In our Monday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Friday, 3 February 2017.
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Search for skipper of capsized service launch ends tragically eNCA reports that the rescue mission to save a skipper from the capsized service launch Troupant in Cape Town, ended almost 28 hours later under tragic circumstances. The body of Steven Lategaan was found trapped in the engine room of the vessel. Two survivors from the boat accident were rushed to hospital on Saturday. One is in a critical condition while the other is stable. Lategaan’s family has blamed what they've described as disorganised rescue efforts and lack of communication for the death of their loved one. In a statement the police and the SA Marine Authority say they would be investigating the incident further. Read this report in full at eNCA. Read too, Skipper's body found after vessel capsizes, at News24. And also, Tugboat skipper's death a mystery, at Daily Voice Man critical after losing arm in Garankuwa factory accident News24 reports that a 47-year-old man is in a critical condition after his arm got trapped in an industrial machine in Garankuwa, north of Pretoria, on Friday. ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak said: "Shortly before 11:00, paramedics from ER24 arrived on the scene where they found the man already removed from the machinery. They found that he had sustained a traumatic amputation of his arm and immediately started to stabilise him." The man was apparently removed from the machine by his co-workers prior to paramedics’ arrival. He was rushed to hospital for further medical treatment. The exact cause of the incident is not yet known, but it is thought that the worker was attempting to clean the machine when the accident occurred. A short report by Paul Herman is at News24 Transport union Untu to take Prasa to court to get protection for members from criminals ANA reports that the United National Transport Union (Untu) said on Friday that it planned to take the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) to court for an interdict to force the latter to protect its employees against criminals. “The court is the union’s last resort in its fight to protect its Prasa membership, especially train crews, against increasing senseless violent attacks from criminals who know that they are defenseless soft targets,” Untu general secretary, Steve Harris, said in a statement. Harris stated that the union had tried all other avenues to convince Prasa’s management to adhere to their obligations as an employer. Last week, Untu reported on the latest attack in which an injured train driver drove with pieces of glass in his eyes from one station to the next after an attacker threw a brick that shattered the front window of his train. Read this report in full at The Citizen. See too, Veiligheid vir werknemers op treine: Saak kom teen Prasa, at Netwerk24 (limit on access). Read Untu’s press statement in this regard at Polity KZN principal injured in pupil-on-teacher assault TimesLive writes that the vicious assault of a KwaZulu-Natal school principal, which left him injured and too traumatised to return to work for a year, has brought into sharp focus the issue of pupil-on-teacher violence. The attack and several others came to light during an oversight visit by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to Ndwedwe, about 60km north of Durban last week. A spate of violent incidents, officials said, points to faction fighting in the district with some teachers allegedly mobilising pupils to settle scores against their rivals. Isifiso Sethu High School has been a flashpoint. The principal confirmed that he was assaulted by a gang of pupils in January last year. Basil Manual of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA (Naptosa) said it was dangerous for pupils to be drawn into teachers' squabbles. National Teachers' Union (Natu) spokesman Allen Thompson said school security needed to improve. Read this report by Jeff Wicks in full at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Mining Indaba hears from Zwane that new Mining Charter to be published by March Reuters reports that Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane said on Monday at the Mining Indaba that his department would publish its revised Mining Charter by next month. A separate Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act will be finalised by June, proposing to give the state a 20% free stake in new energy projects and the ability to buy further shares. The Mining Charter was introduced in 2002 to increase black ownership of the mining industry. The Chamber of Mines has threatened to take the government to court over the latest draft, which requires companies to keep black ownership at 26% even if black shareholders sell their stakes. The Charter, which was previously revised in 2010, also requires companies to provide housing and other amenities in mining communities, many of which are mired in poverty and neglect. Mining companies say they were not consulted in regard to the latest draft, but Zwane denied this and sought to reassure investors. Read this report by Wendell Roelf in full at Business Report. Read too, Cutifani encourages mining sector to focus on constructive dialogue, at Mining Weekly Lily Mine workers protest to demand salaries News24 reports that on Thursday night a small group of mineworkers and residents blocked off a main road and burnt tyres in protest over unpaid salaries and the abandoned rescue of three bodies trapped underground at Vantage Goldfields’ Lily Mine. Members of the KaloMshiyo community in Barberton joined some of the retrenched miners in their protest. Police arrived on Friday morning and cleared the scene. Sunday marks one year since a container in which three employees were working fell into a giant sinkhole when a supporting pillar underground collapsed. The bodies have not yet been recovered. The mine is under business rescue and the workers have not been paid since the end of October last year. Trade union Solidarity called for those responsible for the tragedy to be held accountable and is concerned about the business rescue practitioner making empty promises for the past 10 months, with nothing coming to fruition. Read this report by Nation Nyoka and Sisa Canca in full at News24. Read too, Lily Mine exhausted all avenues to retrieve trapped miners, says business rescue firm, at EWN. And also, Three moms unhappy with handling of Lily Mine tragedy, Pretoria News. As well as, Husband of Lily Mine victim recalls most heart-wrenching day, at The Star Finding Lily Mine lamp room is the top priority, says Zwane ANA reports that finding the “lamp room” container and the three mine workers trapped inside when it was buried in a sinkhole at Vantage Goldfields’ Lily Gold Mine at Barberton a year ago remained a priority, Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said on Sunday. Since that day, the department had worked tirelessly to ensure that the buried container which carried Yvonne Mnisi, Pretty Nkambule, and Solomon Nyerende was found and brought to the surface, Zwane indicated in a statement. An inter-ministerial committee of ministers – mineral resources, social development, and women – had been established to support the families and employees affected by the accident, Zwane stated. The primary objective remained that of finding the container in order for the families of the three employees to get closure on this matter. Meantime, the department has concluded the investigation into the accident and it has now been converted into an inquiry in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act, which would start in the next few days. No mining can resume until the inquiry has been concluded. Read this report in full at eNCA. See too, No closure in Lily Mine disaster without loved ones' bodies: Sanco, at News24. And also, Families hold prayer service for three trapped Lily Gold miners, at SABC News. As well as, Cosatu reaffirms its commitment to planned protest against Lily Mine, at EWN Other labour posting(s) in this news category
Other general internet posting(s) on mining
Parliament calls for urgency in dealing with chicken import crisis Cape Times reports that Parliament has called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to speed up its investigation into the crisis in the poultry sector in order to save thousands of jobs. Last week, DTI spokesperson Sidwell Medupe said various measures had been put in place to stave off job losses and that the task team set up two weeks ago would soon report to ministers in the economics cluster on the plan to save jobs. KwaZulu-Natal and other provinces have been severely affected by the cheap chicken imports coming from the EU and Brazil. This has led to many farms closing down or scaling down on employment. Chairperson of the select committee on trade and international relations in the National Council of Provinces, Eddie Makue, said urgent action was needed by the state. He also encouraged the poultry industry to work on the rapid transformation and industrialisation of the sector. Read this report by Siyabonga Mkhwanazi in full at Cape Times. Read the select committee’s press statement at Parliament online ANC NEC lekgotla urges government to buy poultry farms to stop job losses Sunday Tribune reports that the ANC national executive committee (NEC) last weekend proposed that the government should buy poultry farms that were being forced to close down because of chicken imports. Secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said the government must intervene to prevent the job losses being experienced in the poultry industry and that the state would have to find new markets for poultry from those farms. Retrenchments would affect KwaZulu-Natal more than elsewhere as poultry farms were major employers in the province. Meanwhile, the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) and its industry co-stakeholders marched to the EU embassy in Pretoria on Wednesday to seek immediate intervention in the local poultry job loss crisis. This short report is at Sunday Tribune. Read too, No gold at end of rainbow for SA's beleaguered chicken industry, at Business Times. And also, Severe challenges impact Rainbow Chicken Limited, at Business Report. As well as, Fawu marches to EU embassy on Wednesday over poultry job losses, at Business Report Death of a once prosperous KZN town due to poultry jobs losses City Press writes about the ‘death’ of Hammarsdale, a KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) town, where the effect of last Monday’s retrenchment of more than 1,000 workers at Rainbow Chickens (now RCL Foods) is already apparent. Another 300 staff whose jobs were cut have been redeployed to other operations in other provinces. “This is already having a huge impact on business,” says Farook Kadodia, the owner of a supermarket that has been serving Rainbow workers for 20 years. The latest round of retrenchments, caused by the R1m-a-day losses the chicken producer has sustained – as a result of drought-driven maize price hikes and competition with cheaper chicken dumped from abroad – will have an effect far beyond them and their families. In the 1970s and 1980s, Hammarsdale was KZN’s industrial and textile hub. “The town has been hit hard by the closure of the textile sector here and by three sets of retrenchments at Rainbow. Every time the area seems to be stabilising, we get hit again,” Kadodia said. Now, with the loss of 1,000 pay packets, matters are going to get much worse. RCL says more lay-offs may follow. Read this report by Paddy Harper in full at City Press. See too, Chicken crisis blamed on brine rules, on page 2 of The New Age of 6 February 2017 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Denosa to march on SA Nursing Council over nursing licences EWN reports that the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) says it has on multiple occasions tried to meet with the South African Nursing Council (SANC) to deal with issues surrounding the process of nurses obtaining their practicing licences. On 26 January, a nurse from KZN collapsed while in the queue at SANC’s only offices in Pretoria, and died on arrival at the hospital. Denosa said her death was completely unnecessary because the council should have branches in every province. Because its calls to meet with the council have fallen on deaf ears, the union will be marching to the council’s offices on 22 February. Read this report by Katleho Sekhotho in full at EWN. Read Denosa’s press statement at Denosa online
New labour federation launch set for March SABC News reports that delegates who attended the new labour federation's Gauteng shop stewards' council were told that the formation was in a good financial position and was ready to launch in March. Hundreds of provincial shop stewards from various unions aligned to the labour federation met in Turffontein, south of Johannesburg, to discuss the draft constitution and logo ahead of a congress at which the launch will take place. Katishi Masemola, general secretary of the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu), commented: "On the state of readiness it was the draft constitution and many of the delegates indicated they are happy with it. There were five optional logos that were presented and it was agreed those will be finalised at the launch of the congress. On the issue of campaigns, it was the minimum wage (that was discussed) and the council agreed that the minimum wage cannot be R3,500 (per month)." Read this report by Tshepo Mongoai in full at SABC News Vavi’s march against chicken imports a dress rehearsal for new federation? Sowetan writes that the march by the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) in Tshwane on Wednesday set the tone for the new labour federation Zwelinzima Vavi is spearheading. Fawu members marched to the offices of the EU in protest against the dumping of cheap chicken. But unlike in November when Fawu took to the streets and marched to Treasury, it was accompanied by some of its allies in the federation that is going to be launched next month. Vavi, the former Cosatu general secretary, joined the marchers and addressed them. Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) were also there. Fawu and Numsa are the biggest draw cards of the new breakaway federation. Over 30 other unions are expected to be part of the new federation. Fawu’s Katishi Masemola said the action gave a glimpse of what the federation will be about and stated: “It may well be that it’s an indicator that the new federation will be about occupying the streets, engaging in programme of rolling mass action in order to deliver promises that we’ve made to workers.” But he also said the march was not about sending a message to Cosatu. Read this report by Bongani Nkosi in full on page 2 of Sowetan of 2 February 2017
Anger as Jozi@Work initiative faces cancellation The Star writes that the cancellation of the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) flagship programme Jozi@Work will have a dire impact on those employed under it. A Joburg resident who found employment through the programme said cancelling it would lead to an increase in the number of unemployed. This comes after CoJ executive mayor Herman Mashaba announced last week that his administration would be cancelling the R1 billion co-production programme. Jozi@Work was conceived by the previous ANC administration and claims to have created more than 8,000 jobs. Mashaba is seeking to bring an end to the initiative after claiming it was littered with patronage. He said his administration would be creating a new programme that would be aimed at creating fair and equal opportunities. The new programme is expected to be implemented within six months, pending the establishment of a credible indigents list. Read this report by Tankiso Makhetha in full at The Star. See too, ANC says Mashaba deliberately starving the poor by canning Jozi@Work , at EWN Eskom delay in signing IPPs starting to cost jobs Business Report writes that an Eastern Cape project meant to supply hundreds of towers a year to independent power producers (IPPs) has started shedding jobs and allegedly stands on the brink of ruin. This is because of Eskom’s delay in concluding power purchase agreements. Eskom and the renewable industry have been at each other’s throats over 20-year power purchase agreements that utility is supposed to sign to buy power from companies selected to develop renewable energy projects. DCD Group chief executive Digby Glover on Friday said the company’s R536-million Wind Towers venture in the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) near Port Elizabeth had already started shedding jobs and was likely to close in April if Eskom did not sign the power purchase agreements. “So it has been clear for some time what the implications of Eskom’s delay would be - and now it is happening,” said Glover. In response, Eskom has consistently said the IPPs would only be signed at a pace Eskom could afford. Read this report by Siseko Njobeni in full at Business Report Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Suspected fake Eastern Cape labour lawyer hands herself in City Press reports that an Eastern Cape woman accused of having defrauded unsuspecting clients of thousands of rands by purporting to be an advocate has handed herself over to the police. Luyanda Mqingwana walked into the King William’s Town police station on Friday to hand herself over and to face a charge of intimidation related to her alleged fraudulent activities. She was later released and will await the court’s decision. Her former clients approached City Press in the past week claiming that Mqingwana had duped them into paying thousands of rands by promising to represent them in their legal cases. One clients said that Mqingwana had indicated that she specialised in labour matters. “Each time she had to go to a case, she would make up an excuse, but I kept paying until the amount was R65,000. I ended up winning my case with the help of unions,” the alleged victim said. Bhisho Society of Advocates chairman Mzwandile Ntsaluba SC confirmed that Mqingwana was not a member and never had been. Read this detailed report by Msindisi Fengu in full at City Press Other internet posting(s) in this news category Zuma’s head bodyguard used a fake matric certificate to get his job, at City Press
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet from Friday, 3 February to Sunday, 5 February 2017 at SA Labour News
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