In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Thursday, 30 May 2019.
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SANDF honours the 55 soldiers who died during UN peacekeeping operations ANA reports that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) on Wednesday honoured soldiers who had died during worldwide United Nations peacekeeping operations since 2003. The event took place at the Department of Defence mobilisation centre in Bloemfontein and was planned to coincide with observance of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. While family members bowed their heads and cried, the names of the dead soldiers were read aloud. Following the naming of the fallen, single roses were laid in memory of each soldier. SANDF military commander, General Solly Shoke, and other dignitaries, laid wreaths of remembrance at the centre's memorial wall. The wall holds the names of the 55 South African soldiers who died during peacekeeping operations since 2003. According to the United Nations, SA was the 11th largest contributor to peacekeeping troops in Africa and the 17th largest in the world, with 1,231 troops deployed between the DRC, Sudan and South Sudan. Read the full original of this report at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Labour issues at Amplats’ Mototolo platinum mine resolved, dismissed employees reinstated Mining Weekly reports that Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) said on Thursday that the labour issues at its Mototolo platinum mine in Limpopo have been resolved. The General Industrial Workers Union has accepted that the proposed medical aid meets the requirement of the ‘Section 197’ transfer, undertaken after Amplats acquired Glencore’s 39% and Kagiso Tiso’s 11% interest in Mototolo. “We’re pleased that we’ve been able to reach a mutually acceptable outcome through negotiations. Our priority is now to safely restore the mine to full production as quickly as it is practical to do so,” Amplats CEO Chris Griffith indicated. Earlier this month, Amplats dismissed 643 Mototolo employees for embarking on an unprotected strike. Since then, ongoing engagements with the union have culminated in the signing of a collective agreement reinstating all the dismissed employees, who must report for duty by Friday. While the ‘no work, no pay’ principle will apply in respect of time absent from work during the duration of the strike, the agreement makes provision for employees to earn back their lost income within the next four months, through working additional shifts and making up for lost production. Read the full original of the report on this matter at Mining Weekly Ramaphosa reappoints Gwede Mantashe as mineral resources minister, but adds energy to his portfolio Miningmx reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday unveiled the national executive of SA’s sixth administration in which Gwede Mantashe remained in charge of the mining portfolio. However, Mantashe will have his hands full as Ramaphosa announced that the energy department would be merged with mineral resources, thus harking back to a period before the Jacob Zuma administration when energy and mines operated as one. Godfrey Oliphant was ejected from the deputy minister’s post at mineral resources – a position he had held since 2014 – in favour of Bavelile Hlongwa, deputy executive chairperson of the National Youth Development Agency. Commenting on the merging of ministries – which saw total ministers reduced to 28 persons from 36 under the Zuma government – Ramaphosa said consultations agreed “across the board” that the previous cabinet was “bloated”. “This is a significant move in downscaling our state,” said Ramaphosa. For the first time, women will occupy 50% of all cabinet posts in South Africa. Read the full original of David McKay’s report on the above at Miningmx. Read too, Industry generally welcomes Gwede Mantashe as Minerals, Energy Minister, at Engineering News. And also, Mining industry welcomes Mantashe's retention in mineral resources portfolio, at Business Report Five gold mining groups ask court to approve R5 billion silicosis settlement GroundUp reports that lawyers for thousands of gold miners afflicted by silicosis or tuberculosis lined up beside five mining groups this week to ask the Gauteng High Court to approve a R5 billion settlement agreement. The agreement provides for the payment of benefits worth R5 billion to mineworkers and the dependents of dead mineworkers who contracted silicosis or pulmonary tuberculosis during or after their employment from 1965. The benefits will be paid through the Tshiamiso Trust, which was set up specifically for this purpose. The settlement agreement is regarded as one of the most complex multi-party class action settlements ever concluded. Though the five mining companies (Anglo American SA, AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Harmony and Sibanye-Stillwater) and the mineworkers have reached agreement on the benefits to be paid, the court will have to assess whether absent mineworkers are adequately protected by the agreement. It is still unknown how many mineworkers or their dependents are entitled to claim, as many of them are scattered across the sub-continent. The mining companies have secured guarantees for the R5 billion claim, though the eventual claim could be higher. Of this, R845 million has been set aside for administering the Tshiamiso Trust, which will accept claims for a period of 12 years, plus one additional year to wrap things up. Some mining companies elected not to participate in the settlement, including DRD Gold, Randgold, Evander Gold and African Rainbow Minerals. Read the full original of Ciaran Ryan’s report on the settlement at GroundUp (https://www.groundup.org.za/article/five-mining-groups-ask-court-approve-r5-billion-silicosis-settlement-case/). See too, Historic deal for diseased ex-miners, at SowetanLive Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Satawu strike at SA's ports interdicted, work must go ahead TimesLIVE reports that the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has interdicted a strike which had been set to start at 6am on Thursday at the country's ports. "The labour court has reserved judgment until September 5, therefore the strike cannot go on," the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) tweeted overnight. Transnet confirmed in a statement that the strike action had been interdicted through a court order obtained on Wednesday afternoon. It added the TNPA "remains committed in further engaging with Satawu towards a resolution." On Tuesday, the union indicated that the issue revolved around the discrepancy in salaries between black and white staff, who included marine pilots, tug masters and chief marine engineering officers. White mariners allegedly draw higher salaries than their black counterparts, even with less experience. Satawu served the strike notice on TNPA on Monday after the CCMA had issued a non-resolution of a dispute (i.e. strike) certificate in April. Read the full original of this report at TimesLIVE Medscheme facing Nehawu strike on Thursday ANA reports on a strike by members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) planned for Thursday at health risk management services provider Medscheme. In a statement, Nehawu said the company had refused to implement an agreement reached on the introduction of a performance management tool. The union elaborated as follows: "Medscheme had agreed to implement the performance management tool as of April 1 2018. This non-implementation of the agreement has resulted in our members not receiving their performance bonuses. The union approached the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration on this matter and a certificate to strike was issued on May 10 2019. Several meetings were convened with the employer with a view to resolving the impasse but they were unsuccessful. This has led us serving the employer with a notice to strike." The original of this report is at Business Report. Read Nehawu’s press statement at Polity
Cosatu lauds Ramaphosa's consultation on new Cabinet as 'breath of fresh air' Fin24 reports that according to Cosatu, the willingness of President Cyril Ramaphosa to consult labour and other key stakeholders in the appointment of his Cabinet has been a "breath of fresh air." Following President Ramaphosa's Cabinet announcement from the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday, the labour federation issued a statement welcoming the new appointments. "We applaud the President’s transparency, and willingness to consult the alliance partners and other stakeholders over the appointment of the Cabinet and other preceding appointments at the provincial level. This openness has been a breath of fresh air, very much in the spirit of renewal and unity," Cosatu said. Most significantly, the president was said to have heeded the calls of South Africans to shrink the "bloated" Cabinet. Ramaphosa has reduced the ministers from 36 to 28, to help downscale. Read the full original of this report at Fin24 Nehawu warns new Cabinet against cutting government employee jobs ANA reports that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has cautioned against job losses as a result of the appointment of a reduced Cabinet, saying that these measures must not lead to budget cuts in terms of the existing programmes. President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday announced a reduced Cabinet with 28 ministers, down from 36, but with 34 deputy ministers, in a “reconfiguration of national government”. Nehawu, one of biggest public sector workers unions, said it welcomed the reduction of ministries as a means to have a leaner and more efficient government that would be preoccupied with prioritising service delivery. But the union warned that job losses would not be welcomed. “Our view is that this should be about the closure of ministries as opposed to departments. The latter must be absorbed or integrated in the related existing departments. We hope this would not lead to a job blood bath of the coal-face public service jobs,” the union said in a statement. It went on to state: “Should jobs be lost in this fashion we will fight fire with fire. As Nehawu, we are more than ready to wage a relentless war should any of our members and workers lose jobs because of this move.” Read the full original of the report on Nehawu’s views at The Citizen Minister who tried to cover up Nkandla at helm of newly named Department of Employment and Labour Business Insider SA reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday that unemployment was such a critical issue that he was renaming the Department of Labour as the Department of Employment and Labour. In name at least, jobs will now be the first priority for the new minister, Thulas Nxesi. The deputy minister is Boitumelo Moloi. Nxesi replaces Mildred Oliphant, who survived every Zuma cabinet reshuffle since 2010 while avoiding being linked to any of his administrations worst scandals. It was Oliphant who oversaw the introduction of a national minimum wage as she incrementally improved conditions through legislation and regulation around everything from maternity leave to the employment of domestic workers. Nxesi, by contrast, commissioned a government report that cleared Zuma of wrongdoing on Nkandla, then declared that the report contained details too sensitive to allow it to be made public (which it did not), but made sure its findings were released in such a fashion as to counter early contrary findings by then public protector Thuli Madonsela. Read the full original of Phillip de Wet’s report in the above regard at Business Insider. Read too, Introducing the executives Cyril Ramaphosa has chosen to serve SA, at BusinessLive. And also, Unionists, women and an alleged smuggler? Who's who in Ramaphosa's Cabinet, at M&G Other internet posting(s) in this news category
PSA’s Ivan Fredericks, Sadtu’s Mugwena Maluleke and a Nehawu rep to be appointed to PIC’s interim board Bloomberg reports that Ivan Fredericks, general manager of the Public Servants Association, and Mugwena Maluleke, general secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers Union, are set to be appointed to the interim board of the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) as early as this week. The National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) will also have a board member, but hasn’t yet decided who that will be. The pension fund contributions of public sector employer are paid over to the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), which the PIC then manages on behalf of the pension fund. The PIC’s current board members offered to resign in February after testimony at a commission of inquiry brought to light a string of questionable investment decisions. In a break with tradition, the new board, which will serve until the commission releases its findings, apparently won’t be chaired by the deputy finance minister. The PSA has 240,000 members, making it the biggest contributor by members to funds that ultimately flow to the PIC. Sadtu has about 230,000 members and Nehawu about 194,000. Read the full original of the report by Antony Sguazzin on this story at Moneyweb
Traffic cop gets six-year jail term for R200 bribe ANA reports that former national traffic officer Rodney Dakalo Ramusia, aged 29, has been sentenced to six years in jail for corruption by the Mokopane Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo. Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke said on Wednesday that last May Ramusia, in the company of a colleague, was caught red-handed with a R200 cash bribe he had solicited from law enforcement officers. “The two officials had stopped a Hawks vehicle just outside Naboomspruit and demanded a bribe in order not to issue a ticket. Unaware that they were dealing with Hawks serious corruption investigating members, Ramusia and his colleague were arrested on the spot immediately after accepting the bribe,” said Maluleke. Ramusia and the unnamed colleague were granted R1,000 bail each, but during the trial, charges against the latter were withdrawn. “Ramusia was left alone to answer to his immoral endeavour and on [Tuesday] he was slapped with a direct six-year sentence for corruption with no option of a fine,” said Maluleke. Read the full original of the report on the above story at The Citizen
Third train carriage on fire in less than a day at Cape Town station TimesLIVE reports that yet another train carriage was engulfed in flames at Cape Town station, this time after lunch on Wednesday. Cape Town fire and rescue service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse confirmed that the latest train fire, which came less than 24 hours after two carriages burnt at the station overnight, had been extinguished. Initial but unconfirmed reports indicated that the latest fire might have been caused by an electrical or technical fault. In the incident on Tuesday evening, a train pulled into the station around 7.40pm already on fire. No injuries were reported. Read the original of this report by Sumin Woo at TimesLIVE
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