In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 20 July 2018.
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Eleven dead in KZN taxi massacre on Saturday Timeslive reports that eleven people were killed and four others wounded in a night-time massacre on the R74 near Colenso in central KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Saturday. A minibus taxi carrying passengers, all of whom were linked to the taxi industry, was waylaid by unknown gunmen who used automatic rifles to pepper the vehicle. Two men escaped the hail of gunfire uninjured. Police spokesman Brigadier Jay Naicker said that the taxi had been ferrying mourners from a funeral in Ematimotolo back to Gauteng when it was ambushed on the R74 road between Colenso and Weenen. “Unconfirmed information for now indicates that passengers are from a taxi association in Gauteng attending the funeral of one of their members‚” Naicker added. “Detectives from the Provincial Task Team in Durban were dispatched to the scene.” Read this report by Jeff Wicks in full at Timeslive Guard at government building in Roodepoort dies after inhaling toxic fumes from brazier News24 reports that a guard at an empty building next to Clearwater Mall in Roodepoort died after inhaling fumes from a brazier that was keeping him and a colleague warm during the nightshift. The 43-year-old man was guarding the Department of Public Works building with his 28-year-old colleague in the early hours of Sunday. They had been sitting around the portable metal container, also known as an imbaula, which was filled with coals and a small fire to ward off the winter cold. A person from a building next door along Allen's Nek noticed that something was wrong with the men and called for help. The guard had already died inside the building. His colleague was taken to the Flora Clinic nearby for medical attention. Honeydew police have opened an inquest into the death. A short report by Jenni Evans is at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Worker killed on Thursday in fall-of-ground incident at Harmony's Tshepong mine Mining Weekly reports that an employee at Harmony Gold's Tshepong mine, in Welkom, died in a fall-of-ground incident on Thursday morning. The gold producer has advised that the Department of Mineral Resources has been informed and an investigation into the accident is underway. Management expressed their deepest condolences to the deceased employee’s family, friends and colleagues. This short report is at Mining Weekly Palabora Mining Company ordered to stop all conveyor belts following tragic accident The Citizen reports that the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has issued a series of orders, suspensions and instructions to the Palabora Mining Company (PMC) following the incident that claimed the lives of six miners after a conveyer belt caught fire last Sunday. According to the Letaba Herald, the notices issued in terms of the Mine Health and Safety Act observed certain irregularities relating to the accident. The refuge bay where three employees were found deceased was found not to be life sustainable in terms of air supply. Life sustaining services installed to the bay were not made of fire-proof material or fire protected. The conveyer belt could operate even if the suppression system was faulty. PMC has been instructed to stop all conveyer belts at the mine and fix deviations. It has also been instructed to withdraw all affected people, other than those required to assist in taking steps to fix the place of safety, and conduct a proper risk assessment on refuge bay design, location and standards. PMC has also been instructed to immediately relieve the mechanical engineer appointed for conveyer belt C5 and the chief engineer from making health and safety decisions. Read this report by Billy Sibuyi in full at The Citizen Miners’ retirement savings become the latest site of Amcu’s internal struggles Mail & Guardian reports that the battle for control of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has shifted to its members’ retirement savings. Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa has appointed himself chairperson of the union’s new fund, the Igula Umbrella Provident Fund, despite the trustees electing his deputy, Sanele Myeza, to the position. Mathunjwa and Myeza have been at odds because of the deputy’s increasing support in the union and calls for a national congress to elect new leaders. At stake is not only the battle for control of the union members’ monthly subscriptions, but also their retirement savings reportedly worth more than R7-billion that the union has demanded should be shifted to the Igula fund. Amcu’s bid to have its members’ retirement savings moved from investment funds chosen by the mining companies to Igula has been described by gold mining insiders as “one of the most contested discussions” happening at the platinum and gold mines. At the current gold mining wage negotiations, Amcu has submitted a demand for the transfer of the retirement savings of Amcu members to the union’s new fund. A Minerals Council (i.e. Chamber of Mines) spokesperson said this would be negotiated at a company level after the implementation of the wage deal. The platinum companies received the same demand three years ago but refused to do it because of reservations about Igula’s compliance with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. The Labour Court this month dismissed Amcu’s application to force Anglo American Platinum to transfer its members’ savings to Igula. Impala Platinum is being equally cautious. Read more of this Mail & Guardian report by Govan Whittles at SA Labour News Postings on Mining Charter
Settlement draws closer for Marikana families City Press reports that families of the slain Marikana mineworkers are expecting a settlement of about R80 million. This is according to the director of litigation at the Socioeconomic Rights Institute, Nomzamo Zondo. She is one of the lawyers who have been representing the families of 36 striking mine workers who were killed by police on 13 and 16 August 2012. Although initial reports had put the figure at about R100 million, Zondo said that putting an actual number to the settlement was tricky, because different families have been offered different amounts, and there are legal technicalities which were at play per individual case. She said that in general the families were happy, but there were also families who were excluded from the offers based on legal technicalities. Despite the ongoing negotiations, Zondo was confident that the matter was close to conclusion. “There’s a feeling of the end being near. The families want that as well,” she indicated. Read this report by Avantika Seeth in full at City Press
As another petrol price hike looms, protest group plans to shut down roads on Friday City Press reports that a newly formed organisation called People Against Petrol and Paraffin Price Increases (Pappi) plans to shut down the country’s roads on Friday to protest against rising fuel prices. In May the petrol price increased by 82c a litre and went up a further 26c earlier this month. Diesel and paraffin increased by 85c and 82c in May and June, respectively, and a further 26c for diesel and 22c for paraffin this month. According to a statement released by the Automobile Association last week, there was a likelihood next month of price increases of 19c per litre for petrol, 13c per litre for diesel and 22c for illuminating paraffin. Visvin Reddy, convener of Pappi, said the shutdown and stayaway would happen this week and indicated that they were in discussions with unions and taxi associations to make it happen on a large scale. Sizwe Pamla, national spokesperson for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), noted that another petrol price hike would be bad for workers, poor people and low-income households. He observed that workers were in the middle of wage increase negotiations and “this is going to result in many strikes, a shrinking economy and retrenchments”. Read this report by Vukile Dlwati in full at City Press
Naspers says shareholder unhappiness over executive pay rules dealt with Business Times reports that on Friday in its annual report, Naspers said it was confident it had addressed shareholder concerns about its executive pay policy after months of discussions with investors. Last year, the company received an unprecedented backlash against its pay policy when nearly two-thirds of ordinary shareholders voted against the pay policy. The company indicated that had improved transparency with a remuneration report in 2018 that had been doubled to 24 pages, while it had made changes to pay structures to align management and shareholder interests, in addition to an overhaul of its remuneration committee. Aileen O'Toole, Naspers' chief people officer, said she was "confident" that the group had addressed the main shareholder concerns over pay. She indicated that, in addition to engagements with shareholders, Naspers had also spoken to external advisers and benchmarked its pay to competitors' to make sure it retained staff. Naspers had also made "design changes" to ensure tighter alignment between management and shareholders by introducing clawback provisions linked to the incentive schemes of all executive directors. The report showed that CEO Bob van Dijk's total pay for the year to March declined 3% to some R164-million because the value of his share options had shrank. Read this Business Times report by Nick Hedley in full at BL Premium (paywall access) Fund managers take up the fight against executives’ excessive pay City Press reports that four of the largest local fund managers have fought against the excessive pay of company executives through their voting on pay resolutions at shareholder meetings and meetings with the boards of these companies. A PwC report on executive director remuneration has revealed the voting patterns of six of these funds over the remuneration policies of JSE-listed companies in the period from 1 September last year to 6 May this year. The Public Investment Corporation voted against 44.9% of such remuneration policies, Old Mutual (37%), Allan Gray (28.6%) and Coronation Fund Managers (20.9%). Yet, Investec Asset Management and StanLib Asset Management were a lot more supportive of executive remuneration and both voted against only 6.5% of remuneration policy resolutions. Robert Lewenson of Old Mutual Investment Group commented: “The key question we ask is not so much what the amount of pay is but rather whether there is a clear link between the business performance of the company and the way it remunerates its executives.” He added that Old Mutual would argue for changes to legislation to provide for better rights for shareholders over executive remuneration. Allan Gray’s Andrew Lapping said that worldwide there had been a substantial inflation in executive pay and more JSE executives were overpaid than underpaid. “There is often very little correlation between performance and pay,” he claimed. Read this City Press report by Lesetja Malope & Justin Brown in full at Fin24. See too, CEOs earn R68,000 a day, says PwC report, at Business Report. And also, CEOs of SA's biggest firms earn 64 times the salary of average workers, at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Eskom denies any retrenchment plans eNCA reports that cash-strapped power utility Eskom says it has no retrenchment plans. The state-owned company has been locked in wage negotiations with trade unions for over a month. It initially claimed it couldn’t afford any wage increases, but has since made a U-turn, putting two offers on the table. But with the company having to find the money for the increases itself, workers are concerned about losing their jobs. According to Eskom’s 2017 annual report, there was a plan as part of cost-cutting measures to reduce employees from 47,000 to 36,000 by 2022. However, the parastatal said this was not the case anymore. Spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe indicated: “That is the strategy of the old board, the new management feels we can work with numbers we have. The question around retrenchments does not come in at this stage. We are pursuing companies and individuals that owe us. We have received over R900-million from McKinsey we are pursuing Trillian and municipalities that owe us R14-billion." A World Bank policy research paper estimated in 2014 that Eskom only needed a workforce of just over 14,000. Read this report in full at eNCA. See too, We won’t resort to retrenchments, says Eskom, at EWN. And also, No bonuses for Eskom employees in 2018, at eNCA Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Outa investigates three more Setas for alleged corruption and wasteful expenditure The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) reported on Friday that it has been inundated with additional claims of corruption at Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) since its exposé on the Services Seta. The Construction Seta (CETA), the Education, Training and Development Practice Seta (ETDP), as well as the Media, Information Communication and Technology Seta (MICT) are apparently now on Outa’s radar. The organisation said it was seeking further information from the public on corruption, maladministration and/or wasteful expenditure within these entities. Its growing evidence on the Services Seta includes irregular payments for purchases of 20,000 exam pads at R214 each, 30,000 lanyards at R166 each and 30,000 USBs at R167 each. Outa’s Dominique Msibi said they were deeply disturbed by the allegations and the evidence they were being presented with. Msibi commented that it appeared that the Setas “are a cash cow that is exploiting South Africa’s youth, preying on their desperation for employment, and they are using our taxes to do this.” Outa has requested an urgent meeting with the Ministry of Higher Education to raise its concerns and will also be meeting with the CEO of the SA Qualifications Authority (Saqa). Read Outa’s press statement in this regard at Outa News. Read Outa’s press statement on the Services Seta at Outa News
Medical aid increases outpacing salaries, putting pressure on members to downgrade Fin24 reports that the GTC 2018 Medical Aid Survey indicates that medical aid increases have been outpacing salary raises. "The effect of these increases will continue to place pressure on members to downgrade plans or cancel their medical aid cover altogether, in search of an alternate medical insurance to cater for their most pressing needs," warned GTC Healthcare broker Jill Larkan. She also indicated that the National Health Insurance (NHI) and amendments to the Medical Schemes Bill were "inevitable". In SA there are 8 million medical aid members, while 45 million people not covered by any form of private health insurance. "Government intervention is urgently required. It is, however, equally important to not break that which is already working,” Larkan warned. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has slammed medical aids for keeping higher than required reserves, and using brokers to sell medical aid plans. He plans to scrap co-payments for medical aid members. GTC surveyed 22 medical schemes. Read this report by Tehillah Niselow in full at Fin24. Read too, These are the 16 best medical aid schemes for families in South Africa, at BusinessTech
Pretoria police captain to stand trial for allegedly calling colleagues the k-word News24 reports that police captain JM Henrico, who is facing a charge of crimen injuria after allegedly calling his subordinates the k-word, will now answer to the accusations when he goes on trial on 5 September. After appearing briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Friday, it was heard that Henrico had abandoned his representations as to why he should not be prosecuted, and was now ready to proceed to trial. Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) attorney Wayne Ncube, representing the complainants, said that they had also filed representations to spell out their case, and why the matter should go to trial. Ncube said the trial would run over two days and that Henrico intended calling six witnesses to the stand, while the State would call three or four witnesses. Henrico, who is a police officer at Pretoria Central Police Station, has been accused of using racial slurs and verbally harassing his colleagues. The complaints date back as far as 2016. Some police officials have also alleged that complainants faced further victimisation after opening internal departmental and criminal cases. Read this report by Alex Mitchley in full at News24
Tom Moyane is not being given a fair disciplinary hearing, Dali Mpofu claims Timeslive reports that Tom Moyane’s legal representative Dali Mpofu has hit out hard at Cyril Ramaphosa‚ saying that the president was not being fair to the suspended SA Revenue Service (SARS) boss. Mpofu has also called for Moyane to be given a chance to have oral evidence presented during his disciplinary hearings — and has questioned why there were two inquiries into Moyane’s case at the same time. President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed retired Judge Robert Nugent to head a commission of inquiry into governance at SARS, and also appointed Azhar Bham to preside over Moyane’s disciplinary hearing, which started in Johannesburg on Saturday. Mpofu is representing Moyane at his disciplinary hearing. He said that Moyane was not a first public office bearer to be suspended‚ but questioned why his case was being treated differently and why he was being treated unfairly. "The president [Ramaphosa] can’t do as he likes; there’s a rule of law and that must be respected. We are here today because the president has lost confidence in Moyane. Give him a chance to have an oral reply‚" said Mpofu. Read this report by Bongani Fuzile in full at BusinessLive. Read too, Moyane disciplinary and SARS inquiry running concurrently unfair, Mpofu argues, at The Citizen. And also, Moyane’s lawyer disputes Gordhan’s authority in disciplinary inquiry, at The Citizen. As well as, Moyane wants Ramaphosa, Gordhan grilled at his disciplinary, at Fin24 Eskom whistle-blower Suzanne Daniels dismissed BusinessLive reports that Suzanne Daniels, the Eskom whistle-blower who was formerly head of its legal and compliance department, has been dismissed from the power utility. This was after a disciplinary hearing found she was implicated in several of the dodgy transactions that have recently come under scrutiny. Daniels, who was a key figure in providing evidence against Eskom’s former executives Brian Molefe and Anoj Singh in parliamentary hearings last year, turned whistle-blower after she had been suspended from the company herself. While she was feted for her courageous disclosures in Parliament, the new Eskom leadership, led by CEO Phakamani Hadebe, believed the charges she faced were serious enough to be fully interrogated before she could return to work. An independent inquiry headed by Nazir Cassim found Daniels guilty of four charges, including the distribution of confidential Eskom information to a third party. Read this report by Carol Paton in full at BusinessLive. Read too, Eskom axes Suzanne Daniels after disciplinary hearing, at IOL News
Train delays expected at Cape Town station after Metrorail coach fires News24 reports that Cape Town station's platforms 15 and 16 have been be closed until further notice after two motor coaches and five passenger coaches went up in flames there on Saturday. Metrorail said the coaches that had burnt out were part of the northern fleet and this would put services at the station under strain. Commuters were warned to expect cancellations in the slots usually served by these two train-sets, platform changes and revised arrival/departure times at the station as trains using platforms 15 and 16 were slotted into alternative platforms. Metrorail said it was working with the police to investigate the incident and encouraged anyone with information or footage of the event to report it to the police. Read more this report by Jenni Evans in full at News24. Read too, Metrorail to deploy ‘high level’ team to investigate arson attacks, at eNCA Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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