This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Monday, 29 April 2019.
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With attacks by pupils on educators a worry, Sace launches teachers’ safety programme Sowetan reports that classroom brawls have led the South African Council of Educators (Sace) to launch a teachers’ rights responsibilities and safety programme. Sace spokesperson Themba Ndhlovu stated last week that the increasing prevalence of violence in schools against teachers was a worrying factor. He went on to explain: “It has become a phenomenon for teachers to report cases of violence against them by pupils. Whenever we engage with the teachers they always report that they are being harassed by pupils. [Many] of these are also showing up on social media, hence we have decided to launch the teacher’s rights responsibilities and safety programme.” Sace would be taking the programme around the country and was also running focus group interviews to identify the issues teachers faced. “The right to education means the right to a safe teaching environment. The council has a duty to make sure that teachers are safe at all times,” Ndhlovu stated. Sace hopes that the researchers will come up with a booklet that will detail what teachers go through in schools and also what needs to be done to assist teachers as some of them are scared to report these cases. Read the full original of Yoliswa Sobuwa’s report in the above regard on page 11 of Sowetan of 29 April 2019. Read too, Threats to safety causing teachers to stay away from work, at The Sunday Independent
Fatalities do not have to be an inevitable by-product of mining, says Kumba safety boss The Citizen writes that three years ago Kumba Iron Ore CEO Themba Mkhwanazi laid down a “sacred covenant code”, declaring that not a single person would lose their life by accident or mine-related illness while working in the mine. It was an ambitious pledge, considering the scope of Kumba’s operations and that the iron-ore producer employs 3,800 miners. Entrenching a company-wide culture of zero harm, its elimination of fatalities programme and a holistic approach to health has worked for Kumba, with zero fatalities since May 2016. It has also seen a 67% drop in serious incidents and injuries at its Sishen, Kolomela and Saldanha Port operations. On Sunday, which was World Day for Safety and Health at Work, Kumba showcased its innovative ways of curbing deaths. It started by challenging managers to change their mindset on safety and understand that whatever happens on their watch was a reflection of their leadership. “Fatalities do not have to be an inevitable byproduct of mining. If we can work one day with zero harm, we can do two, four, 100 and more. We know what the fatal risks are, and we need to manage them properly,” observed Philip Fourie, head of safety and health at Kumba. Safety results now form part of employee key performance indicators, and as such, affect their bonuses. Read the full original of Sipho Mabena’s report in the above regard at The Citizen Gupta front quashes state-owned mining company’s bid to revive Optimum Coal Mine City Press reports that the fate of the Optimum Coal Mine has, once again, been caught up in a tale of intrigue after Eskom and an alleged Gupta front company combined forces to scupper a funding plan for the mine. The Optimum mine and its valuable coal export allocation entered into voluntarily business rescue in 2016. A R1 billion loan from a consortium led by the state-owned African Exploration Mining and Finance Corporation (AEMFC) has now been swept from the table and, instead, a new round of bidding to buy Optimum will take place in July. The funding, which would have seen Optimum restart production and pay workers their wages – owed since last year – will now be reduced to a smaller loan while the bidding process restarts. Affected parties were informed of this last week. The AEMFC cash injection had earlier been presented as more or less a done deal, and an “opportunity that Optimum can ill afford to miss” by the business rescue practitioners (BRPs). Yet, the BRPs have apparently been blindsided by Eskom and Bermuda-based Centaur Ventures’ new deal scrapping that finance. In court papers, the BRPs accused Centaur of being a Gupta front and aiding the Gupta family’s businesses in milking money out of Optimum. Approached for comment, AEMFC said it would participate in the new bidding process to buy Optimum. Meantime, the BRPs have faced about 50 court applications from “the Gupta family and their acolytes”. Read Dewald van Rensburg’s detailed original report on the above at City Press Ex-coal miners demand R80m from Sasol Coal for lung and other diseases GroundUp reports that twenty-two former mine workers are claiming more than R80 million in damages from Sasol Coal after they contracted serious lung and other diseases as a result of years of inhaling coal dust while working in the company’s underground coal mines. They are arguing that Sasol Coal was negligent in failing to take adequate care to maintain healthy working conditions underground, in violation of several health and safety laws. Even if it was not negligent, the miners say the company bears liability for their ill-health and the loss of income for being unable to work. The miners are represented by Richard Spoor. In papers before the Johannesburg High Court, 12 of the 22 miners say they were dismissed from employment because they contracted lung-related illnesses which made them unable to continue working. Their claim is for the loss of income, aggravated by their inability to find alternative work due to age, illness, low educational levels and lack of qualifications. The largest individual claim is R10.2 million and the smallest is just under R1 million. In its reply, Sasol Coal argues that the matter has prescribed – meaning it is now too late to bring it before the court. Summons was served on the company in April 2015, more than three years after most of the miners had left Sasol’s employ. Sasol Coal’s court papers show several of the miners were dismissed for illegal strike action and some had received medical compensation once their conditions had been diagnosed. In other cases, workers’ medical conditions were deemed not severe enough for compensation. Some of the miners had previously worked at other mines. Read more of this GroundUp report by Ciaran Ryan at SA Labour News Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Durban taps run dry as water and sanitation workers vow to extend strike BusinessLive reports that striking eThekwini municipal water and sanitation department employees have vowed to intensify their protest amid concerns that services could be disrupted on general election day. Workers gathered at the Springfield depot on Monday morning to meet managers over their grievances. Queen Mbatha of the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) refused to comment on allegations that striking workers had sabotaged the water supply to several areas in and around Durban or that services could be affected on general election day on 8 May. Mbatha did though say that “workers are not going out to fix faults so there will be areas without water.” In a statement a week ago, city manager Sipho Nzuza indicated that the workers were demanding to be elevated to grade 10, namely the same salary level they claimed Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association members were receiving. According to the workers, the MK veterans, who were employed by the city in 2016, were upgraded from grade 4. Nzuza claimed that all human resource processes had been followed to the letter. It is believed that electricity department workers were threatening to join the strike. Read the full original of Nivashni Nair’s report on the strike at BusinessLive
Western Cape Government declares dispute with Cele over police resources News24 reports that the Western Cape Government has declared a formal dispute with Minister of Police Bheki Cele, accusing him of ignoring the provinces policing needs. In a statement on Sunday, community safety MEC Alan Winde said the formal intergovernmental dispute had been declared because of the disregard of urgent policing needs and priorities, which had been brought to Cele’s attention six months ago. "The Minister of Police is obliged by the Constitution to consult and take account of the specific needs of our province when determining policy. By ignoring these needs and priorities, Minister Cele is violating the Constitution," Winde indicated. He said that the province urgently needed more police officers and that the service in the Western Cape police was dramatically under resourced compared to other provinces, where the national average was that one officer protected 375 people while in the Western Cape the ratio was one officer to 509 persons. Winde also said that the Western Cape had offered the SA Police Services R5 million to pay for police reservists to be deployed in the province as well as provincial government volunteers to take on administrative duties at police stations, but the minister had ignored these offers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Minibus taxi drivers and rank marshals may get standard work benefits Business Report writes that minibus taxi drivers and rank marshals could soon enjoy employment benefits such as a housing allowance, membership of a medical scheme and a retirement fund, as well as funeral cover. This will be achieved if Transport Minister Blade Nzimande has his way through the Revised Taxi Recapitalisation Programme (RTRP), which he launched on Friday. Nzimande wants to overhaul the unregulated, multibillion-rand industry, to make it more inclusive and profitable. He hopes to unify the fragmented taxi sector by introducing collaborative ownership and operating models. Apart from optimising profitability and sustainability by introducing economies of scale, Nzimande said his envisaged collaborative ownership and operating models would provide taxi drivers and rank marshals with decent and secure employment, with benefits such as living salaries, housing allowances, medical aid, pension fund cover and funeral cover. Nzimande said the collaborative models would eliminate fierce competition among drivers and encourage responsible driver behaviour and passenger safety. It would also promote training and skills development and help to enhance professionalism and customer service. Anthus Services has been appointed to implement the RTRP, and the company had established the Taxi Recapitalisation SA as its trading entity. Read the full original of Luyolo Mkentane’s report on the above development at Business Report
Commission hears how trade unions lobbied PIC to invest in Iqbal Survé’s Sagarmatha The Citizen reports that labour unions that received large stakes in Iqbal Survé-linked Ayo Technology Solutions through a discounted Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) consortium deal tried to influence the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) to invest in another company connected to him. This came to light at the judicial inquiry probing impropriety at the PIC last week. Recently-reinstated company secretary Bongani Mathebula testified that various political formations and unions had e-mailed the PIC lobbying it to invest in Survé’s Sagarmatha Technologies. Mathebula reported that they received letters from the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union’s (Popcru’s) investment arm, PGC, the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) and Cosatu’s investment company, Kopano ke Matla. Mathebula indicated that on the eve of the investment committee meeting that was considering the transaction, former PIC CEO Dan Matjila asked her to forward these e-mails to the committee to show support for the investment in Sagarmatha. Mathebula told the commission she believed outside interference of this nature would shock those whose money the PIC was supposed to invest responsibly. The PIC manages over R2 trillion in assets, most of which is from government pensions. Read more of this 26 April 2019 report in The Citizen by Tebogo Tshwane at SA Labour News
NPA’s Jiba and Mrwebi had opportunity to challenge dismissal recommendations, says Presidency EWN reports that according to the Presidency, President Cyril Ramaphosa was of the view that qualities such as honesty, independence and accountability were lacking in former National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) officials Nomgcobo Jiba and Lawrence Mrwebi. Ramaphosa, following the recommendations of the Mokgoro Inquiry, dismissed the pair last week. Retired Constitutional Court Justice Yvonne Mokgoro found they were neither fit nor proper to hold their offices. Khusela Diko, the President's spokesperson, indicated that Ramaphosa gave Jiba and Mrwebi the opportunity to challenge the recommendations, but unfortunately “they’ve failed to respond to the substantive matters that have been raised in the report, seeking to argue in litigation on age and the other that she should be moved to another position in the public service.” The original of the report by Lauren Isaacs on the above is at EWN
Long delays with disciplinary action against parliamentary secretary Gengezi Mgidlana ‘a concern’ The Star reports that a parliamentary committee has raised its concerns about the long delay in the ongoing disciplinary action taken against the institution’s secretary, Gengezi Mgidlana. The joint standing committee on financial management of Parliament broke its silence on Mgidlana’s suspension in its “legacy report”, in which it highlighted work done between 2014 and 2019. The committee, which is co-chaired by Dr Mathole Motshekga and Joel Mohai, said it had noted the suspension of Mgidlana after several allegations were levelled against him. “The (committee) has also noted with grave concern the long delay in the finalisation of the disciplinary proceedings, and has serious concerns about the prolonged process, especially given the financial impact the long delays have had for the institution,” Motshekga and Mohai stated. Parliament initially granted Mgidlana special leave in June 2017 while allegations levelled against him by the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) were being investigated by an independent audit committee. Mgidlana was placed on suspension with benefits in November 2017 after the audit committee completed its investigation into allegations against him of administrative irregularities. At the centre of the allegations were that Mgidlana irregularly received an ex gratia payment of R71,000, improper allocation of a study bursary, improper travel management and irregular procurement of services. Motshekga and Mohai requested that the disciplinary hearing should be finalised as a matter of urgency. They also observed that strained labour relations had characterised most of the term of the fifth Parliament. Read more of this The Star report by Mayibongwe Maqhina at SA Labour News
Former general manager at Mangaung municipal eventually headed for prison for fraud, corruption News24 reports that prison awaits convicted former Mangaung Local Municipality general manager, Lehlohonolo Nakedi, after reaching the end of the road with a ruling by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) that he should commence serving his 10 year sentence for fraud and corruption. Nakedi was expected to hand himself in at a correctional facility in Bloemfontein on Monday morning to start serving his prison sentence. "This follows the dismissal of his application by the Constitutional Court for leave to appeal his conviction. Nakedi was slapped with a 10 year sentence for corruption, eight years for fraud, eight years for money laundering and seven years imprisonment for contravening of the Prevention of Organised Crime Second Amendment Act suspended for three years in 2014 by the Bloemfontein Regional Court," Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi advised. Nakedi was convicted in 2013 and has since been fighting to stay out of prison by making applications in different courts all the way up to the ConCourt. Nakedi was employed by the municipality as general manager: mechanical services in 2003. His criminal case was "related to manipulation of the procurement processes at the municipality where two companies were awarded a vehicle tracking system contract in exchange for gratification". Read the full original of Poloko Tau’s report on the above story at News24
Prasa suspends Western Cape head of security and two others BusinessLive reports that the embattled Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has suspended its head of security and two other security officers in the Western Cape, following the torching of two trains worth an estimated R33m. The agency has instituted an investigation into the security lapse that resulted in the burning of the two trains over the Easter weekend. It said that the suspension of Ernest Hendricks and the other two officers was not meant to pass judgment or put blame and them, but was solely meant to allow the investigation to be carried out by an independent body. Prasa, which is responsible for delivering passenger rail services, has been hit by a spate of arson attacks on its trains in recent years, depleting its fleet and leaving many Cape Town commuters reliant on rail transport stranded. The agency also announced on Friday that Iliso, the company that provides security services at the Cape Town train station, had been served with a notice of intention to suspend it. The company was given five days to give reasons why its services should not be suspended. Read the full original of Bekezela Phakathi’s report on the above at BusinessLive. Read too, Security boss suspended pending probe into torched trains security lapse, at Cape Argus
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