Today's Labour News

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

Cash-in-transit guards need counselling to cope with trauma‚ says union

Timeslive reports that the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) and the Motor Transport Workers’ Union (MTWU) were due on Wednesday to meet with employers in the cash-in-transit sector to discuss a spate of violent heists.  “The parties will meet in order to try and forge strategies for neutralising cash-in-transit heists that have been increasing with terrifying intensity and regularity across South Africa in recent weeks‚ resulting in loss of lives and serious injuries to security officers and members of the public‚” Fedusa said in a statement.  The federation went on to indicate:  “The unions will also want to see the design of current cash trucks upgraded to impregnable military body metal that incorporates internal vaults or safes of similar strength in order to withstand heavy weaponry fire and bombs.”  Fedusa and the MTWU expect employers to provide professional counselling‚ services and sick leave for the victims of heists‚ as well as their families who may suffer from secondary trauma.  Unions have threatened to strike on 11 June in order to push for improved working conditions.  Fedusa said the issue would also be raised at Wednesday’s meeting.

Read this report by Nomahlubi Jordaan in full at Timeslive. Read Fedusa’s statement at SA Labour News

MINING LABOUR

NUM worried about job loss at mining contractor JIC as Guptas’ exit mess deepens

ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Wednesday it was worried about the fate of its members at JIC Mining Services.  This came after business rescue practitioners at the troubled Optimum coal mine served the contractor with a letter suspending its services.  Optimum is one of the businesses owned by the controversial Gupta family, which have been placed under rescue.  According to the NUM, the decision to suspend the services of JIC at Optimum would affect 480 workers.  “It is important to highlight that JIC Mining Services is a subsidiary of Tegeta Exploration.  As such it is compelling that the business rescue practitioners treat employees of JIC Mining Services equal to employees of both Optimum and Koornfontein mines,” NUM said.  Optimum and Koornfontein are also owned by Tegeta Exploration and Resources.  The NUM said workers at JIC had not been paid their salaries for the last two months and called for a rescue plan “before the company is liquidated since the sequences of events are leading to that direction”.

Read this report in full at The Citizen

Tegeta's mines riddled with non-compliance, MPs told by inspector of mines

Fin24 reports that Optimum Coal Mine and the Shiva Uranium Mine, once owned by the Gupta family’s Tegeta Exploration and Resources, have been guilty of operational non-compliance for breaking mining regulations and posing risks to workers.  This was according to a submission from the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to Parliament’s portfolio committee on mineral resources on Wednesday.  Optimum's operations have been under business rescue and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has cast doubt on the business' ability to pay salaries.  Chief inspector of mines at the DMR, Mthokozisi Zondi, told the committee that at an operational level Tegeta mines failed to comply with mining regulations when it came to infrastructure and operational equipment.  "We did inspections on their infrastructure and equipment.  There were instances of non-compliance.  At the gold plant their steel work was extremely eroded.  We issued them [a] Section 54 [instruction] to ensure that they install new steelwork," Zondi reported.  He added:  "Mobile machinery was not fitted with proximity detection systems, which prevent machinery from colliding with vehicles and people.  They applied for an exemption, but it was not granted because of the risk posed to people and vehicles."

Read this report by Khulekani Magubane in full at Fin24

MARIKANA MASSACRE

UCT study on Marikana massacre wins international case-writing competition

Afro Voice reports that research on the Marikana massacre has won the University of Cape Town’s (UCT’s) business school an international award.  The Graduate School of Business (GSB) won first prize in the 2017 European Foundation for Management Development case-writing competition in the African business case category.  Associate professor Stephanie Giamporcaro from the GSB and Marilize Putter, a GSB alumnus, co-authored the study.  Before the 2012 Marikana massacre, Lonmin was seen as one of the more sustainable and socially responsible companies to invest in.  The study unpacks how investors could have missed the brewing tension at the platinum producer instead of being more involved in monitoring the company’s treatment of employees.  “What makes this case study especially relevant is that it is uniquely African but globally relevant.  This tragedy had big implications for many sectors and society in general,” Giamporcaro observed.  Claire Barnardo, the case-writing centre manager at the GSB, said the Marikana case served to provide business students with an insight into the complexities of the mining sector and the different relationships between labour unions, workers, executives and the corporate world in an emerging market business landscape.

Read more of this report by Elfas Torerai at SA Labour News

YOUTH EMPLOYMENT

Fourth Annual Youth Expo to be hosted by Gauteng government in June at Nasrec

ANA reports that the Growth Institute announced on Tuesday that the Gauteng provincial government would be hosting the fourth annual Youth Jobs, Career, and Entrepreneurship Expo next month.  The event will be taking place from 9-17 June at the Nasrec expo centre.  “Growth Institute will be an exhibitor at this event, and there will be a strong focus on providing the youth with alternative tertiary options, allowing the youth to be work ready within one year,” the institute stated.  It added that the key message to the youth of Gauteng was that there were professionally accredited programmes that prepared the youth to become self-reliant young professionals providing services to SMMes.  The institute also observed that, in a country where jobs were scarce, the youth had to be shown how to create their own work through Innopreneurship, the coming together of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Read this report in full at The Citizen

NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE / LIVING WAGE

Saftu outraged at passing of contentious labour bills

The Citizen reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) says it is ‘disgusted’ by the passing of three labour bills in the National Assembly on Tuesday, ‘but not surprised’.  Saftu spokesperson Patrick Craven said the passing of the bills “proves just how low the ANC has sunk, from a proud liberation movement to a political party that is willing to condemn millions of people to poverty in order to satisfy their friends in business”.  The National Minimum Wage Bill, which will set minimum wages at R3,500 a month or R20 an hour, was passed with 202 votes from mostly ANC benches.  The other two bills, the Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill and Labour Relations Amendment Bill also passed with the same number of votes.  All three bills have been severely criticised by opposition parties, as well as Saftu, which led countrywide protests against the bills last month.  Craven said:  “We will now go back to the street and we will keep on fighting and draw even bigger numbers than in April, to do so (ensure the bills don’t become law).

Read this report by Earl Coetzee in full at The Citizen. Read too, Bills setting minimum wage passed in Parliament, at Engineering News

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS CLIMATE

Adviser to portfolio committee blames Motsoeneng for SABC’s labour woes

The Star reports that Mbombo Maleka, content adviser to Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications, has blamed labour woes at the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on its former chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.  He was briefing the committee on submissions made by the Media Workers Association of SA (Mwasa), the Information Communication Technology Union (ICTU) and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) during an engagement last month.  Maleka commented:  “It’s safe to say the SABC is reflecting a post-trauma scenario if you recall coming from the era of Motsoeneng, the former COO, and the previous board which really worsened the situation of a problematic organisational culture.  There were numerous cases of intimidation, a huge problem with the State Security Agency and purging of employees if they were seen not to be agreeing with the management.  This has created quite a tense relationship between the workers and management.”  He went on to observe that there seemed to be little unity even between the unions, sometimes even between the workers themselves.  Parliament’s inquiry into the SABC revealed that the broadcaster had spent millions of rand in legal fees for Motsoeneng.  He was fired from the SABC last year for misconduct.

Read this report by Mary Jane Mphahlele in full at The Star

BASIC EDUCATION

Sace officials charged by DA for failure to vet teachers against sexual offenders register

Timeslive reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) has laid criminal charges against SA Council for Educators (SACE) officials for failure to adequately vet teachers.  The party said the council was required by law to vet teachers against the Sexual Offenders Register before issuing teaching licences‚ but that Sace had failed to do so for at least 10 years‚ potentially exposing many children to convicted sex pests.  On Sunday‚ the DA reported that in reply to its enquiries‚ Sace admitted it had not been able to check the names of potential teachers who might be sex pests against the National Register for Sex Offenders or the Child Protection Register.  Sace‚ the professional council for educators‚ only started making requests to access the registers last year.  The DA said it had laid charges against the council’s CEO Ella Mokgalane‚ its chairperson Mabutho Cele and other Sace board members who might have known about the failure to adequately vet teachers.

Read this report by Ernest Mabuza in full at Timeslive

WORKPLACE CRIME

Elliot station commander killed for instituting disciplinary hearing against cops

Timeslive reports that trial proceedings revealed that the station commander of the Elliot police station was killed for wanting to discipline cops under his watch‚ the Hawks said on Tuesday.  Phumzile Ngqayimbana and Siyamcela Ntshitshi were found guilty by the Mthatha High Court for planning and executing the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Nomalizo Dukumbana in December 2013.  Constable Noxolo Matya confessed to her part in the crime three years ago and was sentenced to life imprisonment.  "It is claimed that former warrant officer Ngqayimbana‚ Dukumbana’s subordinate‚ connived with Ntshitshi to kill the station commander for instituting a disciplinary hearing against him‚" Captain Anelisa Feni indicated.  Matya was roped in to monitor Dukumbana’s movements.  Ngqayimbana and Ntshitshi had pleaded not guilty to the crimes, but were found guilty last week.  The two will be sentenced on Friday.

Read this report by Naledi Shange in full at Timeslive

WORKPLACE VIOLENCE / ABUSE

Former employer due to testify on assault allegations by Randburg domestic worker

Timeslive reports that the Randburg Magistrate's Court was due on Wednesday to hear evidence from a man accused of repeatedly assaulting his former domestic worker.  Kobus De Klerk‚ 47‚ is facing a charge of assault for allegedly attacking Siyamthanda Dube.  He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.  Dube has claimed that her former employer repeatedly beat her in front of her four-year-old daughter last year, allegedly because she had taken her sick daughter to the clinic.  De Klerk’s counsel‚ Lize Nel‚ told the court on Tuesday that he was a good man and that he had treated Dube and her children well while she was his employee.  On Tuesday, De Klerk‚ through his lawyer‚ denied that he had paid Dube R200 to keep her quite about the assault.  "He is not a stupid man.  He knows it would take more than R200 to keep you quiet‚" asserted Nel.  She also asked Dube why she had not sought help when De Klerk had assaulted her on numerous occasions while she worked for him.  Dube had earlier told the court that whenever De Klerk was upset about something she had done around the house‚ he would verbally abuse her.

Read this report by Nomahlubi Jordaan in full at Timeslive

COMMUTING / TRANSPORT SERVICES

One killed, four injured in suspected arson attack on Cape Town train on Wednesday

EWN reports that one person has died and four others were injured in a suspected arson attack on a commuter train at Ottery Station in Cape Town.  The blaze broke out on Wednesday morning.  City of Cape Town’s fire and rescue service’s Theo Layne said:  “One adult female sustained serious burns.  Three adult females sustained minor injuries.  Upon further investigation, the service found one adult with fatal burns.”  Metrorail is offering a R25,000 reward following the fatal fire.  The cause of the fire is still being determined, but authorities suspect arson.  A similar incident occurred a week ago when a Metrorail train pulled into Retreat Station with two of its carriages on fire.

Read this report by Chanel September and view video material at EWN

Commuters fume as Gautrain delays cost productivity and mean longer working hours

Fin24 reports that frustrated Gautrain commuters have complained that frequent delays on the routes are causing a loss in productivity, missed meetings and longer working hours.  Outraged travelers took to social media on Monday morning after the train service between Hatfield and Park stations was disrupted, resulting in delays of approximately 45 minutes.  Gautrain spokesperson Kesagee Nayager said this was due to cable theft, an issue that the high-speed train has been battling with since 2011.  But, commuters complain that the delays are frequent, and they are unable to plan ahead for their working days.  One rail user complained:  "Every single week there [have] been a number of delays and there’s been no explanation for the delays.  We’re basically left to figure it out for ourselves, we don’t know how long the delays will take and you’re never given an indication of what kind of alternative arrangements you should make because you’re already on the train when the delays do happen."  Nayager said that passengers should subscribe to receive SMS alerts informing them of delays.

Read this report by Tehillah Niselow in full at Fin24

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Atteridgeville taxi war comes to a head with arrests, at The Citizen