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, 24 January 2017.
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City of Cape Town worried about safety of firefighters following ambush News24 reports that the City of Cape Town says it is concerned about the safety of firefighters following an incident on Monday where a team were ambushed in Gugulethu. Residents had apparently lured them out by calling them to non-existent blaze. "It is of great concern that our firefighters appear to have been led into a trap. This callous attack is costing money that the City can ill afford to squander," mayoral committee member for safety JP Smith said. He indicated that the firefighters had arrived on Sonwabile Road at approximately 20:40, where they discovered that there was no fire. Shortly afterwards, the firefighters were ambushed by a group of people who stoned the vehicle. None of the firefighters were injured, but their fire engine was damaged. The motor pump, valued at around R3.5m, was severely damaged. Read this report by James de Villiers in full at News24. See too, 'Community must protect essential service personnel', at Cape Times KZN worker’s hand trapped in printing press Caxton News Service reports that a worker was rushed to hospital after his hand was stuck in a printing press in Westmead, Pinetown in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday. Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha indicated: “Paramedics arrived and found the man to have suffered moderate injuries. The Netcare 911 rescue officer managed to free the man’s hand from the rollers. He was stabilised and then taken to a Durban hospital.” A short report by Deshni Ramkissoon-Pillay is at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Sibanye Platinum claims R26.8m from DMR minister and inspectors BusinessLive reports that Sibanye Gold’s subsidiary Sibanye Platinum (SP) has served summonses on Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane and three of his officials, claiming R26.8m from them in their personal capacities. SP is acting against Zwane, the acting chief inspector of mines, Xolile Mbonambi, and two senior inspectors in North West where Sibanye has its Kroondal mines. Production was suspended at the two mines after the inspectors ordered a safety stoppage in August 2016. SP said it had suffered damages of R26.8m arising from the closure of the mine and that the defendants were "jointly or severally liable to compensate" SP for damages and that the defendants had so far ignored written demands to pay. SP argued that all three inspectors had acted in a "draconian" way and beyond the powers granted to them under the Mine Health and Safety Act. The officials have 20 days to serve notice that they will dispute the claim, otherwise an order will be made against them. Read this report by Allan Seccombe in full at BusinessLive Other labour posting(s) in this news category
Other general internet posting(s) on mining
Speaker receives report on Riah Phiyega’s fitness for office BusinessLive reports that National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete has received the Claassen Board of Inquiry report into suspended national police commissioner Riah Phiyega’s fitness for office. This is the latest in a series of actions that could see Phiyega lose her job over her leadership of the police in the days leading up to the killing of 34 striking mineworkers at Lonmin’s Marikana operations in August 2012. The report was sent to President Jacob Zuma’s office once the board of inquiry released it. On receiving the report, Zuma announced that he would give Phiyega an opportunity to state her case as to why she should not be dismissed. According to recent reports, the final draft of the report indicated that Phiyega was not fit for office and should be fired. Read this report by Khulekani Magubane in full at BusinessLive
Nehawu preparing for 'full-blown' strike at Unisa over wages TMG Digital reports that the National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) on Tuesday announced that it was preparing for a full-blown protected strike at the University of South Africa (Unisa) after negotiations over wage increases deadlocked. The union initial demand was for a 14% salary increment across the board from November 2016, plus the implementation of the Labour Relations Amendments (LRA) to temporary workers. This was declined by the university management which offered 6%. During the CCMA facilitation process, the university apparently reduced its initial offer to 4.5%. The union said the reduced offer had angered members and workers in general “to a point of agitating them to accelerate and intensify the picketing lines which started yesterday (Monday) as a building up towards a full-blown strike as a form of highlighting their dissatisfaction against this ridiculous offer by the management”. The union said it has been permitted to strike from Thursday and that further details about the strike action would be communicated timeously. Read this report in full at TimesLive. See too, Nehawu announces strike at Unisa over failed wage negotiations, at EWN. And also, Unisa students turned away at registration due to staff go-slow, at IOL News Pay strike hits Mercedes-Benz SA car parts supplier DB Schenker DispatchLive reports that workers at DB Schenker, one of the largest suppliers of car parts for Mercedes-Benz SA, downed tools on Monday over a wage dispute. More than 70 workers aligned to the National Union of Metal Workers of SA (Numsa) picketed outside the gates of the plant in East London demanding an hourly fee increase of R25 a hour from the R35 an hour they are paid at present to R60 an hour. The workers also want their labour broker to be disbanded. Numsa shop steward, Mxolisi Bangani said negotiations between the two parties, which started in June last year, had reached a deadlock due to the employer’s “hardened attitude”. Schenker’s general manager declined to comment. The manager of the labour broker, Phakisa, also declined to comment. Read this report by Malibongwe Dayimani in full at DispatchLive
Sadtu threatens ‘total shutdown’ of Limpopo schools over education crisis ANA reports that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) on Wednesday threatened a "total shutdown" of schools in Limpopo should education authorities not heed its demand to fix the education crisis in the province. The union said it would march to the provincial education department, treasury and premier Stanley Mathabatha's office in Polokwane on Thursday as a first warning shot. The Cosatu affiliate said it was demanding, among other things, that textbooks and stationery be delivered to all schools, the payment of salaries and benefits owed to all teachers and principals, and the withdrawal of austerity measures by the treasury, which the union said hampered payments and the appointment of teachers. The union urged communities, parents and learners to join its march on Thursday. Read this report in full at SABC News Shutdown of TVET colleges gains momentum SABC News reports that the national campaign to shut down Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges is gaining momentum, with student leaders saying they will not back down. As of Tuesday, more than 20 TVET colleges had ground to a halt. Over 700,000 students have enrolled at 50 colleges and the numbers are rising. Funding, resources, infrastructure and unqualified lecturers are some of the problems raised by the protesting students. Student leader Yonke Twani said students have been appealing to government since 2012. Read this report by erato Thipa in full at SABC News
Analysts, business people and unionists all have lower inflation expectations for 2017 TMG Digital reports that the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) said that its recent survey results indicated that average consumer inflation expectations for 2017 declined from 6.0% in the third quarter to 5.8% in the fourth quarter. This was the first time since the third quarter of 2015 that average expectations were below 6%. The BER indicated: “During the fourth quarter‚ both analysts and business people revised their inflation expectations for 2017 downwards by 0.1 percentage point (% pt) relative to the third quarter‚ while trade unions reduced their forecast by 0.6% pts.” On average for 2018‚ respondents expected inflation to remain unchanged at 5.8% (analysts - 5.4%; trade unions - 5.9%; business people - 6.0%). Once again the survey respondents did not change their view much on economic growth. They still expected that it would accelerate from 0.6% in 2016 to 1.3% in 2017. Read this report in full at TimesLive. See too, Laer inflasie vir 2017 verwag, at Netwerk24 (limit on access) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Address health sector staff shortages, Hospersa tells Motsoaledi ANA reports that the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa) on Tuesday urged national health minister Aaron Motsoaledi to address the critical shortage of staff in the public health system. General secretary Noel Desfontaines said there appeared to be a paradox where newly qualified doctors remained unemployed, while there was a critical staff shortage at public hospitals and clinics. He referred to a press briefing last week where Motsoaledi claimed that there were 147 posts available for unemployed doctors. “The Minister’s statement fails to sufficiently address the shortage of staff in public hospitals and clinics, and that more can be done to provide incentives to qualified but unemployed health professionals to work in rural areas,” said Desfontaines. He added that Hospersa was appalled over the often dismal working conditions faced by its members in the public sector. Read this report in full at The Citizen. See too, Health Minister under fire for staff shortages, at Cape Times. Read Hospersa’s press statement in this regard at SA Labour News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Gauteng matric markers need to wait until March for full payment The Star reports that a financial shortfall has been given by the Gauteng Department of Education as the reason behind the delay in payment to teachers for the marking of exam scripts. Disgruntled teachers have complained that some of them were not paid and others have only received a quarter of the money owing to them. Teachers would need to wait until the end of March for payment, said acting spokesperson for the department, Oupa Bodibe. He went on to indicate: “Partial payment has been made to all markers. The department is awaiting approval for additional funds and will pay the balance before the end of March. The department wholeheartedly apologises for this.” Some teachers have told The Star they were planning to march to the department on Friday if the payments were not made by then. Read this report by Heidi Giokos in full at The Star. See too, Gauteng matric markers partially paid due to department’s ‘financial shortfall’, at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Zuma proposes 'consequences' for non-delivering teachers ANA reports that President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday suggested that there should be consequences for school teachers and principals who continued to produce pathetic pass rates despite the perpetual support from government. He addressed the Basic Education Sector Lekgotla in Pretoria and said that “when I hear of schools that produce zero percent pass rate, I ask myself what they were doing from January to November … That is why I'm saying at least there must be some consequences if I'm a teacher [but] no single child passes. The teacher has been working, getting paid but it means they have been paid for doing nothing really.” Zuma also appealed to the players in the education sector to wage a war against the dropout of learners from the education system. He urged South African parents to closely monitor and be actively involved in their children's education. Read this report by Jonisayi Maromo in full at IOL News. Read too, Heads must roll at under performing schools, says Zuma, at The Citizen. And also, Underperforming school principals must be held accountable, says Zuma, at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Tuesday, 24 January 2017 at SA Labour News
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Get South African labour news reports at SA Labour News