In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 12 July 2019.
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Man fires into the air after funeral of cop, killing another officer News24 reports that a female police constable was shot dead following the funeral of a colleague in Dobsonville, Soweto, on Saturday. Spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said on Sunday that officers had just laid to rest one of their own who had died of natural causes, and were having refreshments at the home of the deceased. "It is alleged that, during this time, a member of the public who was also attending the same funeral, fired shots in the air and the constable was then struck by a bullet in her upper body," said Masondo. She was rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival. The 55-year-old who fired the shot was arrested and his firearm was confiscated. He is expected to appear in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court on Monday. Also on Saturday, a reservist constable who was part of an operation in Mamelodi West Hostel Y-Section, was rushed to hospital after being injured during an attack on police by a group of people. Police had apprehended a person for alleged possession of drugs when they came under attack. The cuffed suspect was somehow freed and a reservist's personal belongings and loaded service pistol were taken. The firearm was recovered a few hours later, but the group and the person originally arrested are still at large. Read the full original of the report by Jenni Evans on the above story at News24. See too, Policewoman shot & killed while attending funeral of fellow cop, at EWN Fifty injured in Olifantsfontein gas explosion on Friday ANA reports that some 50 people were injured on Friday morning after a chemical gas explosion at business premises in Olifantsfontein. ER24 paramedics and other services arrived on the scene just after 07:00 to find numerous injured people lying on the outskirts of the premises on Industry Street. ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring indicated: "On closer inspection, medics found that the business had already been evacuated. Assessments showed that approximately 50 people had sustained minor to moderate injuries. Fortunately, no serious injuries or fatalities were found on the scene." The patients were treated for their injuries and later transported to nearby hospitals for further care. Read the original of the report on the above story at Independent News. Read too, Astral confirms ammonia leak at Olifantsfontein abattoir, at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
SABC’s turnaround plan envisages cuts of up to a third of staff The Sunday Times reports that the cash-strapped SA Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC’s) turnaround plan includes cutting staff by up to 33% and closing down five offices. This is contained in the public broadcaster’s latest road-map strategy, which is now being further tweaked in a bid to gain the support of the Treasury and the Department of Communications (DOC). The document, seen by The Sunday Times, also proposes cutting 19 general manager posts, saving R28.5m a year; dissolving SABC Sport and incorporating it in the television and radio division; reducing management by 37%, thereby saving R82m; and cutting news staff by 233 from the current 936, saving R62.23m. Phase 1 of the plan requires all group executives to present plans to their executive directors by the first week of August on how to cut personnel costs by 30%. The turnaround plan – initially approved by the board in August last year – was rejected by the finance and communications ministries when the SABC applied for a R3.2bn government guarantee in March. However, a senior source at the SABC said the strategy was still being implemented by the broadcaster with “a few changes here and there as proposed by Treasury and DOC.” The plan indicates that of the SABC’s 300 independent news contractors, 100 must be cut. A further 101 must be cut from the sports section and 86 from the media technology and infrastructure unit. The plan envisages closing offices in Tshwane, Montague Gardens in Cape Town, Ulundi, Kimberley and George. Read more of Mpumzi Zuzile’s report in The Sunday Times of 14 July 2019 at SA Labour News CWU claims reports on SABC job cuts aim to destroy the public broadcaster SABC News reports that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) says reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) plans to cut a third of its staff are an effort to destroy the public broadcaster. According to CWU general secretary Aubrey Tshabalala, the union was continuing to interact with the SABC and all stakeholders and that there was no indication of any possible retrenchments at the SABC for now. “There’s concerted efforts to talk bad about the SABC to reduce it to an institution that will never work so that those who stand to gain, particularly in the private sector, can start now to buy some assets at the SABC and improve their lifelines,” Tshabalala stated. He claimed that in interactions with the SABC executive management and the Communications Minister there had no indications of any reduction of staff. In a meeting with them on Wednesday, the union will give further input on a turnaround strategy for the broadcaster. The SABC earlier dismissed claims made by The Sunday Times that it planned to retrench a third of its staff and close five provincial offices and assured its staff and the public that there were no such plans. Meanwhile, the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers’ Union (Bemawu) vowed to fight any plans by the broadcaster to cut staff. The union’s president, Hannes du Buisson, said the SABC must take the staff into its confidence regarding what the newspaper article had revealed. Read the full original of the above report at SABC News. Read too, SABC refutes retrenchment claims, at SABC News Ministers blow hot and cold on loan guarantee for SABC City Press reports that last week was another tumultuous week for the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), with the communications and finance ministries apparently blowing hot and cold when it came to assisting with a R1.3 billion loan guarantee that the public broadcaster desperately needs to stay on air. The week before last, it was reported that Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams had questioned the strength of the SABC’s turnaround plan, but she did not reveal that she had received a letter from Finance Minister Tito Mboweni declining to assist with a R3.2 billion guarantee request. But on Tuesday at the department’s budget vote, Ndabeni-Abrahams and her team presented a very different tone with Deputy Minister of Communications Pinky Kekana praising the broadcaster’s cost-cutting measures and elections coverage. On Thursday in Parliament, Mboweni announced that the broadcaster would receive some temporary relief from the contingency reserve, but warned that the lifeline – how much is still not clear – was not “a blank cheque”. A spokesperson for Ndabeni-Abrahams commented on Friday as follows: “Contrary to reports that the minister misled Parliament about no bailout being forthcoming, the minister is on record saying engagements with National Treasury on financial assistance to the SABC would continue. The interim relief is a result of these continued engagements. Unsubstantiated, frivolous and malicious allegations and theories that the minister wants to see the back of four so-called ‘defiant’ board members and control the SABC, will not be entertained.” Read the full original of Charl Blignaut’s report in the above regard at City Press Special labour forum meets to discuss Denel’s liquidity crisis after non-payment of pension contributions Engineering News reports that following a further breakdown in trust between the management of Denel and labour after last week’s announcement that the company had not paid over retirement fund contributions, a special labour forum was held on Thursday to discuss the crisis. According to a letter to employees of the state-owned defence company, pension fund contributions for the month of June had been deducted from employees’ salaries, but not paid over to the pension fund. “There is still some uncertainty about exactly what has been paid and what not. According to feedback we received yesterday (Wednesday), medical aid contributions were paid, but not pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) tax, Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) contributions or pension fund contributions for June,” Solidarity’s Helgard Cronjé indicated on Thursday. The United Association of SA (Uasa) said it was “deeply concerned” about Denel being “less than honest” with its employees. In a statement on Friday, the union said that Denel CEO Daniel du Toit had last month indicated to workers that it remained Denel’s priority to ensure that employees’ salaries, pension fund contributions, PAYE tax and UIF were the first to be paid on a monthly basis. "Du Toit had said, on June 26, that these payments were up to date, which was not true,” the union lamented. The unions present at Thursday’s forum meeting requested that a follow-up meeting be held this week with Denel’s management and they will be requesting a thorough report indicating proof of the exact dates of payment to the pension fund. According to Uasa, Denel will be meeting with the employees’ pension fund, Denret, on 15 July to discuss interim arrangements. Solidarity said it would “not hesitate to take the necessary action to protect the interests of its members”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News. Read Uasa’s press statement at Polity Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Pan African Resources condemns protest action affecting Barberton Mines Mining Weekly reports that Pan African Resources’ Barberton Mines has lost a number of production days as a result of protest action, which the miner said was unrelated to normal industrial action. In a statement on Friday, Pan African said that, supported by law enforcement authorities, it would take the appropriate action to protect its employees and assets. Interdicts have apparently been served and further criminal and civil actions will follow against certain individuals and organisations. CEO Cobus Loots said that the miner’s current operations had been “brought to their knees by unrest and extortion”. According to the statement, mine management had recently been made aware of several approaches with the intent of extorting money and jobs from the operations through irregular means, including the bribing of employees for irregular contracts, and circumventing tender policies and procedures for personal gain. However, having not achieved success through extortion, the individuals and protestors resorted on Tuesday to blocking roads leading to the Barberton operations, destroying mine property, including the burning of mine vehicles, and threatening employees to prevent them from going to work. Apparently under the guise of promises of employment, busloads of protestors had been brought in from outside the mine’s host communities. Read the full original of the report on the above story at Mining Weekly Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Labour Court orders Transnet workers on go-slow at Ngqura terminal to increase work levels The Mercury reports that all operations employees at the Ngqura Container Terminal have been ordered by the Labour Court in Port Elizabeth to increase performance levels at the port. This came after Transnet was able to secure a court interdict against several employees who have been on a go-slow for the last two weeks. Transnet spokesperson Molatwane Likhethe said the interdict was obtained to stop the illegal strike action by employees at the terminal. According to Likhethe, operations have been disrupted by malicious radio interference. Apparently, since the suspension of 11 employees last week, the radio interference has stopped and operational performance has improved. Transnet acting group CEO, Mohammed Mahomedy, said they are working around the clock to find solutions, including prioritising urgent cargo. The original of the report by Se-Anne Rall on the above story is at Independent News. See too, SA citrus industry calls on Minister Ebrahim Patel to save citrus from Transnet go-slow, at Polity (press statement) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Nxesi eyes UIF and Compensation Fund for investment in job creation The Sunday Independent reports that Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi is eyeing the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Compensation Fund (CF) to help create and sustain jobs. Nxesi said the use of the two entities on job creation and preservation was the thinking as to the role of the reconfigured department. “We will leverage the resources of the department and of our entities, which are our labour market instruments, the UIF and the Compensation Fund to preserve jobs and to invest in job creating initiatives,” he indicated. The department’s director-general, Thobile Lamati, said the functions of the UIF and the CF were not just to pay out monies to workers who had lost jobs or to injured workers. There was, Lamati said, a legal provision to access the funds to make them available for the labour market. “The UIF has responsibility to invest in job creation initiatives. These are used to make sure jobs are created and people are placed,” he indicated, adding that the use of the UIF and CF for job initiatives had always been there, but had not been amplified before. Nxesi also wants to ensure that workers are reskilled and retrained for the job market and there will be vocational and remedial training for the unemployed and programmes for youth from school, apprenticeships and 130,000 learnerships over three years. The UIF has budgeted R7.9 billion in the next three years in that regard. The CF will contribute to fighting poverty and unemployment, with 10% of its R42bn surplus invested in high impact job creation business ventures across all sectors. Read the full original of Siyabonga Mkhwanazi’s report in the above regard at Independent News
Fedusa welcomes appointment of PSA’s Ivan Fredericks to PIC board ANA reports that the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) on Friday welcomed the appointment of Ivan Fredericks to the interim board of directors of the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). The PIC manages billions of rands of public servants' pension money on behalf of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni last Wednesday announced the appointment of an interim PIC board for the period from 2 July 2019 to 31 July 2020. Fedusa spokesperson Frank Nxumalo described Fredericks, a former Fedusa vice president for public service as well as currently general manager of the Public Servants Association (PSA), as part of a cohort of prominent worker leaders. He said the appointment was welcomed “as a progressive implementation of the letter and spirit of the PIC Act, in terms of the requirement of organized labour’s representation on its Board and other statutory and non-statutory Boards overall.” Fedusa added that worker leaders such as Fredericks would ensure that organized labour as a whole had a strong voice in overseeing that workers’ hard earned monies were not only invested prudently but also done so in strict compliance with the PIC Act in order to guard against both unconstitutional disbursement and reckless lending. Read the full original of the above report at Engineering News. Read Fedusa’s press statement at Fedusa News. See too, PSA welcomes appointment of interim PIC Board and re-appointment of Reserve Bank Governor, at SA Labour News (press statement)
Controversial NHI plan is irrational and irresponsible, says Solidarity ANA reports that trade union Solidarity condemned the adoption of the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) plan by the Cabinet last week and said that government clearly wanted to achieve an ideological victory even if it was at the expense of South African’s lives. Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) senior researcher Morné Malan said in a statement that health minister Zweli Mkhize’s comments that the time for discussions, analysis, and diagnosis was over and that implementation of the NHI should go ahead was irresponsible and the NHI was heading for disaster. “I can understand why the minister would want us to stop analysing, because every economic analysis, every failed pilot project and discussion only reveal more shortcomings that would hamper the system, and are further indications that the NHI simply is not viable,” he noted. Malan went on to say that looking at the feedback from all quarters, including the Treasury, the business sector at large, medical aid schemes, the pharmaceutical industry, private hospital groups as well as organised labour, “then one cannot but reach the conclusion that a total revision or a rejection of the proposal is called for.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Independent News. Read Solidarity’s press statement at SA Labour News. Read too, DA says Cabinet’s premature approval of NHI Bill is disastrous for healthcare, at DA News (press statement). And also, Denosa welcomes the adoption of NHI Bill by Cabinet, at Denosa News (press statement)
Cele vows to clamp down on rotten cops as five officers are arrested in Cape Town operations News24 reports that Police Minister Bheki Cele revealed on Sunday that five officers had been arrested in special operations that had commenced three days previously in crime-ridden areas of Cape Town. He added that a total of 141 suspects had been arrested since the deployment in Philippi last week. "All spheres of life have rotten apples... but we are working on that [in the police]," he said at a provincial crime summit in Paarl. Cele also said the approach to fighting crime couldn't only be a police matter and called on various departments to assist. The departments of social development and correctional service were among those attending the summit. Cele engaged with residents of Philippi East early on Sunday, where 11 people were recently shot and killed. It is one of the areas where the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) is to be deployed. The minister announced on Thursday in his budget speech that President Cyril Ramaphosa had given the go-ahead for the SANDF to offer support to the police and enter 10 identified areas on the Cape Flats. Read the original of Maxine Becket’s report on the above story at News24. Read too, Ramaphosa gives green light for army to go into Cape's gang-infested areas, at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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