In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 29 March 2019.
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Masutha demands answers after female guard killed, another raped in hostage situation at Free State prison News24 reports that Justice and Correctional Services Minister Michael Masutha wants answers about a hostage situation on Friday at the Goedemoed prison in the Free State in which an inmate stabbed a female warder to death and reportedly raped the surviving victim, also a warden at the facility. The minister instructed the National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Arthur Fraser, to immediately go to the site and establish the facts surrounding the "unfortunate incident", and ensure that there was continuity of trauma counselling and other relevant employee assistance to staffers. The alleged perpetrator was placed in solitary confinement following his arrest on Friday night after the three-hour-long ordeal. Masutha said that the safety of staff was of paramount importance and his ministry viewed any attack on officials in a very serious light. But he dismissed claims that the incident might have occurred as a result of overcrowding, saying the prison was at 97% of its capacity. COPE Free State Premier candidate, Dennis Bloem, said the killing could be blamed on the severe staff shortage. He said: “Shortage of staff is the biggest problem facing the DCS and forever puts the lives of the DCS officials in danger. The Minister of Correctional Services and Justice, Michael Masutha and his Department are ignoring this problem and turning a blind eye to it." Read the full original of Pelane Phakgadi’s report on this story at News24. Read COPE’s press statement at Politicsweb Culpable homicide case opened after tractor drives over inexperienced worker News24 reports that a case of culpable homicide has been opened after an employee died at a farm in Petrus Steyn in the Free State when a tractor drove over him. A police spokesman indicated: "Apparently the deceased had just started working at a farm on the very same day of the incident and was [given] a driving test with his other colleague. While driving the tractor he lost control and fell from the tractor which consequently ran over him." The man, 25, was declared dead at the scene. Bethlehem cluster commander Major General Jan Tsotetsi said he was disturbed by the man's death and added: "It's a known fact that people are looking for jobs, however, it doesn't mean people should risk their lives and end up driving vehicles knowing that they are not authorised to do so." Read the original of this short report at News24 Fifteen arrested as five factories set alight at industrial estate on KZN north coast Sunday Tribune reports that at least five factories were set alight, with one completely destroyed, at Mandeni’s Isithebe Industrial Estate on the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) north coast last week. This was apparently because the community was unhappy with mayor Siphelele Zulu, demanding that he should step down. Sihle Zikalala, MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, confirmed that since last Monday factories owned by the Ithala Development Finance Corporation had been torched by people disgruntled with the local municipality. “We understand people have issues they are concerned about. However, those issues don’t necessarily have a direct bearing on what is taking place in the industrial estate. We, therefore, urge communities not to vent their anger on economic hubs like this,” Zikalala said. Police confirmed that 15 people had been arrested for malicious damage to property and for inciting public violence. Zikalala indicated that the provincial government was also concerned about the burning of seven trucks along the crucial N3 corridor linking KZN with Gauteng. Read the original of Nkululeko Nene’s short report on the above at Sunday Tribune. See too, Seven trucks set alight on N3 near Mooi River, at Independent News
Mantashe slams Minerals Council, saying judicial review of Mining Charter is an excuse to cut jobs Miningmx writes that Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has asserted that a decision by the Minerals Council SA (MCSA) to seek a judicial review of the Mining Charter was a pretext for cutting jobs. Speaking on the sidelines of a pre-election meeting in Vereeniging, Mantashe said the MCSA was only interested in creating uncertainty in the mining sector because it was in this context that it could continue to cut jobs. At a meeting two weeks ago, the council apparently “wanted everything to go its way”, while Mantashe pointed out that the charter was a document involving the input of “many stakeholders” and to “have everything you like is selfish”. The MCSA announced on 27 March that although it had not exhausted negotiations with the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) on additional changes to the Mining Charter, which was updated by government gazette in December, it would ask for a judicial review on the issue of ‘continuing consequences’. This describes the issue of whether mining companies are always empowered once they have met the original Mining Charter empowerment criteria of 26% (and other targets) as set down in 2004. The most recent wording of the Mining Charter makes it explicit that in order to renew a mining licence, or transfer it, the mining companies must re-empower themselves in line with the 2004 targets. The MCSA argues that this is contrary to a high court ruling in 2017. Read the full original of David McKay’s report in the above regard at Miningmx Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Postings on mining charter / transformation
Beitbridge border post hardest hit by strike action at SARS BusinessLive reports the that executive for remuneration and benefits at the SA Revenue Service (SARS), Takalani Musekwa, said on Thursday that giving in to the demand for a 11.4% salary increase by employees would bankrupt the tax agency. Speaking on the first day of an indefinite strike at SARS, Musekwa said the increment asked for by the Public Servants Association (PSA) and National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) was unaffordable and would bankrupt the agency. The unions have indicated that they would take an 8% increase for a single year deal back to their members if SARS placed it on the table. But, the tax agency said it would only offer 8% if the unions agreed to a multi-term agreement. Musekwa reported that 33 out of 53 walk-in branches were closed on Thursday as a result of the strike, with the rest functioning on a diminished capacity. He said 90% of the tax agency’s 700 staff members at its contact centres were part of the strike. Ports of entry were affected. SARS employees at the Beitbridge border post downed tools just after midnight on Wednesday, while workers at other border posts finished their shifts and only went on strike later on Thursday morning. SARS on Thursday afternoon obtained an interim interdict from the Labour Court barring workers from picketing at branches which were not designated in terms of the picketing rules. Read the full original of Claudi Mailovich’s report on the strike at BusinessLive SARS employees expected on Monday to continue strike action over wages BusinessLive reports that employees at the SA Revenue Service (SARS) are expected to continue with their wage strike on Monday, which will coincide with the release of the preliminary results of revenue collection for 2018/2019. The strike has affected the tax agency’s contact centres, walk-in branches and to some extent on ports of entry into SA. The industrial action started on Thursday as a result of a deadlock in wage negotiations between SARS and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and the Public Servants Association (PSA). The unions collectively represent almost 10,000 employees who fall under the SARS bargaining council. The significant issue in the deadlock relates to the period in respect of which the wage increases are being negotiated. Unions are pushing for a single term increase to allow for new negotiations in 2020. The agency’s offer last week for an 8% increase in a multi-term agreement was rejected. The unions are demanding, among other benefits, an 11.4% increase for a one-year term, but would apparently be willing to take an 8% offer for that period to members. Nehawu said on Sunday that a decision had been taken to continue with the strike and added that the union “will from here on intensify the strike to ensure our members and workers’ demands are met by the employer.” It was unclear on Sunday whether the PSA would embark on strike action with Nehawu on Monday. Read the full original of Claudi Mailovich’s report on the strike at BusinessLive. Read too, SARS, unions still locked in talks amid workers' strike, at EWN Dis-Chem and Nupsaw reach agreement to end strike ANA reports that Dis-Chem and the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) on Thursday announced that they had reached an agreement to end a strike that commenced in November last year. The settlement agreement was signed on Wednesday and striking employees would be expected to return to work on 10 April. "The last four months have been extremely difficult for everyone involved, particularly our employees and their families. We look forward to returning to a normalised environment," said Dis-Chem spokesperson Caryn Barker. She indicated that the agreement meant the withdrawal of all the demands made by Nupsaw. Barker further indicated: "Dis-Chem has agreed to pay pro-rata bonuses to qualifying employees who had not received these as a result of the strike. The payment will take into consideration the strike period in January 2018 as well as November/December 2018. It has also been agreed that Dis-Chem will take disciplinary action against those striking employees who committed acts of misconduct during the strike." The original of this short report appeared on page 18 of Business Report of 29 March 2019 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
SA likely facing trend of job cuts, economist warns Fin24 reports that according to well-known economist Mike Schüssler, there has been an ongoing decline in the number of salary payments going through the SA banking system, which could point to retrenchments. He was commenting on data from the latest BankservAfrica Take-home Pay Index, released on Thursday. February was the eighth consecutive month of declining employees on the system, which for Schüssler was likely an indication that the current employment figures remained relatively lower than previous years. The total take-home salaries paid, as measured by BankservAfrica, declined by 9.1% in total nominal terms and on a year-on-year (y/y) basis in February. The data indicated that many people seemed to have "left" the system, particularly higher earners. The overall number of employees earning under R100,000 per month declined by 8.4% in February. Schüssler explained that "leaving the system" could happen in a number of ways, such as retrenchments or retirement, or perhaps payments were no longer going through the banking system. The index is not designed to measure employment numbers - as people can still get paid in cash or by cheque, or can make use of a system where employees' salaries do not show up as a salary but as a normal payment. Yet, to Schüssler, the index has shown a trend developing for some time now. Read the full original of Carin Smith’s report in the above regard at Fin24 Employment within the ICT sector showing growth Engineering News reports that the information and communications technology (ICT) sector remains one of the biggest employers and contributors to SA’s mainstream economy, the ‘State of ICT 2019’ report shows. The fourth iteration of the Independent Communications Authority of SA’s (Icasa’s) review of the telecommunications, broadcasting and postal services sectors, released on Friday, showed total overall employment numbers had increased by 18.8% from 51,993 in 2017 to 61,757 in 2018. Employment within the telecommunications sector increased by 20% to 37,063, while the postal sector employment registered an increase of 21.9% to 19,881 and broadcasting sector employment increased marginally by 0.3% to 4,813. Over a four-year period, the total sector employment increased by 1.9%, with employment in the telecommunications sector having increased by 6.2% and broadcasting marginally lifting 0.2%. The postal service employment rate recorded a decline of 4.3% from 22,671 in 2015. Meanwhile, the revenue reported for the three sectors showed an aggregate growth of 12.2% from R204-billion in 2017 to R229-billion in 2018. Over a four-year period, the combined revenue for the three sectors increased by 6.5%. However, despite this continued “dynamic growth”, the achievements fell short of Icasa’s vision of affordable access to the range of communication services. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
MTN bosses raked in rich rewards in 2018, with CEO pocketing R42.9m Moneyweb reports that MTN Group CEO Rob Shuter was paid R42.9 million in the financial year ended 31 December 2018, up from R40.6 million in 2017. His remuneration was made up of a base salary of R15.3 million — up from R11.5 million for 10 months of work in 2017 — plus R25.3 million in bonuses, R1.6 million in post-employment benefits and R746,000 in other benefits. The numbers were disclosed in MTN Group’s annual report, published on Wednesday. MTN’s only other executive director, chief financial officer Ralph Mupita, took home R22.5 million, which included a base salary of R8.2 million and bonuses of R12.8 million. That compared to his total remuneration in 2017 of R17.7 million. But Shuter and Mupita were by no means MTN’s only richly rewarded bosses. MTN South Africa CEO Godfrey Motsa, for example, was paid R23.5 million in 2018, up from R18.8 million in 2017. That included a base salary of R6.9 million, two sign-on bonus payments totalling R9 million and other bonuses worth R5.7 million. Group chief operating officer Jens Schulte-Bockum took home total pay of R23.5 million (R13.4 million in bonuses), while MTN Nigeria CEO Ferdi Moolman was paid R21.3 million (R7.7 million in bonuses). Other MTN executives who took home total remuneration of more than R20 million in 2018 were Ebenezer Asante (R24 million) and Ismail Jaroudi (R22.7 million). Read the full original of Duncan McLeod’s report on this story at Moneyweb
PIC inquiry extended by three months to 31 July Bloomberg reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has granted the judicial commission of inquiry into the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) an extra three months in which to finish its investigation into allegations of wrongdoing at the pension fund asset manager. The date by which the commission must submit its final report was moved to 31 July from 15 April, the commission said in a statement on Saturday. The commission, whose mandate was also broadened, is still probing a “considerable number of transactions” and hearing testimony from former and current employees into allegations of wrongdoing. The manager of more than R2 trillion in government workers’ pension funds has been wracked by allegations relating to questionable investments. Ramaphosa set up the commission in October after a whistle-blower pointed to wrongdoing. The PIC’s nine directors, including chairman Mondli Gungubele, who is also deputy finance minister, resigned in February and acting chief executive officer Matshepo More was suspended on 27 March. Read Felix Njini’s short report on the above at Moneyweb. See too, Ramaphosa extends PIC inquiry to 31 July, at Business Report
Policewoman with 39 years of service returns to work after unfair dismissal overturned News24 reports that Solidarity announced on Thursday that a deputy police commissioner in the Western Cape would be returning return to her post and would be reimbursed retrospectively after a fight of almost a year over her dismissal. Major General Renee Fick was dismissed from the police on 11 May 2018. The trade union explained that Fick was falsely accused of the dereliction of her duties and issued with a written warning in 2017. Disciplinary action was launched after she refused to undersign the complaint against her and she was then dismissed without warning. The trade union subsequently lodged an unfair dismissal dispute against the police service at the Safety and Security Sectoral Bargaining Council. Solidarity spokesperson Francois Redelinghuys said justice had prevailed for the "dedicated" police member who had at least 39 years' service and who had merely been doing her job properly. He went on to comment: "Police members are part of a system where they are often bullied, leading them to feel depressed. However, we won't back down. We will continue to fight against transgressions and irregularities to which dedicated employees of the SAPS are subjected to daily." Read the full original of Jenna Verster’s report on this story at News24. Read Solidarity’s press statement on this matter at Solidarity News
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