly for most of the pensioners affected, but the refunds were incorrectly calculated for some, although these apparently amounted to less than 200 cases. (Loosely translated from Afrikaans) Read this report by Francois Williams in full in Afrikaans at Netwerk24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Suspension of 70 officials at Joburg vehicle licensing centres means long queues Johannesburg motorists wanting to renew their vehicle licences or transfer vehicle ownership could be in for long queues over the next few days - or even find facilities closed. This follows the suspension and dismissal of 70 officials on Monday from six of the city’s motor vehicle licensing centres for corruption. But about 40 new staff members were recruited prior to the crackdown and staff members from other sections within the licensing department will be deployed to the vacant positions so as to eliminate the effect on the operations. But while the corruption crackdown has focused mainly on licensing centres thus far, it appears that driving schools have also been implicated in bribery and dodgy practices. Michael Sun, member of the mayoral committee for public safety, said the officials had been working with members of the public and driving schools to defraud the city. Based on reports at The Star and The New Age. See too, Over 900 cases opened as Jo'burg cracks down on licensing department corruption, at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Monday, 23 January 2017 at SA Labour News
|
Get South African labour news reports at SA Labour News