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 Monday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Friday, 2 June 2017.
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Brian Molefe heads to Labour Court to fight his dismissal from Eskom BusinessLive reports that former Eskom CE Brian Molefe has turned to the courts to fight his dismissal, which he wants declared unlawful and void. He lodged a notice of motion in the Labour Court at the weekend, notifying the power utility and Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown that he would lodge his urgent application in the court on Monday. Molefe’s court bid is the latest development in the saga of his employment contract that has seen him leave Eskom twice in six months — once voluntarily and once under duress. The Eskom board announced on Friday that Molefe was no longer group CE, days after Brown instructed it to rescind his appointment. Molefe was reinstated as Eskom CE in May, after Brown voiced her displeasure with the board’s decision to pay him a R30m golden handshake for the 18 months he worked at the utility. Meantime, the DA has turned to the court in a bid to have Molefe’s re-appointment in May set aside. Read this report by Genevieve Quintal and Sikonathi Mantshantsha in full at BusinessLive. See too, Molefe’s re-appointment rescinded by Eskom board, at BusinessLive. And also, Eskom board, DPE confirm receipt of Molefe docs to fight dismissal, at EWN Brian Molefe is attempting to hold Eskom to ransom, says Sanco ANA reports that the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) on Monday decried Brian Molefe's labour court action to challenge his removal as Eskom CEO as an attempt to hold the power utility to ransom. Molefe, who was fired as Eskom CEO last week, on Sunday indicated his intention to take his former employer and Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown to court over his dismissal. Molefe was due to launch his urgent application in the Labour Court on Monday. Sanco spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu said the civic organisation was concerned that the Molefe saga was overshadowing delivery on Eskom's mandate, including its role as a critical and strategic contributor to government's goal of security of electricity supply, as well as the country's economic growth and prosperity. He went on the state: "Molefe's sense of entitlement is seemingly encouraged by the Eskom board which should be dissolved for putting personal interests above good corporate governance and national interest." Read this report in full at IOL News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Eskom employee Thembisile Yende found dead in her office buried on Saturday Sunday Independent reports on the funeral on Saturday of Thembisile Yende, the Eskom technician whose body was discovered in her locked office on 29 May, after she had been reported missing 12 days earlier. The gruesome discovery was made after her colleagues smelt a strong odour coming from the corridors of a Springs substation. Energy Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi and Eskom board members, including chairperson Ben Ngubane, were among those who paid their last respects to Yende. Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of the recently formed SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), was also among the mourners. Ngubane apologised to the Yende family for the manner in which their daughter was killed and that her body was left in her own office for so long. Vavi, however, blamed Eskom for Yende’s death, saying the power utility had refused to listen to the National Union of Metalworkers of SA's plea that employees in the substation should work in pairs. He pointed out that security had been withdrawn and the cameras were not working when the fatal incident took place. Vavi said Saftu would support Numsa’s demand for an independent investigation into Yende’s death Read this report by Manyane Manyane in full at Sunday Independent. See too, Eskom failed Thembisile Yende, says Vavi, at News24. And also, Dood van Eskom-werker: Saftu steun Numsa se eis, at Netwerk24 (limit on access) Off-duty Tshwane traffic cop found dead with single shot to forehead The Citizen reports that an off duty Tshwane Metro Police (TMPD) officer was found dead on Saturday morning with a single bullet wound to his forehead. Constable Marvellous Hlungwane, 27, was found by a patrolling security officer at Princess Park in Tshwane’s central business district. Hlungwane’s service pistol and his wallet, without any money in, were found near his body. He was declared dead at the scene. A TMPD spokesperson indicated that a case of murder had been opened and added: “We condemn the killings of officers and we will work hard to apprehend the culprits.” Read this report by Virginia Keppler in full at The Citizen. See too, Lid van Tshwane metropolisie doodgeskiet, at Netwerk24 (limit on access) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
NUM in battle to win back membership in Rustenburg platinum belt TMGDigitalTimesLive write that the Rustenburg platinum belt is once again set to become a scene of intense contestation as the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) launches a multi-pronged fight-back strategy to regain lost ground. The union lost huge numbers of members to the rival Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) after the so-called Marikana massacre in August 2012. About 700 NUM regional leaders will this week discuss proposals at its central committee meeting on 8 & 9 June aimed at returning the union to its heyday as the dominant mining union. These include capping subscription fees (calculated at 1% of basic salary) at R250 per month to stem the loss of members in senior positions whose higher salaries translate into significantly higher fees than the proposed threshold. NUM deputy general secretary William Mabapa said the union was wary of losing highly-paid members to the likes of Solidarity and Uasa‚ because they capped their subscription fees. The union will hold a rally in the Rustenburg platinum belt on Saturday, 10 June‚ emboldened by the apparent closure of Amcu’s office at Lonmin. Read this report by Olebogeng Molatlhwa in full at TimesLive Iron ore prices key in Kumba’s wage talks with NUM Business Times writes that in Kumba Iron Ore’s current wage negotiations, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) plans to make sure that the company takes into consideration the good performance the company experienced last year when its share price quadrupled. This is even though the iron ore price has been in free fall since reaching a high in February. The company will be responding to the union's demands this week in the second round of the negotiations. The NUM, which has 56% membership in KIO’s Kolomela and Sishen operations, has asked for a reduction in working hours, a maternity allowance that Kumba had scrapped, and for the employee share ownership plan (Esop)to be renegotiated, among other things. It wants the entry level to be scrapped so that every worker starts at the second level of payment and is demanding a 16% wage increase or an additional R1,310.72 a month for the lowest-paid worker. The last wage agreement was for three years and the NUM now wants a one-year deal. However, it is open to be persuaded to accept a multi-year agreement if the settlement is favourable. The company commented that it would be negotiating wages fully aware of the highly volatile iron ore price environment. Read this report by Lutho Mtongana in full on page 4 of Sunday Times Business Times of 4 June 2017 With new partner coming on board, Lily and Barbrook miners stand to get jobs back City Press reports that hundreds of people stand to be employed at the Lily and Barbrook mines, which due to resume operating 15 months after they were forced to shut down because of financial distress. This will be thanks to a merger between the two sister mines’ proprietor, Vantage Goldfields, and Canadian company Galane Gold. Lily Mine employed 900 workers, while Barbrook employed 100 before the operations were mothballed. The mines were put under business rescue last year and it has been a struggle to raise R300 million in investment to restart operations and also retrieve the remains of three workers who were buried when the entrance of Lily Mine collapsed in February last year. According to business rescue practitioner Rob Devereux, Vantage Goldfields and Galane have signed a letter of intent and have until 16 June to sort out outstanding issues pertaining to the merger. The companies will merge into a bigger group and shareholding will be 50-50. Read this report by Sizwe Sama Yende in full at City Press. Read the report in Afrikaans at Netwerk24 (limit on access) Other non-labour mining posting(s)
Cabin crew resume talks with SAA on Monday to avoid new strike EWN reports that the South African Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) says it will resume talks with South African Airways (SAA) on Monday morning in an attempt to avoid another strike. Sacca was granted permission to strike, but decided to rather renegotiate the terms of its international meal allowance with the airline’s management. In April, 50 SAA international and domestic flights were cancelled when cabin crew members went on a one-day strike. Sacca's president Zazi Nsibanyoni-Mugambi said they would not hesitate to strike again if SAA refused to come to the table. “We do not want to just take a reckless decision. Obviously, it impacts a lot of our customers, we can’t take it lightly. So, we obviously want to exhaust every possible avenue before we take that decision.” This short report by Mia Lindeque is at EWN With bodies piling up, Durban mortuary strike halted by court Forensic pathology laboratory assistants working at one of three mortuaries in the greater Durban area were ordered last week to desist from their illegal strike, which had resulted in post mortems grinding to a halt and bodies piling up. Following an urgent application in Durban’s labour court, 20 named employees were directed to immediately report for work at the Pinetown mortuary. They were also restrained from disrupting, in any way, the normal functioning of the mortuary and being anywhere near it outside of working hours. The application was launched by provincial department of health, which advised that the mortuary was designated an “essential service". Employees downed tools last Monday, refusing to conduct any post-mortems due to a dispute with the manager. They also said they have to buy their own shoes, and that boots were not supplied. Some claimed they have to request gloves each day and use old face masks from previous days as new ones were not readily available. Based on reports at News24 and Daily News
Solidarity worried about SA's stubbornly high unemployment rate Fin24 reports that SA’s growing unemployment rate is a source of great distress for trade union Solidarity, which expressed shock on Friday following the release of the latest figures. Statistics SA reported that unemployment in its broad definition increased in the first quarter of 2017 to 36.4% from 35.6% in last quarter of 2016. Thus an estimated 9.3 million people in SA want to work, but don’t have employment. Gerhard van Onselen, economics researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), said it was particularly worrying that unemployment had not come down even amid the more favourable macroeconomic conditions that prevailed during the first quarter of 2017. This was indicative of an economy that was inhibited on a large scale by a harmful policy, he said. “Due to the ANC’s economic policy, the market is unable to perform in such a way as to adapt to new macroeconomic realities,” he explained. According to Van Onselen, one of the government’s policy blunders is the proposed national minimum wage, which would be applicable largely to a young and low-skilled population of working age and would create a further barrier for them to enter employment. Read this report in full at Fin24. Read Solidarity’s press statement in this regard at Solidarity online Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Severe crisis in cancer care in KZN as doctors opt for private sector Sunday Tribune reports that oncology services in KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN’s) public hospitals have collapsed and there are no more doctors left in Durban who specialise in treating cancer. While there are still two oncologists at Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, the last cancer doctor at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital will leave the public sector next week, with another having finished up on Thursday. Albert Luthuli treats 80% of the province’s cancer patients. For those with cancer who do not have access to private treatment, there is no help in KZN. Because there are no oncologists left in public health to train new cancer doctors, the University of KZN’s medical school will lose its accreditation to train in oncology. A Durban oncologist commented: “There’s a point when enough is enough and you have no option but to do what’s best for yourself. Doctors are not selfish, we get into the profession to help people but if we are treated badly and placed under immense pressure all the time, should we just accept the situation or move onto better working environments?” KZN Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said that the department was considering sending cancer patients to private oncologists to get treatment. Read this report by Nabeelah Shaikh in full at Sunday Tribune
Safa and Shakes Mashaba reach ‘amicable’ settlement at CCMA in dismissal case TMG Digital/TMG Sport report that the SA Football Association (Safa) has reached an amicable settlement agreement with axed former Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba at the CCMA. The agreement was reached on Friday morning, ending a long-running arbitration hearing. The figure involved was not disclosed on the record due to a confidentiality clause‚ but it is believed to be in the region of R2.5 million. After the proceedings‚ Mashaba declined to comment. But his lawyer, Claudio Bollo, said Mashaba’s camp was pleased to have reached an amicable end to the saga. Mashaba went to the CCMA in February after he was fired in December for “gross misconduct‚ insubordination and violating Safa’s communications policy”. Safa also maintained that the professional relationship between themselves and Mashaba had broken down irreparably. Read this report by Mahlatse Mphahlele in full at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Hlaudi defiant in SABC disciplinary row Sunday Independent reports that a defiant Hlaudi Motsoeneng believes that his decision to hold a media briefing where he slated the SA Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC’s) interim board was part of his constitutional right to freedom of speech. He is also convinced that the assertion he made was in the public’s interest. This was revealed in Motsoeneng’s application last week requesting a postponement of his disciplinary hearing due to be held on Friday afternoon. Motsoeneng is facing charges of contravening the terms of his suspension after holding an unauthorised media briefing in April, at which he criticised the SABC interim board and praised himself for the good work he said he had done while at the public broadcaster. His fight with the SABC was dealt a blow on 24 May when the Labour Court dismissed his attempt to stop the disciplinary proceedings. In the application for the postponement of Friday’s hearing, Motsoeneng’s lawyer stated that had undergone surgery on May 25, was “deeply sedated” and had been “placed under strict instruction to rest and not to engage in any stressful… activity”. Read this report by Lebogang Seale in full at Sunday Independent. See too, Motsoeneng’s SABC disciplinary proceedings postponed to next Friday, at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Regulator bars Prasa from manually operating trains under 'abnormal' conditions TimesLive reports that the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) on Friday barred the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) from manually operating its trains around Gauteng when cables‚ which allow the trains to be operated automatically‚ are stolen or impaired. “The RSR has issued the Prasa Gauteng region with a prohibition directive in terms of section 36 of the National Railway Safety Regulator Act No 16 2002 for abnormal working conditions‚ that is manually authorising train movements‚ which led to the Elandsfontein train collision‚” it said in a statement. This comes after one person died and 102 others were injured when two trains collided in Elandsfontein‚ east of Johannesburg‚ on Thursday morning. The RSR’s preliminary investigation into the accident revealed that there was cable theft in the night before. Initial reports on Thursday suggested that the man who was killed was a train driver, but in fact the man killed had been on board a train which had been thought to be empty. Read this report by Naledi Shange in full at TimesLive. See too, Prasa ordered to stop operating trains under 'abnormal' conditions, at eNCA Other internet posting(s) in this news category
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet from Friday, 2 June to Sunday, 4 June 2017 at SA Labour News
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