In our Tuesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Monday, 3 April 2017.
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Following Monday’s CEC meeting, Cosatu calls on President Zuma to resign BusinessLive reports that on Tuesday, trade union federation Cosatu, which is an ANC allay, called on President Jacob Zuma to step down. The federation has blamed Zuma for the country’s downgrade by S&P Global Ratings on Monday. “Cosatu no longer believes that the president is the right person to lead the country and the movement ... the time has arrived for him to step down… Cosatu no longer believes in his leadership abilities,” said general secretary, Bheki Ntshalintshali. He was briefing the media after a special sitting of Cosatu’s central executive committee (CEC) on Monday. Cosatu discussed last week’s Cabinet reshuffle and used three guiding questions to assess its decision, namely whether the reshuffle had been in the best interests of the ANC and the country; if it took the fight against corruption forward and if it was based on merit. Ntshalintshali said Cosatu’s answer to each of these was “No”. Cosatu president, Sdumo Dlamini, said the decision had not been taken lightly and followed lengthy consultation with the ANC on the Zuma matter. Read this report by Natasha Marrian in full at BusinessLive. Read too, Cosatu calls for Zuma to go, at Daily Maverick S&P downgrade is Zuma's fault, says Fedusa ANA reports that the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) said on Monday that the decision by rating agency S&P Global to downgrade SA’s sovereign rating to junk status came as a result of "self-inflicted pain" and bad leadership from President Jacob Zuma. General secretary Dennis George, who was with axed Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas in London before the two were called back home, said he was extremely concerned. He added: "This is really not acceptable. You see what happened to Greece when they were downgraded to junk status. It makes economic policy management much more difficult." George also said Zuma had not learnt his lesson from December 2015 when he fired finance minister Nhlanhla Nene and when billions were wiped from SA’s stock and bond markets as a result of the botched reshuffle. Read this report by Chantall Presence in full at IOL News. Read Fedusa’s press statement at SA Labour News Cosatu ‘worried’ over SA’s downgrade to junk status Business Report writes that Cosatu said on Tuesday it was worried about S&P Global's decision to downgrade SA’s investment status to ‘junk’ as this would affect crucial spending across the economy. Speaking following its special central executive committee meeting on Monday, the labour federation indicated that its concern related to the fact that the government owed more than R2.2 trillion to lenders, which was more than 50.7% of the national income. It was also worried that the government was paying R160 billion in interest, which was close to the amount paid out in social grants. Cosatu's Bheki Ntshalintshali expressed disapproval of the reasons given by S&P for the downgrade and indicated that Cosatu viewed the points about political uncertainty “as interference in our domestic political affairs." He went on to say: "We also hold responsible and culpable the President Jacob Zuma because it is his inattentive and negligent leadership and disruptive actions that have emboldened these agencies to interfere in this country's political affairs." Read this report by Zintle Mahlati in full at Business Report Treasury will become another SABC, says Vavi ANA reports that trade unionist Zwelinzima Vavi told protesters on Monday that National Treasury would soon be run down like other state institutions, such as the ailing SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). He was leading hundreds of ‘Save South Africa’ activists who have been protesting since President Jacob Zuma reshuffled his Cabinet last week, replacing Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan with Malusi Gigaba. Speaking outside National Treasury in Pretoria, Vavi said: “They are going to chase out every person who has capacity in this building [National Treasury]. The hyenas are going to be invited to come and take over. In two, three or five years, mark my words, this department that was celebrated in terms of being one of the most efficient, will become [like] Eskom, SABC, PetroSA, and all other State institutions that have been driven to the ground by the Zupta gang of thieves.” Vavi also said President Zuma was “talking nonsense” when he said he had reshuffled his Cabinet to pursue radical economic transformation. Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read too, Vavi’s Saftu campaign against Zuma reshuffle resumes on Monday, at The Citizen Bank CEOs warn downgrade will hit job creation BusinessLive reports that CEOs at SA’s major banks have said that a sovereign credit-rating downgrade would have serious negative implications for economic growth and job creation. They had earlier criticised the removal of finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy, Mcebisi Jonas. S&P Global Ratings cut SA’s foreign-currency credit rating to junk status on Monday night, saying "executive changes" by President Jacob Zuma risked fiscal and growth outcomes. The downgrade will increase government borrowing costs, as bond investors demand a higher return in exchange for higher perceived risk. "If investors lose faith and trust in our economy, all citizens pay the price for this, in the form of higher inflation, decreased buying power as well as decimated savings, pensions and investments," the CEO Initiative said. "A lack of investment also means that growth and much-needed job creation will be stifled," it added. Read this report by Hanna Ziady and Moyagabo Maake in full at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
No takers for R1m reward for info on deadly Cape Town cash heist TMG Digital/The Times reports that despite a R1-million reward for information about a fatal cash-in-transit robbery in Cape Town at the weekend‚ no one has yet come forward. A SBV Services employee was fatally wounded while another is in serious condition in hospital after being shot at close range in Athlone on Saturday. The two men were attacked inside their armoured vehicle by five armed suspects while its doors were open. They were delivering cash to an ATM at a shopping centre on the corner of Klipfontein and Canie Roads when the attack happened. SBV has offered a reward of R1 million for any information leading to the successful arrest and conviction of perpetrators involved in the attack. The wounded security guard is apparently recovering well in hospital. Read this report by Aron Hyman in full at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Kusasalethu worker turnout on Tuesday thin despite court order Mining Weekly reports that very few employees at Harmony Gold’s Kusasalethu mine reported for work on Tuesday morning, according to spokesperson Marian van der Walt. The gold producer on Monday issued an ultimatum, calling for striking workers to return to work by Tuesday night or face disciplinary action. The Labour Court on Friday granted an interdict declaring ongoing industrial action at the mine unprotected and ordering employees to return to work. Harmony on Monday said that despite agreements with recognised unions, including the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), that union and its members have, since the start of 2017, continued to disrupt operations, threatening the safety of Harmony's employees and impacting negatively on production. Van der Walt indicated that the company would continue to communicate with its employees to return to work. Read this report in full at Mining Weekly. Read too, Harmony tells striking Kusasalethu employees to return to work or face disciplinary action, at Mining Weekly Other labour posting(s) in this news category
Other general internet posting(s) on mining
Solidarity holds conference on racism, hate speech and double standards ANA reports that the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) was due on Tuesday to hold a conference at Kloofsig, Centurion, where its report ,’Racism, hate speech and double standards: by no means a mere matter of black and white’, would be launched. The report is part of Solidarity’s countrywide campaign against what it said was “selective racism”. It comprises an in-depth discussion of the selective way in which racism is being dealt with in SA. In a statement, SRI head Connie Mulder said: “It is important to look at the way in which racism is being dealt with in South Africa, given the harm it can cause to individuals and to the community as a whole. “What we see at the moment is that different standards apply to different groups. Politicians and government officials are currently the main instigators of selective racism, and they are using their positions of power to influence the masses.” Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read the SRI’s press statement in this regard at Solidarity online
Unisa gets urgent interdict to stop ‘violent’ protests about outsourcing The Citizen reports that the University of SA (Unisa) has obtained an urgent high court interdict against protesters opposed to outsourcing and labour-broking. The protestors vowed to completely shut the university down until such time as their demands were met. The North Gauteng High Court last week interdicted the protesters from entering Unisa’s premises and instigating riotous and violent behaviour, disrupting campus activities, vandalising property, illegally occupying buildings, carrying weapons and intimidating, threatening or harming any employees, students or visitors. Unisa turned to the court for relief after a week of protest action that saw the vandalisation and trashing of the critically important dispatch department, the removal of security officers from their posts and the violent disruption of campus activities. The protest action related to the situation that, in terms of an agreement negotiated with all interested parties effecting the insourcing of security and other services, only some of the previously outsourced contract workers could be offered permanent employment. Read this report by Ilse de Lange in full at The Citizen. See too, Unisa kry hofbevel teen protesgroep van kontrakwerkers, at Netwerk24 (limit on access)
Buffalo City Metro workers to receive thousands each in backpay HeraldLive reports that Buffalo City Metro (BCM) has allocated close to half a billion rands for salary increments and backpay for thousands of its employees in the current financial year. The council on Wednesday approved the standardisation of salaries in the metro following prolonged negotiations with the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu). Although the R456-million commitment is less than initially demanded, workers expressed happiness over the agreement. Apparently, R3,000 will be paid to each BCM employee a month as an ongoing commitment from 1 July to 30 June next year. This will cost the metro R195-million for the financial year. The amount will increase annually. A commitment of R2,000 from 1 March to 30 June this year will also be paid to each employee, amounting to R44-million. Backpay will amount to a once-off payment of R40,000 to each employee who joined BCM before 2014. Those who joined after 2014 will receive backpay based on the number of years served. Read this report by Mamela Gowa in full at HeraldLive. See too, Buffalo City metro pay deal with workers worth R456m, at DispatchLive
Letsoalo not required to pay back any of his R5.9m Prasa salary Fin24 reports that former acting CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) Collins Letsoalo does not need to pay back any perks, remuneration or benefits accrued to him during his tenure at the state-owned entity. This was revealed former transport minister Dipuo Peters in response to a parliamentary question. Peters was one of a number of ministers replaced in an overnight Cabinet reshuffle on 31 March. She was responding on Monday to an outstanding question posed by the DA’s Chris Hunsinger in March who asked her to elaborate on Letsoalo’s secondment to Prasa. Letsoalo was appointed as acting CEO in July 2016 and then removed from his position by the Prasa board following allegations that he hiked his own salary by 350%, from R1.7m to R5.9m a year. The former transport minister dissolved the Prasa board on 8 March, citing governance problems and its treatment of Letsoalo. In her response, Peters indicated that the Prasa board and Letsoalo had entered into an agreement that Prasa would pay him an annualised salary rate “applicable to the position”. Read this report by Liesl Peyper in full at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Richard Mdluli has earned a full salary for six years while suspended News24 reports that last Friday marked six years to the day since former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli was arrested and subsequently suspended, with the subsequent cost to taxpayers amounting to as much as R10m. Since his suspension, Mdluli has continued to earn a full salary, with benefits, while he sits at home. Along with co-accused Mthembeni Mthunzi, he is facing charges for the 1999 murder of Oupa Ramogibe, who was Mdluli's ex-girlfriend's husband. Both men face charges of intimidation, kidnapping, assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm and defeating the ends of justice, to which they have pleaded not guilty. Mduli has been further charged with fraud relating to the unlawful appointments of family members as paid police officers. He has also been accused of misusing money from the police's slush fund to purchase luxury vehicles for his family members. City Press reported in 2015 that Mdluli still had a full-time driver and bodyguard, a state vehicle, business class flights, and newspaper subscriptions delivered to his home on Gauteng's East Rand. Read this report by Angelique Serrao in full at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Monday, 3 April 2017 at SA Labour News
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