In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Thursday, 25 October 2018.
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PSA worried that public sector labour relations threatened by medium-term budget BusinessLive reports that according to the Public Servants Association (PSA), finance minister Tito Mboweni’s announcement that the Treasury would not foot the bill for public-sector wage hikes for the next three years will strain labour relations between government and employees. The union, which represents 240,000 workers in the sector, was reacting to the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) presented by Mboweni on Wednesday. In his speech, Mboweni said that the national and provincial departments would have to “absorb these costs within their compensation baselines”. Public servants received above-inflation wage increases of 7.5% for 2018. PSA GM Ivan Fredericks commented on Wednesday: “Already over-stretched departments are now expected to absorb these expenses. This will have a direct impact on employment with a ripple effect on employees and service delivery. Should this, in fact, be the case, this will be in conflict with recent outcomes of the jobs summit and the public service collective bargaining indaba, and cannot be regarded as anything but negotiating in bad faith by the state as employer.” The jobs summit resolved that there would be no retrenchments in the public service. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive. Read the PSA’s press statement in this regard at SA Labour News Don't blame workers for fiscal crisis, Cosatu tells ‘provocative’ Mboweni TimesLive reports that labour federation Cosatu has accused finance minister Tito Mboweni of blaming government workers for the "fiscal crisis" after he singled out the public sector wage bill as the biggest risk facing the public purse. Reacting to Mboweni's Medium Term Budget Policy Statement‚ Cosatu's Matthew Parks said it was "provocative" for Mboweni to blame workers' demands for pressures facing the national budget. Government is to spend more than R500-billion on the salaries of civil servants‚ while wage increases for the next three years are R30bn above budget and Mboweni has not set aside any money for 2019 wage negotiations. Parks commented: “It is not workers who looted Eskom‚ built Nkandla‚ sent money to Dubai. Yet now we hear government complaining about nurses‚ teachers‚ police officers ... wanting to earn a living wage.” He went on to say: We do not hear government complaining about the R2.4-million that ministers earn or the millions we spend flying their wives overseas… We do not hear government say they are imposing a freeze on the salaries of SOE CEOs and management. We heard nothing about how they will reduce the massive wage gap in the public sector." Mboweni did in fact address the issue of the bloated cabinet at an earlier media conference before presenting his budget‚ saying it did not make economic‚ financial and political sense to have a national executive comprising of more than 70 ministers and deputy ministers. Read this report by Thabo Mokone in full at TimesLive. Read too, Mboweni wants to cut bloated cabinet to 25, at Sunday Times. And also, Ballooning wage bill puts huge pressure on fiscus, at Business Report Other internet posting(s) in this news category
KZN police officer shot and killed in front of son outside home near Pinetown News24 reports that national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole strongly condemned the continuous attacks on police officers, after a warrant officer was gunned down outside his home in full view of his son on Tuesday evening. The officer, Bhekisigcino Zethembe Khwela, 54, was in the company of his son and a friend chatting outside his house in KwaNdengezi near Pinetown when at least two gunmen accosted them. The gunmen, who were on foot, fired several shots at them, instantly killing Khwela and injuring his son. The friend escaped unscathed. Khwela, who was a Mariannhill detective, was shot multiple times. He was the second police officer killed on Tuesday, after Captain Lumkile Wiseman Tyibilika was murdered during the early hours of the morning in New Brighton in the Eastern Cape in a separate incident. The motives for both incidents are not yet conclusive. "The killing of our two colleagues yesterday is a reflection of what police must endure on a daily basis," said Sitole in a statement. Read this report by Alex Mitchley in full at News24 Man dies after being crushed by a machine on Wednesday at a Springs factory TimesLive reports that a 30-year-old man died after he was crushed by machinery at a factory in Springs‚ east of Johannesburg, on Wednesday. Netcare 911 indicated that it responded to reports of an industrial incident in Nuffield‚ Springs. It added: “Reports from the scene indicated that a 30-year-old male factory worker got caught in machinery which crushed him from the waist up.” The man was assessed at the scene by an advanced life support paramedic and was found to have no signs of life. He was declared dead at the scene. The authorities will be investigating. This short report by Nomahlubi Jordaan is at TimesLive Pilot who died in helicopter crash came back from leave to help fight Garden Route fires News24 reports that Nico Heyns, 65, the helicopter pilot who died on Tuesday fighting a blaze, had interrupted his leave to help fight the Garden Route fires. The Working on Fire (WoF) pilot was killed when his helicopter went down during firefighting efforts near Riversdale on Tuesday afternoon. The crash occurred in the Vermaaklikheid area, about 40km from Riversdale. The cause has not yet been established. Netwerk24 quoted a friend of Heyns' of more than 30 years, Gerhard Meyer, who said that Heyns came back from leave to help put out the fires. Heyns was well known in the aviation world and often went above and beyond the call of duty. Many sang his praises for the crucial role he played in 2016 to stop fires that had threatened parts of the holiday towns of St Francis Bay and Cape St Francis from reaching the Sea Vista informal settlement by scooping water from residents' swimming pools. The present fires have been raging since Sunday. So far, several homes have been destroyed, as well as multiple smaller structures. Read this report in full at News24
Workers at Gupta’s Shiva Uranium mine stranded BusinessLive writes that when the controversial Gupta family bought the Dominion uranium mine in 2010 they renamed it Shiva Uranium, after the Hindu god of destruction, which was apt because, increasingly, the mine appears doomed. Earlier this year the Gupta companies were placed in business rescue after transactional banking facilities were cut off. But now a complex and baffling mix of competing interests threatens the rescue process — particularly at Shiva, where operations have come to a standstill. The futures of 287 people hang in the balance, and it’s feared the assets are falling into an irreversible state of disrepair. Shiva workers assembled last week near the entrance to the mine, located near Klerksdorp in the North West. "Nothing is operating here, everything stands still," said Welile Dube, an electrician at the mine since 2009. He claimed salaries have not been paid since July, so workers stopped coming to work. "The zama zamas [illegal miners] took everything in the mine. They took the cables … even now they are stealing, there’s nothing here," Dube said. Tumi Matosela, an engineering assistant on the mine since 2010, said the impact on workers and their families was dire. Matosela cannot understand why nobody is doing anything. For Dube, too, there is a lot of confusion surrounding the business rescue process. "There are lots of things we don’t know, we just hear the rumours," he stated. Read this report by Lisa Steyn which provides more information of the convoluted business rescue process at BusinessLive. Read too, Gupta mine employees destitute after no salary for three months, at The Citizen Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Five arrested MyCiTi strikers released on bail GroundUp reports that five arrested MyCiTi striking bus drivers were charged with public violence and released on R1,000 bail each on Wednesday in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court. They appeared before Magistrate MAF Mafanga, who postponed the matter to 9 November for further investigation. They were arrested on Tuesday for defying a court order. Their lawyer pleaded with the court to reduce the bail amount to R500, stating that they could not afford that amount as all of them were dependent on their spouses. Mafanga said R1,000 was reasonable considering that the bail had been initially set at R2,000 by the court. A large group of MyCiTi strikers gathered outside the Cape Town Civic Centre, while another group attended the court hearing. This short report by Tariro Washinyira is at GroundUp
Sasol boasts ‘resounding success’ with march against racial exclusion at Sasol At a protest march in Sandton on Thursday, Solidarity handed over memorandums to both petrochemical giant Sasol and the JSE regarding the trade union’s objections to the Sasol Khanyisa share scheme, which excludes white workers based solely on their skin colour. According to the union, thousands of people participated, including members of the public, as well as many organisations from the Solidarity Movement, which include AfriForum, Solidarity Helping Hand, the FAK and the School Support Centre. Dirk Hermann, chief executive of Solidarity, commented that the trade union was extremely satisfied with the outcome of the protest action as well as the day’s proceedings. “Today, thousands of people spoke in unison that it is wrong to exclude people based on their skin colour,” Hermann stated. Solidarity’s demands in its memo were for Sasol to grant all employees whose employment circumstances were comparable to those of the beneficiaries of the Khanyisa scheme but who are not beneficiaries of the said scheme, the same Khanyisa benefits or compensation to the same value as received by the Khanyisa beneficiaries. Read Solidarity’s press statement and download the memorandums at SA Labour News. See too, Solidarity members march against BEE scheme, at EWN
Pick n Pay CEO in danger of losing 1-million of his share options Financial Mail writes that without a significant and sustained hike in the Pick n Pay share price in the next few days, group CEO Richard Brasher can wave goodbye to 1-million of his share options. The five-year term of the options, which were granted to Brasher when he was appointed CEO in 2012, were extended for 12 months when they failed to meet the vesting condition in November 2017. In his 2018 report, remuneration committee chair Hugh Herman noted that Brasher has successfully implemented the strategic action needed to "reset the long-term earnings trajectory of the group". But the prevailing political and economic climate hit sentiment in the local equities market, Herman pointed out. Moreover, the share price has been hit by the impact of the R200m cost of the voluntary severance programme in the first half of 2018. With just days to go it is said to be difficult to see what would bump the price up to the levels needed for the options to vest. Fortunately for Brasher, the 1-million share options are only part of his share rewards. He has another 1-million options with no conditions attached. In addition, the performance conditions attached to the generous forfeitable share awards have been comfortably attained. And though there was no short-term bonus paid for 2018, the remuneration committee used its discretion to make a few generous cash awards. Read this report by Ann Crotty in full at Financial Mail
Urgent labour court bid by Tshwane city manager to stop release of GladAfrica report News24 reports that the Labour Court was due on Thursday to hear an urgent application, filed by Tshwane city manager Moeketsi Mosola, to prevent the release of a draft report on engineering company GladAfrica. The engineering company and the city have been at the centre of allegations of tender irregularities for the past two months, following reports that GladAfrica scored a R12-billion deal to provide the city with project management support. The city later resolved to institute an investigation into the allegations after attempts by Tshwane executive mayor Solly Msimanga to suspend Mosola on the back of the allegations were unsuccessful. In September, the company also decided to request the Gauteng Ethics Advisory Council to probe the process undertaken by GladAfrica Project Managers in bidding for the contract. A report into the scandal was due to be shared with the city's councillors on Thursday. However, Mosola lodged papers in the Labour Court on Tuesday, seeking to have the decision for an investigation into the matter deemed unlawful and for the investigation to be halted. Read this report by Sesona Ngqakamba in full at News24. Read too, Tshwane city manager heads to court to block GladAfrica report, at Mail & Guardian Tshwane ANC tables urgent motion to have city manager Moeketsi Mosola suspended BusinessLive reports that the ANC in Tshwane on Thursday morning tabled an urgent motion in the metro council to suspend city manager Moeketsi Mosola with immediate effect. At the same time, he was in the Labour Court to interdict the tabling at council of an interim investigation report relating to procurement irregularities. The ANC’s motion, which according to council rules had to be tabled two hours ahead of the council meeting that started at 10am on Thursday, marked a decisive move away from its stance in the September council meeting, where only the DA and its coalition partners supported suspending Mosola pending the outcome of the investigation. Mosola filed an urgent application with the court on Wednesday, asking it to interdict both an investigation and any form of a report from being tabled in council when it heard the matter on Thursday. The investigation into Mosola was in relation to a tender granted to engineering consultants GladAfrica, which would have managed the city’s infrastructure budget. The investigation was approved by council in September, but Mosola was not suspended pending its outcome, despite mayor Solly Msimanga warning that his presence would be detrimental to the stability of the municipality. Read this report by Claudi Mailovich in full at BusinessLive Jobs-for-cash beneficiaries at Soweto hospital keep their jobs SowetanLive reports that more than 50 employees who bought posts through a jobs-for-cash scam at a Gauteng hospital have been allowed to remain as employees of the facility after they exposed senior officials who were implicated in the illegal operation. This was indicated by Jerry Mosasane, spokesperson for Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital in Jabulani, Soweto. Meanwhile, the Hawks are also investigating the scandal. According to Mosasane, 111 disciplinary hearings were conducted at the hospital after reports that officials were selling posts for nurses, porters and clerks for amounts ranging from R2,500 to R10,000. Mosasane said 52 people who had bought the posts were allowed to remain as employees after they co-operated with authorities by identifying senior officials who were involved in the scam. The senior officials included a deputy director for nursing who was acting CEO of the facility at the time, human resources officials and line managers. "Two employees were dismissed for job selling whereas five employees implicated in job selling were charged with misconduct and resigned in the face of disciplinary action. Three employees resigned during the investigation phase, while one resigned owing to a mental illness immediately after the resumption of the investigation," Mosasane said. DA shadow MEC for health Jack Bloom said he was concerned that a majority of the people implicated in the scam had kept their jobs. Read this report by Zoë Mahopo in full at SowetanLive. See too, More than 100 jobs-for-cash cases at Soweto hospital, at News24
Ramaphosa to open R1bn train manufacturing and training facility in Benoni on Friday ANA reports that on Friday President Cyril Ramaphosa will officially launch a new R1-billion train manufacturing factory, supply and training centre at Dunnottar Park in Benoni. The plant will manufacture, assemble, test, commission and deliver 580 new commuter trains. It is scheduled to deliver two new trains by December, a further nine trains by March 2019 and an estimated total of 56 trains over the next two years. Construction of the factory commenced in January 2016 with manufacturing activity starting in 2017. It employs a 49 percent female and 51 percent male staff, with 90 percent being black. The site houses the factory, a supplier park, and a rail training school. The project has seen many of the employees being given crash courses on maths, science and English, as well as receiving bursaries, besides the training. Railway introduction courses have also been started at some tertiary institutions to encourage students to get into the industry. At the forefront of the manufacturing process will be more than 200 South African engineers and technicians – most of whom are historically disadvantaged - who have been specially trained and oriented. Based on reports at The Citizen and on page 4 of The Star of 25 October 2018
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