In our Thursday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Wednesday, 12 April 2017.
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Bus strike: Numsa rejects 9% wage offer ANA reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said on Wednesday that its members had rejected the latest wage offer of 9% across the board tabled by employers in the bus passenger sector. This came as bus drivers affiliated to several unions on Wednesday embarked on a national strike over salaries and working conditions. Numsa is seeking a 15% increase across the board, as well as certain other improvements in terms of employment. The striking bus drivers are affiliated to several unions, including Numsa, the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) and the Transport and Allied Workers Union (Tawu). Numsa also said it would not entertain offers which were negotiated outside of the bargaining council, and said any claims that it had rejected an offer from Autopax were untrue. The union indicated it would intensify the strike, saying that it was clear that the employers were negotiating in bad faith. Read this report by Siphelele Dludla in full at IOL News. See too, Autopax denies making Numsa an offer, at News24. And also, Busstaking: Vakbonde sê nee vir jongste aanbod, at Netwerk24 (limit on access). As well as, National bus strike continues 'indefinitely', at News24 Nationwide bus strike continues in full force‚ says Numsa TimesLive reports that the nationwide bus strike entered its second day on Thursday‚ with the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) saying it was up to employers to end it all. “The ball is in their court to bring us an offer which will be acceptable. For now‚ the strike continues in full force‚” Numsa’s acting national spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi said on Wednesday. The offer tabled by employers on Wednesday was a 9% across-the-board wage increase‚ overtime pay for drivers after working a 16-hour shift‚ a 10% night shift allowance increase and a 10% cross-border allowance increase. The union has rejected the offer. “The fact that employers are not willing to offer a double digit increase‚ and are unwilling to pay the co-driver for his or her services when they are not driving is simply a disgrace‚” said Hlubi. Read this report by Naledi Shange in full at TimesLive Bus strike to affect annual ZCC Moria pilgrimage eNCA reports that Zion Christian Church (ZCC) church members will be hard hit by the nationwide bus strike. The Putco bus company has rubbished social media posts claiming that its service to Moria would not be disrupted. It confirmed that its bus drivers were on strike and would not be doing the annual ZCC pilgrimage to Moria in Limpopo. Drivers from at least five unions – including Numsa and Satawu – are demanding better pay and working conditions. The bus strike has affected thousands of commuters who travel to work daily as well as long distance travellers. A short report is at eNCA. See too, Bus strike: Long-distance bus travellers left in lurch, at Cape Argus. And also, Stranded commuters scramble to make alternative travel plans, at EWN Commuters will land up carrying an unaffordable bus drivers’ wage hike, warns Sacci EWN reports that the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Sacci) has warned that if bus companies agree to wage increases they cannot afford, the costs will ultimately have to be carried by commuters. Thousands of strikers in the road passenger transport sector are demanding double digit salary increases. The Chamber's CEO Alan Mukoki said if the companies could not find the savings to pay for the increases, it would have a ripple effect. “That cost is going to be carried by the passengers, and therefore those passengers will have less disposable income. So if someone was going to buy a burger, they can no longer buy that burger, so the people who sell burgers are also affected by the increase that was taken by the employees who happen to be bus drivers.” Meanwhile, the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Janine Myburgh says the strike comes amid other costly happenings such as the three public holidays in April, protests and credit downgrades. In her view, the combined effect will be disastrous. Read this report by Ilze-Marie Le Roux at EWN Cosatu wants bus commuters stranded due to strike to be reimbursed ANA reports that Cosatu said in a statement on Thursday that bus companies should reimburse commuters stranded without transport as a result of the ongoing bus strike. “These passengers will now be left stranded because of the nationwide strike in the passenger bus sector. Many people who use public transport bought tickets for this week and for the Easter holidays, and were not told that there was a possibility that there would not be transport services because of the strike,” the labour federation indicated. It went on to add: “The bus companies should not have accepted payment for tickets because they had no reasonable intention of supplying services, and this was foreseeable as they were engaged in tense wage negotiations.” Cosatu also called on the department of transport to intervene. The strike, which entered its second day on Thursday, has left commuters, especially long distance travellers, stranded across the country on the eve of the Easter holidays. Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read Cosatu’s press statement at Cosatu Today. See too, Commuters frustrated as national bus strike remains unresolved, at News24. And also, Commuters seek lifts on Facebook as bus strike threatens Easter plans, at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
R10bn unclaimed in mineworker’s retirement funds Fin24 reports that there is R10bn of unclaimed former mineworkers' retirement benefits in various pension and provident funds, according to the Presidency. Some of these date back to the 1970s, it said in a statement that highlighted some of the progress made under the leadership of President Jacob Zuma, who celebrated his 75th birthday on Wednesday. "The Financial Services Board is providing support to provident and pension fund administrators to identify former mineworkers who need to receive the pension and provident funds due to them some dating back to the 1970s." The 1970s mineworkers' provident and pension fund has already paid over R20m to 7,200 former mineworkers, while the Amplats provident fund has paid R6.4m to 488 workers, the Presidency indicated. The statement added that the partnerships formed in 2012 with mining companies following the Marikana tragedy, known as the Special Presidential Package aimed at revitalising mining towns, continued to yield results. "There are 351 informal settlements in the mining towns that are receiving support from Government’s National Upgrade Support Programme." Various government departments implement various projects in the mining towns currently. Read this report in full at Fin24 Other general internet posting(s) on mining
Five-week social development strike to end after overnight negotiations TMG Digital reports that the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and the Department of Social Development have entered into an agreement to end the five-week social services strike. This followed lengthy overnight negotiations. Nehawu’s Khaya Xaba said on Wednesday: "We signed the agreement at around 3am and we started negotiations at 11am yesterday (Tuesday)." Although an agreement has been reached‚ Xaba said the difficult task of demobilising workers still had to be done: "We still need to iron out our issues in relation to our members and see if they agree to the terms. Emotions are high.” The union had laid out 13 demands before the department following failed attempts to have these met in August 2015. Among these were higher entry-level salaries for department employees and the introduction of rural allowances. The department is now expected to approach the National Treasury and the Department of Public Service and Administration in terms of the agreement. Read this report by Roxanne Henderson in full at BusinessLive Transport union Untu seeking mandate for indefinite wage strike at Prasa ANA reports that the United National Transport Union (Untu) on Wednesday asked its members to provide a mandate for an indefinite national strike. The union said it had no other option after the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) refused to increase its final wage offer of six percent. This came after the CCMA on Wednesday afternoon issued a certificate of non-resolution of the dispute between the two parties as Prasa management came back to the conciliation without a new mandate. The CCMA had given Prasa two weeks to get a new mandate amidst the Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, having been fired during the recent Cabinet reshuffle and the Prasa board having been dissolved. Untu general secretary Steve Harris said the workers would down tools because the employer’s offer was “an insult”. He indicated that the union would be embarking on a process of getting a strike mandate from its members in terms of its constitution. Untu’s standing mandate from its members is for a 10% salary increase, as well as a number of other improvements in conditions. Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read Untu’s statement in this regard at Untu online
Cosatu president contradicts federation’s stance on Zuma stepping down The Citizen reports that glaring contradictions have emerged within the leadership of Cosatu following its call last week for President Jacob Zuma to step down from office. President S’dumo Dlamini has since expressed the labour federation’s unwavering support for Zuma. Speaking in Kliptown, Soweto, during celebrations for Zuma’s 75th birthday on Wednesday evening, Dlamini said workers affiliated to Cosatu wished him the best and were firmly behind his leadership. “We wish you that in these hard‚ trying times‚ as a father‚ a husband and leader‚ remain strong. As you are my leader‚ and we tackle these issues‚ I need you to be strong,” Dlamini stated. Last Tuesday, Cosatu called for Zuma to resign after a meeting of its central executive committee decided that the federation no longer believed in his leadership abilities following his controversial Cabinet reshuffle. Read this report in full at The Citizen. See too, 'I need you to be strong’, S’dumo Dlamini tells Zuma, at TimesLive
Public Works seeks to create 1.4-million EPWP work opportunities this year Engineering News reports that newly appointed Public Works Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko on Thursday said he was confident that his department would meet its target of creating six-million work opportunities by the end of March 2019. Through its Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), the department has since 2014 created over two-million work opportunities with over a million South African youths being major beneficiaries. In the 2017/18 financial year, the Department of Public Works seeks to create 1.4-million work opportunities under the same programme. Noting that the task of tackling youth unemployment and unemployment generally required not just government, but the collective will and innovation of the private sector as well, Nhleko urged corporate SA “to fully embrace and play their part by joining hands with us to help secure our future through creating more opportunities for the skilling and employment of our people.” Read this report in full at Engineering News
Department of Higher Education reduces backlog with issuing of TVET certificates BusinessLive reports that the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has released about 233,000 National Certificate (Vocational) [NC (V)] certificates out of the outstanding 236,000 at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges. The backlog dated back to 2007. Department spokesman Madikwe Mabotha said that a number of operational issues had caused the delay in issuing certificates. One of the reasons was that colleges sent incorrect student information which disrupted the entire value chain. The department said it had processed an additional 132,912 NC (V) certificate records for the recent November 2016 examination cycle. This excluded 5,812 certificates that were pending "due to processing and data … challenges". The department was still sitting on a backlog of about 16,574 National N Diploma (NND) applications that were still pending. The processes were on track and the release of all outstanding National N Diplomas would be done by no later than 30 June. Read this report by Michelle Gumede in full at BusinessLive. See too, Higher education department reduces backlog in issuing TVET certificates, at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Wednesday, 12 April 2017 at SA Labour News
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