In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 1 March 2019.
MINING LABOUR
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Gold sector still leads in mine fatalities City Press reports that a total of 40 workers were killed in accidents in gold mines last year, according to statistics released by the Department of Mineral Resources on Friday. This was half of the total of 81 lives lost in mines across the country. Platinum mines were still the second-largest contributor to fatal accidents, with 12 deaths, less though than 2017’s toll of 29 lives lost. The company with the most to answer for was Sibanye-Stillwater, which saw two mining disasters at its operations last year. A disaster is defined as an incident where five people are killed at once. In May, a fall of ground incident led to the death of seven people in the company’s Driefontein gold mine. In June, five mine workers were killed in a “heat-related” accident at the adjacent Kloof gold mine. The Palabora Mining Company also had a disaster when six workers were killed in an explosion in July. Other accidents in mines leading to injuries but not deaths decreased last year by 12% to 2 350. The original of Dewald van Rensburg’s report on this story is at City Press. Read too, Mine fatalities decrease by 10% in 2018, at Mining Weekly State-owned diamond miner Alexkor denies reports of layoffs of 300 mineworkers OMF reports that state-owned diamond miner Alexkor Limited, in Alexander Bay in in the Northern Cape, has denied reports that it was planning to retrench about 300 mineworkers. Speaking on behalf of Mervyn Carstens, the CEO of the pooling and sharing joint venture (PSJV) between Alexkor and the Richtersveld Mining Company, company secretary Raygen Phillips said they had not issued a formal notice of retrenchments, despite information doing the rounds alleging the contrary. Contractor, diamond diver and community advisor David Pells claimed the mine was so indebted that salaries were paid late in January. But, Phillips said all employees of the mine received their January and February salaries timeously, further cementing the assertion that retrenchments were not in the pipeline. In 2003, the Supreme Court of Appeal delivered a landmark judgment that restored the Richtersveld community’s right to the mineral resources of the land and ordered that Alexkor must compensate the people for damage done. As a result, in 2011, a PSJV between the community and the mine was formed. Read the full original of the report on this story at The Citizen Workers at Gupta-owned coal mines could receive salary payments soon EWN reports that the business rescue practitioners (BRPs) appointed at the Optimum and Koornfontein Gupta coal mines expect workers at the mines to receive salary payments by this week. Workers last received payments in October, with mining operations having come to an end in December. The mines were placed under business rescue earlier in 2019. Optimum Coal Mine has not been supplying Eskom with coal for a year. BRP Bouwer van Niekerk advised that the workers at Optimum had been placed on special leave because production had been halted. He indicated: “The reason why the mine has not produced coal is that there was never sufficient expenditure made for the state of the mine to keep it going while the Guptas were in charge.” He said there was a separate plan to secure salaries for workers at Koornfontein, adding: “The business rescue practitioners concluded a post-commencement finance agreement and in terms of the agreement, funds need to flow early in March. As soon as it does, then payments will be made.” Van Niekerk said he was hopeful that they would be able to secure enough funding to pay salaries at the mines indefinitely. Read the original of the report by Kgomotso Modise & Bonga Dlulane at EWN On bullish outlook, Implats plans to start building new palladium mine in 2021 in Waterberg Bloomberg reports that as Impala Platinum’s (Implats’) outlook for metals turns bullish, the company plans to start building a new palladium mine that could begin producing as soon as 2024 . Implats plans to start work on the Waterberg project in 2021, CEO Nico Muller indicated on Thursday. A surge in palladium prices and a weaker rand is dispelling the gloom that gripped South African miners just a year ago. Meanwhile, Anglo American Platinum is studying plans to ramp up palladium output through the expansion of its flagship Mogalakwena mine. “I believe the change in PGMs is structural and not cyclical, so we are fully confident that the buoyant market we see today is going to prevail for the next ten years,” Muller commented. But, despite a stronger market for platinum-group metals and improved liquidity, Implats is sticking with plans to restructure loss-making mines at its Rustenburg complex. Read the original of this story in full at Mining Weekly. Read too, Palladium surge helps to save miners, at Mail & Guardain Uasa welcomes Ramaphosa’s opening of Gamsberg Mine in Northern Cape ANA reports that the United Association of SA (Uasa) has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s official opening of the Gamsberg Mine in the Northern Cape on Thursday. Ramaphosa was accompanied by Minerals Resource Minister Gwede Mantashe and Vendata Limited International CEO Deshnee Naidoo. The mine, near Aggeneys, is located in the mining centre between Springbok and Pofadder and will contribute to job creation and skills development. Uasa spokesperson, Stanford Mazhindu, said the union was pleased that the president was meeting promises made last year during his investment drive. “We hope to see more projects like these that will greatly assist in reducing unemployment and boosting our economy, come to life.” The project is set to become one of the largest mining projects in SA, with an investment of over R21b from Vendata that was pledged at the inaugural presidential Investment Summit held last year. The mine is expected to employ 800 to 850 people. The original of this short report on the mine opening is at The Citizen. Read too, Ramaphosa praises Vedanta’s Gamsberg Mine build, at Miningmx Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Gauteng health department employee who didn’t come home on Friday found dead in office News24 reports that an employee of the Gauteng Department of Health in the Tshwane district has been found dead in his office. The 46-year-old man failed to return home from work on Friday. His office was locked when he was discovered at approximately 12:00 on Sunday. Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said the circumstances surrounding the death have yet to be determined and that an inquest docket was now being investigated. "The department has arranged counselling for the family members and the staff," the department's Mothomone Pitsi said in a statement. Read the original of Sesona Ngqakamba’s short report on this story at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Strike at Durban mortuary hurts grieving families as funerals postponed Independent On Saturday reports that a strike at the Magwaza Maphalala (Gale) Street mortuary in Durban has led to grieving families being unable to collect the bodies of their loved ones and has thrown funeral arrangements into disarray. But, according to a source, staff resumed work on Friday afternoon, pending discussions, and post-mortems resumed on a backlog of 45 bodies. Two mortuary workers claimed they had been assured they would be paid last month for overtime work in December, but the provincial health department had not kept its word. Halatisani Gumede of the Public and Allied Workers’ Union of SA (Pawusa), indicated that the strike was over workers being underpaid and having to work in unsafe conditions. Warning that the union was planning a march, he stated: “We have been trying to liaise, but they have not been responsive.” Gumede added that mortuaries across the province were affected to varying degrees by the strike. Nehawu members are reportedly also involved. A spokesman for the KZN department confirmed that the strikers had resumed their duties following consultations between organised labour and the department and indicated that senior officials were currently trying to find solutions to the grievances raised by the workers. Read the full original of Duncan Guy’s report on the strike at Independent News UFS workers and students strike to demand insourcing Sowetan reports that classes were disrupted after outsourced workers at the University of the Free State (UFS) embarked on an unprotected strike on Thursday. UFS spokesperson Lacea Loader said the workers were demanding insourcing of all jobs at the university. Some students and student organisations also participated in the strike. Students and workers from the Workers and Students Forum (WSF) had handed over a memorandum to the institution’s management on the previous Friday. Management requested to “initiate a formal process of engagement and consultation on the proposed insourcing”. But, the WSF did not accede to that request and decided to embark on Thursday’s unprotected strike action. Protection services monitored the situation on campus closely. The executive management said it remained committed to engage continuously “in an open, transparent and honest manner.” Read the original of this report by Iavan Pijoos on page 9 of Sowetan of 1 March 2018
Finance deputy minister Mondli Gungubele lied at the PIC inquiry and must go, Saftu insists The Sunday Independent reports that the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) commission of inquiry into impropriety is scheduled to continue on Monday and a labour federation has upped the ante. The SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) had called for the head of Deputy Minister of Finance Mondli Gungubele, who is also chairman of the PIC, after it emerged that he might have misled the commission in his testimony. Saftu’s general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to discipline Gungubele, whose leadership had led to a dysfunctional PIC board. All nine board members resigned on 1 February. The resignations came in the wake of a whistle-blower’s allegations accusing Gungubele of colluding with fellow board member Sibusisiwe Zulu. She is alleged to be at the centre of a corruption and nepotism patronage network at the PIC involving her live-in lover, businessman Lawrence Mulaudzi. The PIC is the investment manager for the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and other state funds. “The government needs to find a man of integrity to be the chairperson of the PIC and to take out the weight of politicians who get appointed as chairpersons, because the board will find itself in a position where they cannot disagree with the chairperson because of political consequences, which is why the PIC has deteriorated to where it is now,” Vavi said. He also called for Gungubele to be charged for alleged perjury and for him to be removed as a deputy minister until the PIC commission has concluded its inquiry. Read the full original of Ayanda Mdluli’s report on this story at Sunday Independent
‘Too big to fail’ Edcon secures financial help from UIF and others Business Times reports that Edcon, the owner of Edgars, has secured a deal with its landlords, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) and banks that will inject R2.7bn into the business. The deal announced on Friday will see new shareholders investing R2.7bn in SA's largest nonfood retailer. This includes the PIC, on behalf of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). Edcon employs 40,000 people. Edcon CEO Grant Pattison said the funds were sufficient to ensure the group could survive losses for the next two to three years, during which the plan was to return it to profit, while cutting store space by at least a third. Etienne Vlok of the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu), observed: "Edcon more than any other retailer buys locally made products. If they were to close there would be a disproportionate impact on local clothing manufacturers and the people employed there." Morné Wilken of Hyprop, which has 9.4% of its gross lettable area rented to Edcon brands, said: "Edcon plays a large role in our country. If it did fail, there would be effects across the economy, especially the loss of jobs." Read the original of the report by Adele Shevel and Alistair Anderson at BusinessLive (paywall access only)
Job seekers warned about Coca-Cola job scam ANA reports that job seekers have been warned about a recruitment scam falsely claiming jobs on offer for Coca-Cola Beverages SA (CCBSA). In a statement on Friday, CCBSA said it had been made aware that individuals claiming to be representatives of the company were conveying fraudulent offers of employment in exchange for payment to bypass the recruitment process. The company indicated: “The offers come from unauthorised individuals fraudulently recruiting on CCBSA’s behalf or claiming to work for or be associated with the company. CCBSA wishes to warn the public and communities about this scam.” The company added: “It must be emphasised that neither CCBSA nor any of its entities would ever ask for upfront fees or payment before, during and/or after the recruitment process.” Read the original of the report on this story in full at The Citizen Police HR officer in Giyani held for demanding R10,000 bribe to process job application News24 reports that an administration clerk for the police in Giyani has been arrested for allegedly demanding a bribe, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) in Polokwane said on Sunday. The 43-year-old, who worked in Human Resource Development, was responsible for recruitment and allegedly demanded a R10,000 bribe from an applicant in order to process an application. "The Hawks were immediately alerted and the suspect was detained on Saturday afternoon following an undercover operation," a Hawks spokesperson advised. The suspect was due to appear on a corruption charge in the Giyani Magistrate's Court on Monday. Provincial head of the Hawks in the province, Major General Thobeka Jozi, said the Hawks would not hesitate in dealing with criminally-minded public servants, irrespective of their stature in government as well as in the private sector. Read the original report by Sesona Ngqakamba on this story at News24
SAA lays fraud charges against pilot who held wrong license and seeks to recover millions of rand Bloomberg reports that South African Airways (SAA) has laid fraud charges against a former pilot after finding out that he operated international flights with the wrong type of license. SAA was seeking to reclaim “millions of rand” paid to the aviator on the assumption that he held an Airline Transport Pilot License, it said in a statement Friday. Following an incident involving a flight to Germany last year, it was found that he possessed only a basic Commercial Pilot License. Airlines require the more comprehensive APTL license for international flights. The state-owned carrier’s spokesperson Tlali Tlali indicated: “SAA has suffered actual financial prejudice and has opened a criminal case of fraud against that pilot. Necessary steps will be taken to recover the money unduly paid to him. These include salary, overtime and allowances.” To prevent other pilots from flying without an ATPL license, SAA says it will now obtain all pilot qualification certificates directly from the examination authority. It’s also submitted all current pilot licenses to the SA Civil Aviation Authority for checks. Read the original report by John Bowker in full at Moneyweb. Read too, SAA pursuing fraud charges against former pilot for false claims regarding licence, at Engineering News OTHER NEWS HEADLINES AND PRESS STATEMENTS
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