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 Thursday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Wednesday, 15 March 2017.
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Nehawu members not on strike at Sassa, but are out at Social Development News24 reports that, according to a union official, members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) at the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) are not on strike and have no immediate plans to do so. The union’s general secretary Bereng Shoke said that Sassa staffers had grievances, but no dispute had been declared and no notice of a strike had been issued. This was amid fears that a strike could undermine any last-minute efforts to make sure there is a new social grants payout system or agreement in place to replace the one that expires on 31 March. About 6,000 Nehawu members in the Department of Social Development (DSD) went on strike on Monday, after talks over their grievances collapsed on Sunday night. They are social workers, childcare workers, managers of homes and care centres, and administrative staffers. A Nehawu spokesperson said the union's issues with the DSD dated back to August 2015, and had not been addressed adequately. Read this report by Jenni Evans in full at News24. See too, Tshwane workers join Nehawu national strike, at The Citizen. And also, Nehawu’s wage strike heats up, on page 10 of The New Age of 16 March 2017 Cosatu to picket outside Parliament on Thursday over welfare grant payments Business Report writes that union federation Cosatu will picket outside Parliament on Thursday between 13:00 and 14:00 over the current debacle around welfare grants. The Social Development Department and the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) are scrambling to ensure that as many as 17 million people continue to receive their monthly grants. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Cosatu said it had waited at the gates of Parliament to hand over a memorandum to the Minister of Social Development Bathibile Dlamini on Sunday. “She did not respond. Cosatu then made an urgent plea to her to immediately confirm that the Sassa grants will be paid on April 1. Her silence has been deafening ever since.” Cosatu said it expected the minister on Thursday “to receive the memorandum in person to show respect to the voters.” Read this report in full at IOL News. Read Cosatu’s press statement in this regard at Cosatu Today
Lily Mine recovery depends on 'government intervention', Spoor tells inquiry News24 reports that a lawyer representing the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has told an inquiry there was still hope of recovering the container with the bodies of the three Lily Mine workers and getting the mine operational again. "This almost entirely depends on government intervention," human rights attorney Richard Spoor said on Wednesday. The three employees were working in a lamp room housed in a shipping container on the surface when the collapse took place. They disappeared into a sinkhole and were buried under tons of rock. The rescue operation was abandoned when the mine’s owners, Vantage Goldfields, ran out of money. The aim of the inquiry, which started on Monday, is to get to the bottom of what happened at Lily Mine, to ensure the same mistakes are not repeated. The inquiry also seeks to give closure to the families of the three miners. Read this report by Beatrice Shongwe in full at News24 Disused mine shaft to be little Richard Thole's last resting place TMG Digital/The Times reports that the final resting place for five-year old Richard Thole will be the disused mine shaft in Boksburg he fell into three weeks ago. The family have been informed by Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina that they will not be able to give him a funeral as recovery missions have been permanently called off. The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has concluded that the only safe option would be to leave the boy's body buried in the disused mine shaft in the Jerusalem informal settlement. The SANDF was called in by Masina to assist in the recovery of the body after Mine Rescue Services were unsuccessful in their recovery operations. The SANDF said in its report that, after evaluating the disused mine shaft‚ more lives were likely to be lost should the recovery operations continue. Read this report by Shenaaz Jamal in full at TimesLive. See too, Search for boy trapped in mine shaft called off, at eNCA. And also, SANDF to deal with future mine shaft falls, says Masina, at EWN Other general internet posting(s) on mining
McBride says Ipid ‘almost done’ with probe into Marikana police action ANA reports that police watchdog head Robert McBride told MPs on Wednesday that his team will meet an April deadline to submit all dockets relating criminal behaviour during the 2016 Marikana massacre to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Briefing Parliament’s portfolio committee on police, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) boss said despite hitting several snags they were now working with a team of prosecutors to finalise cases against officers involved in wrongdoing. McBride took aim at the SA Police Service for conducting its own investigations into those involved in the 16 August 2012 incident, which claimed the lives of 34 people, saying that it was “strange that they all were cleared especially when so many people died and it seems no fault was laid anywhere.” Earlier during the meeting, police top brass revealed that government had been served with summonses of claims to the tune of over R1.1 billion in compensation from the victims of the Marikana massacre. Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read too, Marikana Massacre: Police absolve 87 of their own, at Daily Maverick. And also, McBride takes aim at SAPS Marikana revelations, at eNCA Government confirms lawsuits from Marikana victims total close to R1.2bn ANA reports that government has been served with summonses of claims of over R1.1-billion in compensation from the victims of the Marikana massacre, which claimed the lives of 34 people on 16 April 2012, and ten others in the preceding week. This emerged in Parliament on Tuesday. Police Minister Nathi Nhleko, police top brass, as well as the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, were asked to give MPs an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the Farlam Commission of Inquiry that probed the tragedy. A total of 325 miners’ families were claiming R179,286-million for loss of support. Thirty six of those injured as a result of the police shooting them were claiming R100.9-million. A total of 285 people claiming they were assaulted, arrested, detained and maliciously prosecuted wanted R870.9-million. A further six people accusing police of assaulting, arresting and detaining them were claiming R19.8-million. The state’s “offers of settlement” in respect of the loss of support claims have been “accepted in principle”, however legal representatives still have to discuss the terms of the settlement with their clients. Read this report in full at Mining Weekly. Read too, Government faces massive claims over Marikana massacre, at eNCA. And also, Marikana tragedy not quantifiable, says Nhleko, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Fedusa warns of nationwide Prasa strike over double digit wage demand ANA reports that the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) warned on Wednesday of a looming wage strike at the embattled Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa). This could take place if the CCMA fails to resolve a wage dispute that has been referred to it by the United National Transport Union (Untu). In a statement, Fedusa said it “fully supports Untu’s decision to refer the dispute to the CCMA for conciliation after the latter’s members rejected Prasa’s wage offer increase from 3 percent to 4.5 percent on condition that Untu lowers its demands from 20 percent to 12 percent.” Untu is also demanding increases in members’ medical aid, night shift, book-off and standby allowances with effect from 1 April. Untu general secretary Steve Harris said his members were ‘gatvol’ and ‘angry’ and were demanding a double-digit salary increase irrespective of the dire state of Prasa. Read this report in full at eNCA. See too, Embattled Prasa faces crippling strike over double digit wage demand, at Fin24. And also, Untu verwys loongeskil na kommissie, at Netwerk24 (limit on access). Read Fedusa’s press statement in this regard at Polity
Over 430 strikers sacked at hardboard manufacturer Evowood in Estcourt TMG Digital reports that a three-week strike costing R2 million a day for a cash-strapped company has had dire consequences for workers, namely mass dismissal. Hardboard manufacturer Evowood (formerly Masonite) has dismissed 434 workers at its Estcourt mill, which remains closed for now. CE Louis Marais said the Labour Court issued an interim court order preventing employees from continuing with an illegal strike on 27 February 2017 and on 10 March 2017 issued a final order. The company acted on the findings of an independent commissioner and on Wednesday it issued a notice to dismiss 434 workers following a disciplinary process related to the illegal strike. The strike related to a business turnaround plan signed with the workforce in November 2016, which stipulated a reduction of 12% in every employee’s salary from 1 February 2017. The agreement also stipulated that there would be no retrenchments and was aimed at saving all 733 jobs at the company. It moreover provided for a minimum 7% wage increase from July 2017. However‚ a faction within the workforce apparently reneged on the agreement‚ leading to the illegal strike. Read this report in full at TimesLive
Job seekers storm new casino in Pretoria Pretoria News reports that, despite massive disruptions to construction on Tuesday, all systems remain on track for the grand opening on 1 April of Sun International’s Time Square Casino and Hotel at Menlyn Maine. The new development was hit by a massive labour protest on Tuesday morning, when 500 job seekers from the surrounding area stormed the basement parking demanding that jobs be given to residents of Pretoria. “We will continue to engage with the group regarding vacancies and will consider those who are qualified for posts should they become available,” said Sun International’s Michael Farr. Witnesses said the job seekers barged into the parking area at about 8am, demanding an audience with those in charge of recruitment. They became violent, hurling bricks and other items as they demanded to be allowed access to the construction site. Police had to be called in to maintain peace and order. Read this report in full at Pretoria News Jozi@Work protesters gear up for another protest in Joburg on Thursday eNCA reports that the Johannesburg Social Movement is set to protest around the city's metro centre on Thursday, and metro police are expecting violent clashes. The organisation has called for Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba to resign following the scrapping of the Jozi@Work programme. Joburg metro police spokesman Wayne Minaar said: “We are expecting violent clashes in and around the metro centre, because we know that this particular group will be going to protest. We want to advise motorists and the public to avoid the roads and the areas around the metro centre from about 9am to 3pm.” There will be hundreds of officers on duty to divert traffic and to control the illegal protest. This report and a video clip are at eNCA
Joburg’s Pikitup gets new boss after six months without a head The Citizen reports that the sanitation and rubbish removal agency for the City of Johannesburg, Pikitup, has finally appointed a new boss after almost six months without a head. The appointment of Lungile Dhlamini from 1 May as the new Pikitup MD was announced by mayoral committee member for environment and infrastructure services, Nico de Jager. Dhlamini is a registered civil engineer with a municipal finance management background. He replaces Amanda Nair, who was fired with immediate effect last September by the Pikitup board after an independent forensic investigation into allegations against her of recruitment, remuneration and procurement irregularities. Dlamini will take over an entity that is notorious for poor service to residents. Rubbish removal employees in the metro are notorious for their unplanned industrial actions. Read this report by Eric Naki in full at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Eskom plans to meet with unions this week over phasing out of coal power stations EWN reports that Eskom is planning to meet with trade unions this week to discuss the planned phasing out of five coal power stations in Mpumalanga. The power utility will be phasing out the Grootvlei, Kriel, Camden, Hendrina and Komati power stations in Mpumalanga over the next five years, which spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe said was necessary to accommodate independent renewable power producers. Unions are up in arms, claiming that they were not consulted over the move. Some of the coal power stations employ up to 1,000 people, but Phasiwe said they would “make sure we mitigate against thousands of job losses.” A short report by Ilze-Marie Le Roux is at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category Droogte kan tot duisende afleggings lei, at Netwerk24 (limit on access) We will save SA’s poultry sector, says Ramaphosa, at BusinessLive
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Wednesday, 15 March 2017 at SA Labour News
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Get South African labour news reports at SA Labour News