In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Wednesday, 6 May 2020.
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Workers should down tools if employers don’t provide them with masks and other protective gear, says Cosatu SowetanLive reports that workers want to be allowed to down tools if their employers fail to provide them with masks and other protective gear in line with the national lockdown level 4 regulations aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus in the workplace. Labour federation Cosatu made the call on Tuesday following an announcement by Minister of Employment & Labour Thulas Nxesi that companies that did not comply with the Covid-19 safety measures could face sanction and possible closure. Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said: "Workers should be empowered to down tools if they feel unsafe and employers should face punitive measures for not complying." He indicated that Cosatu had already raised this suggestion on many platforms. "It's already there in the Mine Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996 as amended and the Occupational Health Safety Act, but we want it to be included in these ministerial directions in the context of the lockdown to make sure that workers are properly covered. The department is not well resourced and this is why workers should have a right to refuse to work. There are not enough inspectors to monitor all workplaces," Pamla said. The chief inspector for occupational health and safety, Tibor Szana, said they would be appointing 500 more inspectors to boost their 170 inspectors nationwide. He said the aim was not to go out to close companies, but to ensure that best practices in avoiding the spread of Covid-19 were complied with. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Isaac Mahlangu at SowetanLive Some Eastern Cape shop owners refusing prison staff entry over coronavirus fears TimesLIVE reports that with coronavirus infections and the death toll due to the disease on the increase in prisons, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) says its employees are being ostracised by the community. DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said some correctional service employees were being denied entry into certain shops in the Eastern Cape if they were in uniform. “The situation is getting unpalatable, especially in the Eastern Cape, as DCS officials are subjected to inhumane treatment when visiting shops and other public places. This is abhorrent conduct of the worst form and has no place in the collective efforts of preventing the spread of coronavirus,” Nxumalo stated. He added that “even worse, members of the community are pointing fingers at the brown uniform and stigmatising our officials.” Nxumalo described the situation as “demoralising” especially because the department’s employees were delivering an essential service. In the Eastern Cape, the deaths of two prisoners who had contracted the virus were reported on Tuesday. The province has recorded 100 infections in its prisons. Thirty-five of those infected were prison officials and 65 were inmates. But there has been a high recovery rate as fifty-eight recoveries have been recorded. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Naledi Shange at TimesLIVE Covid-19 batters SA print media industry DFA reports that the SA print media industry has taken another hard blow following the announcement that Caxton & CTP Publishers & Printers plans to completely withdraw from magazine publishing. The board of directors of Caxton, one of the country’s biggest publishers and printers, announced on Tuesday that it had begun a process of withdrawing from magazine publishing and associated businesses. The decision was informed by the steady and continuous reduction in the overall amount of ad-spend being allocated by advertisers to the magazine media sector as well as the negative impact of the recent Covid-19 lockdown on general economic activity. The group advised that it was in the process of consulting with its employees and that it would be keen to engage with any other parties and publishers who would be interested in taking over any of its titles. The announcement came a day after the Daily Sun announced that it had ceased all print publishing in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal. Last week, Associated Media Publishing announced that it would close shop permanently. Meanwhile, Mail & Guardian made a public plea in March for readers to go out and buy the weekly newspaper and subscribe for online news after the company faced financial distress due to the lockdown. The staff and journalists of the Independent Media group also received salary cuts in April due to low advertising revenue during the lockdown. Arena Holdings, which owns Sunday Times and Sowetan, told its staff last week that it would start docking 30% of their salary starting this month. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chulumanco Mahamba at DFA Gautrain back on track with reduced services as national lockdown eases The Star reports that the Gautrain, which has not been operating since the start of the national Covid-19 lockdown, has resumed a reduced service for passengers during peak hours. Gautrain spokesperson Kesagee Nayager said that in keeping with government regulations, trains would operate daily between 5.30am and 9.30am and from 3pm to 7pm for commuters to be able to return to their places of residence by 8pm. On Monday to Friday, trains would operate at 20-minute intervals and on weekends and public holidays at 30-minute intervals. The revised train and bus schedules are on the Gautrain website and app. Some of the precautionary measures that have been implemented include mandatory use of face masks, social distancing, regular cleaning and disinfection of coaches and daily screening of staff. The company is in the process of procuring harmless disinfecting spray booths which will be installed at the entrance to each station where passengers will be required to walk through the spray booth before entering the station. The airport service will remain suspended until further notice. A limited Gautrain bus service will be available from this week. Buses will not operate over the weekends and on public holidays. Some of the bus routes have been amended. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Anna Cox at The Star Other internet posting(s) in this news category
New index ranks physical-interaction dimensions of Covid-19 transmission risk across occupations Mining Weekly reports that a new index has been created to provide an empirical basis for ranking the physical-interaction dimension of the Covid-19 transmission risk for various occupations in SA. This tool could help guide policymakers in evaluating which sectors place workers at a higher or lower risk of contracting the virus as lockdown measures are eased. Developed by academics at the University of Cape Town’s Development Policy Research Unit, the Physical Interaction Index takes account of the role that human proximity and contact plays in the spread of Covid-19. In a working paper, it is acknowledged that physical interaction is but one dimension of the overall Covid-19 transmission risk. Other factors include the link to infection rates per age, how easily the work environment can be adapted to safety protocols, or the capacity of the public health system at a given point in time. Given that the virus spreads when uninfected individuals come into contact with respiratory droplets from an infected person who coughs or sneezes, however, the authors argue that it is important to understand the level of physical interaction people have on the job or on their way to work. To assess this risk, the paper seeks to offer evidence-based insight into how physical human interaction was distributed across different sectors in SA just before the pandemic hit. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Eskom says operations at Koeberg not affected after employee tests positive for Covid-19 EWN reports that Eskom has advised that a staff member at the Koeberg Power Station tested positive for Covid-19, but that its operations have not been affected. The power utility said that the employee consulted a doctor after feeling ill and immediately reported the test results to the company before he went into isolation. It is still unclear where the staffer contracted the virus. Eskom said that it immediately contacted all staff members who were in contact with the patient and they too had been placed in isolation. The area in which they work has been cleaned and disinfected in line with Covid-19 guidelines and Eskom policies. Of the seven employees tested following contact with the infected person, six sets of results have so far been received and they were all negative. A number of other Eskom employees, who work in operations and at power stations other than Koeberg, have also tested positive for the coronavirus. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lauren Isaacs at EWN
Harmony Gold workers panic about being laid-off after being informed to stay at home if not recalled The Citizen reports that mineworkers at Harmony Gold mines started to panic after the company issued a notice informing them not to return to work unless recalled by management. This after some workers had travelled from their homes in far-flung areas following the easing of regulations under level 4 lockdown, thus allowing some sectors of the economy to function. The panic was due to the restlessness resulting from some companies that had been contemplating retrenchments due to losses emanating from the lockdown aimed at restricting the spread of the coronavirus. Employees in different industries have been forced to go on unpaid leave and others made to take pay cuts, while still others are facing layoffs should the situation not improve. But, Harmony’s Sihle Maake advised that none of their workers would lose their jobs. In an advisory issued on Tuesday, Harmony advised employees who had not been recalled to return to work to remain at home unless they were advised differently by their supervisors or HR managers at their respect shafts. The company said it was currently operating at 50% capacity and would gradually phase in the return of the labour force as directed by the Department of Mineral resources and Energy. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Eric Naki on page 2 of The Citizen of 6 May 2020 Harmony Gold shares its Covid-19 return to work measures Mining Weekly reports that Harmony Gold has published a document outlining the measures it has implemented to protect returning employees from contracting or spreading Covid-19. The company operates in SA and Papua New Guinea, which each implemented lockdown measures from mid-March. Both countries have now allowed mining operations to resume to a certain extent. Harmony’s recall of employees from within SA and labour-sending areas within the SA Development Community (SADC) has been informed by stakeholder engagement and return to work action plans. The engagement included discussions with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, trade unions, joint operational centres, SA provincial command centres, the consulates of SADC countries and Teba, which provides a range of employee-related services to the mining industry. “We have human resources teams at each of our operations responsible for selecting returning employees, who are then notified by SMS or their local Teba office. Travelling permits can be accessed from the Harmony website and either printed by employees or collected at their local Teba office or police station,” CEO Peter Steenkamp indicated. Harmony has also developed an app called Harmony Connect to keep employees informed about the return to work process and the importance of the containment measures. Harmony has implemented screening and cleaning initiatives at hostel areas as well. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Assore’s Dwarsrivier chrome mine suspends production after worker diagnosed with Covid-19 Reuters reports that Assore suspended production at its Dwarsrivier Chrome Mine this week after an employee tested positive for Covid-19. This was confirmed by the company, which on Wednesday highlighted the challenge that mining firms faced as they started up operations again as the national lockdown eases. The worker was screened last week as part of return to work protocols and was tested after showing Covid-19 symptoms. Work at the mine was suspended on Monday after the worker’s test proved positive a day earlier. The suspension was a precautionary measure and the mine would “resume operations once management has successfully completed an audit,” a spokesman indicated. The worker had been in self-isolation for a week and other employees who were in close contact with him would remain in self-quarantine until their test results were known, he indicated. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) criticised Assore on Tuesday for not informing the union about the case until Monday. The union has criticised the resumption of mining, saying workers cannot maintain social distancing in mines. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Helen Reid and Tanisha Heiberg at Moneyweb Other general posting(s) relating to mining
High Court in Limpopo dismisses challenge to 1 June school reopening TimesLIVE reports that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has welcomed a Limpopo High Court order dismissing a challenge to the planned opening of schools on 1 June. The Tebeila Institute of Leadership, Governance and Training challenged Minister Angie Motshekga's decision to reopen schools next month. The organisation approached the court on an urgent basis, asking it to set aside the minister's decision and to stop the DBE from implementing the recovery plan for schools in the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown. "Judge Gerrit Muller dismissed the case this afternoon [Tuesday], saying that Limpopo high court had no jurisdiction over the matter," the DBE advised in a statement. The judge indicated that the competent court would have been the North Gauteng division of the court because that was where the offices of the minister and the department were located. The DBE also pointed out that Motshekga’s announcement proposed tentative dates only and that a final date for schools to reopen would be informed by the readiness of schools. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nomahlubi Jordaan at TimesLIVE Data shows inexplicable decline in number of Limpopo public school teachers The Star reports that official data shows that the number of teachers employed at public schools in Limpopo has inexplicably declined over the past decade. While the government’s post-provisioning model dictated that a province that loses learners automatically sees a decline in teacher numbers, it was the opposite in Limpopo. As the number of learners increased marginally, the number of teachers in the province declined between 2010 and 2019. The number of learners in Limpopo grew from 1,660,700 in 2010 to 1,687,376 last year, but the number of teachers in the province fell by 5,076. The province’s education department employed 55,992 teachers in 2010, and just 50,916 in 2019. The Limpopo education department disputed the national department’s figures, which were given to Parliament last week, saying it employed 836 more teachers than the data indicated. The national department’s 2019 report showed that the majority of provinces saw an increase in the number of teachers since 2010, except Limpopo, Free State and the Eastern Cape. Free State’s decline from 23,016 to 22,978, representing a loss of 38 teachers, was not significant. The Eastern Cape’s loss of 6,164 teachers correlated with its massive drop in learner numbers. That province had 60,462 teachers last year. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bongani Nkosi at The Star Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Four East London-based police constables nabbed for corruption and armed robbery Corruption within the ranks of the SA Police Service (SAPS) has been condemned by the Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Liziwe Ntshinga, following the arrest in East London on 3 May of four police constables for corruption and armed robbery. An intelligence led team comprising the Anti-Corruption Investigators and Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations pounced on the four K9 police officers, after receiving information linking them to an armed robbery incident which reportedly took place on 29 April at a business premises in Fleet Street. In the early hours of 3 May, the Anti-Corruption Team in concert with DPCI conducted an operation which included searches in the houses of the suspects. Some four suspects were interrogated and in the process a sum of R10,000 cash as well as their cellphones were seized as part of the ongoing investigations. The arrested suspects, aged between 25 and 35, have been charged for aggravated robberies, corruption, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice. They appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court on 4 May, and were scheduled to appear again on 5 May for a formal bail hearing. Investigations continue and more arrests are expected. Read the SAPS press statement in the above regard at All Africa
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