In our Tuesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Monday, 30 January 2017.
|
Medic critically injured after ambulance crashed into hippo in Pretoria TMG Digital reports that an ambulance driver is in a critical condition after crashing into a hippopotamus crossing the road in Pretoria on Monday night. A Life 24 ambulance was transporting a patient to Milpark hospital in Johannesburg when the hippo crossed the road. The driver and two of his colleagues were travelling back from Limpopo. Charl Blake of Life 24 said that the accident occurred at about 10pm as the three men were exiting Pretoria. Two of the ambulance crew were discharged from hospital earlier on Tuesday morning. Their colleague is still receiving treatment in high care. The hippo was killed in the collision. A short report is at TimesLive. See too, Ambulans tref seekoei, bestuurder erg beseer, at Netwerk24 (limit on access) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Mines funds to distribute unclaimed benefits worth R600m to ex-mineworkers Business Report writes that the Mines 1970 Unclaimed Benefits Preservation Pension and Provident Funds want to distribute the entire fund, totaling R600 million, to ex-mineworkers in SA, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Malawi, Botswana and Zimbabwe by 2020. Yet, this is said to be a fraction of the billions of rands that different pension funds are understood to owe ex-miners. The 1970 Funds comprise 11,712 pension fund beneficiaries and 57,450 provident fund beneficiaries, located in different southern African countries. “We have identified 73 percent of the pension fund beneficiaries and, families of the deceased, and 60 percent of provident fund beneficiaries and families,” said Sue Fritz, chairperson of the funds on Monday. She said the increased success rate was due to their new tracing initiatives. In the past 25 months, the funds have paid more than R60 million in unclaimed benefits to beneficiaries. Read this report by Siseko Njobeni in full at Business Report NUM lambastes Sibanye’s legal bid against DMR over application of safety stoppages Mining Weekly reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Monday criticised Sibanye Platinum’s decision to pursue a legal bid against the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) for alleged financial damages as a result of Section 54 (i.e. safety) stoppages. Sibanye brought the claim following the application of a number of Section 54 closures at its Kroondal platinum mines last year. The union said in a statement: “Section 54 of the Mine Health and Safety Act was brought to life because it has contributed to saving lives in the mining industry. Prior to the implementation of Section 54, people were dying in their hundreds in the mining industry, but it has since seen a rapid decline of fatalities in the mining industry.” The NUM urged the Chamber of Mines to intervene as a matter of urgency and “to then engage with the DMR to discuss the elephant in the room rather than dispose of the baby with dirty bath water." Read this report in full at Mining Weekly AngloGold, unions working to reach agreement to mitigate job losses The Citizen reports that AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) and trade unions are busy concretising a possible arrangement that would help avert the retrenchment of more than 800 employees. AGA spokesperson Chris Nthite said they met with unions – the NUM, Amcu, Solidarity and Uasa – but had not yet finalised the talks or reached agreement on substantive issues. The company recently announce a plan to retrench 849 workers, but the parties agreed to seek ways to prevent the retrenchments completely. “On Monday we met with the organised labour representatives of our employees to explore steps to mitigate job losses. This engagement is ongoing and it remains too early to pre-empt an outcome,” Nthite indicated. He added that various options were being considered in order to mitigate the job losses and that they were going to meet as stakeholders again soon for more discussions on these issues. Read this report by Eric Naki in full at The Citizen Other labour posting(s) in this news category
Other general internet posting(s) on mining
Parliamentary committee to discuss Claassen Inquiry report on Phiyega News24 reports that Parliament’s police portfolio committee is still deciding how to handle the Claassen Board of Inquiry’s report into the fitness of suspended police commissioner Riah Phiyega to hold office. The committee had scheduled a meeting for Thursday to discuss referring the report to the Presidency, chairperson Francois Beukman indicated, but would now take legal advice on how to deal with the document as it was still classified as confidential. "It may be prudent at this stage to wait for the outcome of the review application before we proceed," Beukman said. On Thursday, Phiyega filed papers in the High Court in Pretoria seeking to review and set aside Judge Neels Claassen’s findings. Beukman said the committee would continue monitoring the implementation of the Farlam Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations on public order policing, and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s ongoing probe into the August 2012 Marikana shootings. Read this report in full at News24. Read too, Phiyega using delay tactics to avoid accountability, claims DA, at The Citizen. And also, Phiyega moet summier afgedank word: AfriForum, at Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Jobs halved as Rainbow plant in Hammarsdale goes on single shift BusinessLive reports that a new business model at RCL Foods’ Rainbow Chicken plant in Hammarsdale will come into effect on Wednesday in terms of which the facility will reduce the two-shift system to a single one. This will result in the loss of 1,350 workers out of a staff complement of about 2,700. Most of the retrenched workers were laid off on Friday and some will knock off for the last time on Tuesday afternoon. More than 200 workers have been placed at RCL Foods’ other operations in the province. RCL Foods has committed itself to helping its former workers by paying for their reskilling courses and would engage some on a casual basis. They would also be assisted in accessing unemployment insurance funds. Meanwhile, thousands of workers and their poultry industry bosses are set to march in Pretoria on Wednesday to protest against what they say is dumping of cheap chicken products in the local market. Read this report by Nce Mkhize in full at BusinessLive. Read too, Poultry industry to mark ‘day of misery’ with protest march against EU imports, at Engineering News SA's chicken industry is crying wolf, say importers Fin24 reports that according to David Wolpert, CEO of the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters of SA (Amiesa), SA’s beleaguered poultry industry is not under threat. "It is time to put a stop to the huge campaign of lies and distortions levied against imports," he said, adding that the local chicken industry, “which is currently experiencing massive losses, is crying wolf. Its survival is not under threat." However, he conceded the industry was “bleeding at the moment, but not because of imports". Wolpert pointed out that imports were only around 14% of the total consumption nationally. In his view, the problem facing local producers related to the high cost of feed, as well as a complete lack of an export programme. It is expected that better-than-anticipated rains and a drop in soya bean and maize prices will give producers some respite this year. Read this report in full at Fin24. Read too, Poultry task team making headway, at SA Govt News Agency ANC wants government to buy chicken farms to stem job losses ANA reports that the ANC on Monday said it had resolved that government should buy struggling but productive poultry farms in a bid to save jobs and increase food security and production. Local chicken producers are set to retrench more than 3,500 workers as they struggle under heavy competition from cheap imported chickens from European Union countries. Speaking during a post-National Executive Committee lekgotla briefing on Monday, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said the party had resolved to pursue this as part of accelerating radical transformation of the economy and disrupting existing patterns of ownership and control. On agriculture and land reform, Mantashe said the ANC decided to defend existing jobs and create new ones, by protecting and incentivising domestic businesses and industries. "This includes the developmental state purchasing productive poultry farms currently being sold off in a bid to save jobs and increase food security and production," Mantashe stated. Read this report by Siphelele Dludla in full at Business Report. See too, Govt. should buy chicken farms to stem job losses, says Mantashe, at BusinessLive
After receiving “disgusting” bus wage offer, Numsa cautions that no one wins in a strike Fin24 reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) is not pleased with the 4% wage increase being proposed by employers in the road passenger sector, following the first round of negotiations. According to a Numsa statement on Monday, the employers represented by the SA Bus Employer’s Association (Sabea) and the Commuter Bus Employer’s Organisation (Cobeo), have not engaged on the other demands by the union. The demands proposed by Numsa include a 30% wage increase across the board, a basic salary of R15,000, a R1,500 housing allowance for eligible employees along with a R1,200 sleeping allowance. “Employers have until the 9th of February to agree to our demands; otherwise we reserve our right to declare a dispute,” the union stated. In calling on the employers to take the talks seriously, it added: “Numsa would prefer to avoid a strike. No one wins in a strike. We want to avoid hostile negotiations because it will be very costly both for workers and employers if we were to down tools.” Read this report by Lameez Omarjee in full at Fin24. See too, Numsa ‘disgusted’ at 4% offer in road passenger transport sector, at Business Report. Read Numsa’s press statement at Numsa online
Unisa to reopen after wage agreement with Nehawu BusinessLive reports that the registration of students at the University of SA (Unisa) is set to go ahead after a salary increment agreement was signed with the National Education and Health Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) on Monday. The workers accepted the four categories of increases put forward by Unisa’s management. The categories ranged from a 5% increase for the highest-paid individuals to an 8% increase for the lowest-paid workers. The compromise came after a week-long standoff between university management and the trade union that saw all the university’s campuses closed and registration delayed. Nehawu’s Ntsako Nombeni said the terms of the official agreement would be finalised on Tuesday. Nehawu represents 3,000 of Unisa’s 6,000 permanent staff. Read this report by Michelle Gumede in full at BusinessLive. See too, Unisa‚ workers reach settlement, at HeraldLive. And also, Unisa deficit looms over wage increases, at BusinessLive
Nurses given run-around to get annual practising certificates TimesLive reports that nurses face endless delays in being sent their practising certificates after paying their yearly fees and end up having to travel long distances to get the certificates in order to keep their jobs. They say the way they are treated by the SA Nursing Council shows that the government does not respect them. The professional payment system is not yet online and the 220,000 nurses and 73,000 nursing assistants are expected to pay the fee through FNB and fax the proof of payment to the council's office. The certificate is then posted, but many say it never arrives. Nurses who do not receive their licence have to travel to Pretoria - the only nursing council office in the country - to get it. At the council’s offices last week, hundreds of nurses queued for their certificates. The Times made several calls to the council and the phone rang unanswered. Read this report by Katharine Child in full at TimesLive
Ekurhuleni metro police force boosts its manpower by 729 Caxton News Service reports that the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) has strengthened its manpower by 729 new metro officials who will assist with traffic flow, crime prevention and the application of municipal ordinances. Until December these officials were part of the EMPD peace corps as part of a skills training initiative implemented by former mayor Mondli Gungubele. Although they are already employed by the metro as traffic wardens, they still have to undergo induction training. This will include a peace officer’s course and financial management, among others, before they will be deployed, said acting EMPD spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Kobeli Mokheseng. “After the induction, we will position them in the east, north and southern regions of Ekurhuleni, under the operations department,” said Mokheseng. Read this report by Anna Robertson in full at The Citizen
Average ‘real’ income of South African was down 1.5% in December BusinessLive reports that, after taking inflation into account, the average South African earned 1.5% less in December than in the same month in 2015. December’s average monthly pay after taxes and other deductions was R14,102 and the median was R10,397, according to the BankservAfrica Disposable Salary Index (BDSI) released on Tuesday. Ignoring inflation, South Africans on average received 5.1% more in December than the same month the previous year. December was the seventh consecutive month that salaries have fallen year-on-year-in real terms. Like salaries, private pensions showed real-term decline (1.7%) year-on-year in December. Read this report by Robert Laing in full at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Safetsa calls off TVET campus shutdown… for now The Citizen reports that the SA Further Education and Training Student Association (Safetsa) has provisionally called off its nationwide shutdown of the 265 Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) campuses. It has given giving Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande 14 days to address some of their concerns and grievances. Safetsa general secretary Sibusiso Ntishibongo said they met Nzimande and his team on Friday and the department committed to addressing the problems highlighted by the association. Ntishibongo said they would re-evaluate the situation after 14 days. “If they do not keep their word and if they were lying to us, we will seek the help of the courts and make the TVET sector ungovernable,” he warned. Read this report by Virginia Keppler in full at The Citizen. Read too, Nzimande’s department given 14 days to fix TVET certificate backlog, at GroundUp. And also, TVET student protests are the result of years of neglect, at GroundUp Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Sea Point security company director to be charged with theft of pension contributions Cape Times reports that a criminal complaint is to be laid against a Sea Point security company director, over allegations he pilfered the pension fund contributions of his security officers. The company is contracted by various ratepayers associations operating within Bantry Bay and Sea Point. The chairperson of a body corporate based in Sea Point said their organisation had become involved “after one of the guards supplied to our building passed away. His widow, who was due about R85,000, has obviously not received what was due, thanks to this theft by the director. Charges including theft and fraud and will be brought against the director over the next few days.” Read this report by Dominic Adriaanse in full at Cape Times Other internet posting(s) in this news category Private Security Sector Provident Fund clearing claims backlog, at The New Age
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Monday, 30 January 2017 at SA Labour News
|
Get South African labour news reports at SA Labour News