In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 22 March 2019.
|
Two paramedics robbed at gunpoint in Khayelitsha on Saturday night EWN reports that attacks on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers continue in Cape Town with two paramedics having been the latest to be attacked. The pair was apparently robbed at gunpoint in Harare, Khayelitsha, on Saturday night while they were responding to an emergency call near the Saint John's Church. The criminals stole cellphones, wallets, wedding rings, radios and an undisclosed amount of cash. Western Cape EMS spokesperson Robert Daniels said: “The two male EMS practitioners were robbed of personal belongings and left severely traumatized. A criminal case was opened with the police and the victims of the attack are currently receiving trauma counselling.” Last week, an ambulance crew escaped unharmed after they were held at gunpoint during an attempted robbery while responding to a call in Kraaifontein. In recent years, attacks on paramedics have escalated in the province. The original of Lizell Persens’ short report on this story is at EWN Department of Labour inquiry into deadly Durban structural collapse to reconvene in June ANA reports that the Department of Labour (DoL) said on Tuesday that an inquiry into a Durban structural collapse that left four people dead had gone into recess and would reconvene on 18 June. In addition to the fatalities, four other workers were injured in the incident. The collapse occurred on 28 March last year on the premises of Imperial Logistics in Jacobs. Echo Prestress, a precast roofing company, was busy with the final installation of a concrete precast roof slab when the concrete structure collapsed. The collapse caused structural damage to an adjacent building and damage to a heavy duty vehicle parked on a public road along the perimeter fence of the facility. According to DoL spokesperson Teboho Thejane, construction-site principal agent Demo Salerno would take the stand upon resumption of the inquiry. To date, 23 witnesses had been interrogated, including a building inspector from eThekwini municipality, engineers acting as expert witnesses and the chief executive of Imperial, Steven Smith. At least four more witnesses are expected to testify before the inquiry concludes its work. Read the full original of the report on the above at The Citizen
Exxaro to cut 750 contractor jobs after Group Five Construction goes into business rescue Miningmx reports that some 750 contract employees will be affected as a result of Exxaro Resources terminating its agreements with Group Five Construction, which announced earlier this month it was to go into business rescue proceedings. Group Five Projects was contracted in April 2017 to build a new coal plant as part of Exxaro’s Grootegeluk Plant 6 expansion at the Grootegeluk mine in Limpopo. The project was set down for completion in May, but would now suffer a delay as a result, the company said. “It is indeed a sad day as more than 750 contract workers will be impacted by this decision,” said Johan Meyer, executive head of projects and technology at Exxaro. He also gave the assurance that Exxaro’s financial exposure as a result of Group Five Construction’s financial difficulties was minimal. On Friday, Exxaro announced that it was “engaging with its labour support – legal and human resources – to maintain stability on site. Group Five Project’s workers and subcontractors had moved off-site in the meantime. The coal producer said it would keep all stakeholders updated and would share more information as and when it became available. Read the full original of David McKay’s report in the above regard at Miningmx Six arrested in North West for illegal mining OFM reports that on Thursday, North West police arrested six people, including a woman, in connection with alleged illegal mining activity in Khuma, located outside the mining town of Stilfontein. A police spokesperson, Sabata Mokgwabone, said the suspects, who are between the ages of 24 and 42, were found in possession of gold dust as well as mining equipment with an estimated value of over R1-million. According to Mokgwabone, police received a tip-off regarding alleged illegal mining activity at a house in Khuma. Five arrests were made at that house and also at a neighbouring house. All six suspects – including one arrested in Potchefstroom – will appear in the Stilfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday. They will each be facing the following charges: illegal mining, illegal refining of gold, illegal possession of gold-bearing material, illegal possession of suspected stolen goods and illegal possession of explosives.” Mokgwabone indicated that they did not know if the suspects were part of a syndicate in the area, but the matter had been referred to the Hawks. Read the full original of Olebogeng Motse’s report on this story at OFM Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Underperforming SARS faces crippling strike from Thursday BusinessLive reports that thousands of staff members at the SA Revenue Service (SARS) could down tools on Thursday as they push for a double-digit wage increase at an agency that has consistently missed its revenue targets for the past four years. Meetings are due continue on Monday, but the parties remain far apart. Unions are demanding a one-year agreement and an 11.4% wage increase, while SARS is offering 7.1% in the first year of a three-year inflation-linked agreement. Unions maintain that their members are being prejudiced by years of mismanagement at the agency, and are being pushed to meet increased revenue targets while posts are going unfilled and benefits are being rolled back. The SARS bargaining council covers just fewer than 10,000 employees, with about 5,300 represented by the Public Servants Association (PSA) and 4,400 by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu). The unions lodged a dispute in February, and the CCMA issued a certificate of non-resolution on 19 March. The current three-year wage agreement that Sars has with organised labour expires on 31 March. SARS said on Saturday it was confident an agreement would ultimately be found, but any agreement would need to account for reduced government revenue and higher debt levels. Read the full original of Karl Gernetzky’s report on the looming strike at BusinessLive. Read too, SARS to resume talks with trade unions ahead of planned wage strike, at EWN Millbake employees go on unprotected strike over wage increases The Citizen reports that about 175 workers, mostly members of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), have gone on strike at RCL Foods’ business unit Millbake over a wage dispute. Millbake is RCL’s largest milling and bread, flour and maize meal producer. The consumer goods company has apparently obtained an urgent court interdict to stop the unprotected industrial action. According to the company’s Stephen Heath, the long-running dispute reached a deadlock with workers downing tools over management’s refusal to increase basic monthly salaries to R9,000 generally, and to R15, 000 for those earning above R9,000 per month. He said they were considering further legal action against the union and also disciplinary action against the workers who went on strike as the action was “an unprotected and illegal one as the union hasn’t followed the proper procedures as set out in the Labour Relations Act.” Heath added that the demand from the union was for an average salary increase of 112%, which was neither reasonable nor possible. As a result of the strike, the company has withdrawn its offer of a 14% average increase (inclusive of contributions to medical aid and travel) and had reverted to its original offer of 6%. “We have, however, made individual offers to employees who don’t strike and want to accept the 14% and some have accepted this.” Heath said although the strike had caused some disruption, the company had contingency plans to put in place should the strike continue. Read the full original of Gcina Ntsaluba’s report on the strike at The Citizen
Consumer inflation inches up to 4.1% in February on back of fuel price hikes Business Report writes that SA’s consumer inflation inched up to 4.1% in February from 4% in the previous month on the back of a surge in fuel prices. Data released by Statistics SA on Wednesday showed that inflation rose on administered and fuel price increases. Fuel prices increased by 7 cents a litre in February and by 74c a litre this month. PwC commented: “Fuel prices will see an annual increase in taxes and levies in April of around 30c a litre. Furthermore, electricity prices are increasing by 13.8 percent in July 2019. Food price inflation is likely to rise due to higher fuel and electricity costs as well as lingering drought conditions in certain parts of the country." In January, the SA Reserve Bank’s quarterly Projection Model forecast that headline inflation would average 4.6% this year and 4.8% in 2019, before increasing to 5.3% in 2020 and moderating to 4.8% in 2021. Investec economist Kamilla Kaplan pointed out that higher headline inflation readings in the coming months would be a function of administered price inflation. Read the full original of Kabelo Khumalo’s report on the CPI increase at Business Report
Eskom close to not being able to pay staff salaries, but Cyril gives assurance of payment City Press reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa apparently warned leaders of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) last week that the situation at Eskom was so bad that it was possible the parastatal would not be able to pay salaries at the end of next month. This was said in a meeting held to discuss ways to rescue the state-owned power utility. Energy Minister Jeff Radebe and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan were also at the three-hour meeting. But, Eskom said the suggestion that it would not be able to pay salaries was “not true”. An NUM leader said Ramaphosa later gave assurances at the meeting that salaries would be paid because government had secured funding from the China Development Bank. “The president said he got a report that says that Eskom was not going to pay salaries at the end of April. But he also assured us that Eskom will pay salaries because they have got an arrangement with China about a loan for Eskom. He said the matter of paying salaries was then resolved. But on the future of Eskom, the president is saying that we must deeply engage on the issue of unbundling because, if we don’t unbundle, there is no way that we can get Eskom right,” the NUM leader related. Last year, Eskom signed a government-backed loan with the China Development Bank following bilateral talks between Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The loan was to be used for the construction of the Kusile Power Station. Read the full original of Ngwako Modjadji’s report on this story at City Press
Parliament passes amendment to National Minimum Wage Act to correct technical error ANA reports that Parliament has finally passed an amendment to the National Minimum Wage Act after a technical error was picked up in the initial legislation. The amendment bill was passed during the National Assembly's final plenary sitting of the fifth parliamentary term on Wednesday afternoon. The National Minimum Wage Bill aims to amend the National Minimum Wage Act of 2018, which set a mandatory national minimum wage of R20 for each ordinary hour worked. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the 2018 enactment into law in November last year and it came into effect on 1 January 2019. But after an error backdating the implementation of the legislation to May 2017 was revealed, the parliamentary portfolio committee on labour resolved to amend the legislation, notwithstanding which its implementation was not halted. The 2019 Bill will now be referred to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence. The original of this short report is at Independent News. See too Letter to the Editor, State should pay minimum wage too, at BusinessLive
Inkosi Langalibalele Municipality in Estcourt set to retrench half its staff Sunday Tribune reports that the Inkosi Langalibalele Municipality in Estcourt is expected to lay off almost half its employees as it is unable to pay salaries. The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) and the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) picketed outside the municipal offices last week, opposing the retrenchments. The municipality has 598 employees and is expected to reduce the number to 350 across all categories. Facilitation by the CCMA has already started. Imatu’s Cathi Botes said a task team comprising both unions and management had been set up to look at various alternatives to prevent job losses. Samwu’s Joe Ncanana said they would ensure none of the employees lost their jobs, and that a task team meeting was set for 9 April. The municipality was formed in August 2016 after the amalgamation of the Imbabazane and Umtshezi municipalities. Salary disparities from the merger caused the high bill, as the municipality increased the salaries of those who were paid less than their colleagues for doing the same functions. The municipality was placed under administration in 2017. Read the full original of Siphelele Buthelezi’s report on this story at Sunday Tribune
Durban physician called me a stupid k*****, security guard tells equality court Sunday Tribune reports that a Durban doctor has been accused of racism by a security guard following an argument over a parking bay last year. But Dr Ishan Rambali claimed that Senzo Makhoba had sought to extort money from him. The case was heard in the Durban Equality Court last week and postponed to 22 May. In a statement to the court, Makhoba claimed that during an argument on 6 June last year, Rambali allegedly called him a “f****** stupid k*****”. At the time, Makhoba was an employee for Dragon Protection Services and worked as an access control guard at Durdoc Centre in Durban, where Rambali is based as a specialist physician. Makhoba said the argument occurred when another doctor parked in Rambali’s parking bay at the centre. He said the doctor accused him of giving his parking to others before swearing at him. Rambali denied the allegation. He claimed Makhoba fabricated the accusation and played the victim so that his company would not take disciplinary action against him for unprofessional conduct. Makhoba was dismissed by the company in September. In an affidavit, Dragon Protection Services director of operations Manhar Parshotam described Makhoba as a troublemaker. He said Makhoba had committed other indiscretions while on duty. Read the full original of Karinda Jagmohan’s report on this story at Sunday Tribune
Ramaphosa wants accelerated efforts to deal with ailing commuter rail system News24 reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for practical and urgent action to deal with problems plaguing the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa). This came after Ramaphosa was delayed for three hours on a suburban train last week while on his ANC campaign blitz. On Tuesday at a meeting with Transport Minister Blade Nzimande, Ramaphosa told him that there needed to be urgency in dealing with the deterioration of infrastructure and the "unacceptable delays of train services, which often result in commuters arriving late for work, school and other commitments". Presidency spokesperson Khusela Diko said: "There is no reason commuters should have to endure frequent delays or feel unsafe on our trains. This is a problem that we can work together to solve." At the meeting Ramaphosa called for urgent action to be taken to bridge the gap between the turnaround strategies developed and their day-to-day implementation. He also directed that a capable and skilled team of specialists be established to conduct due diligence on the rail network to determine the extent of challenges. Nzimande is expected to make announcements in due course on the delivery of these commitments and other actions to be undertaken to restore service performance at Prasa. Read the full original of Kamva Somdyala’s report in the above regard at News24 OTHER NEWS HEADLINES
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page