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 roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 15 May 2020.
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We can’t compromise life for the sake of just making money, says labour about scramble by business to get to level 3 City Press reports that although the parties represented at the National Economic, Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) have endorsed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s approach that large parts of SA would move to level 3 of the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown at the end of the month, organised labour says the move to level 3 must not just be done in the interests of business. The district-based lockdown approach would see districts being differentiated by the average number of active cases per week. Cosatu’s Bheki Ntshalintshali, who serves as organised labour’s overall convener at Nedlac, warned as follows about the move to level 3: “We cannot compromise life for the sake of just making money. We raised our concerns that, while we all agree on the reopening of the economy, it must be with caution. The evidence that we have so far is negative.” He pointed out that the transport system could be a “weak link” when it came to the safety of workers, something business owners and managers were not taking into account. He went on to explain: “If you are opening up the economy, taxis will not be able to meet the needs of commuters and we know that Metrorail can be overcrowded, so we said that, when government does that, they must consider the risk and then they must not compromise the lives of people.” Nedlac business convener Kaizer Moyane said that business was ready for level 3 and had asked government to draw up regulations that ensured all stakeholders were protected. “The lockdown is damaging to the economy, so we are happy that there is a sense for government to progress swiftly through the lockdown levels and reopen the economy,” Moyane stated. Read the full original of the detailed report in the above regard by Queenin Masaubi, Poloko Tau and Des Erasmus at City Press. Read too, Nedlac could deliver level 3 lockdown before end of May, says Cyril Ramaphosa, at BusinessLive Unconstitutionality of Ters relief scheme challenged in that it doesn’t allow employees to apply themselves for benefits BusinessLive reports that according to the Casual Workers Advice Office (CWAO), the Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) is unconstitutional to the extent that it does not provide for qualifying employees to apply for the relief benefit themselves if their employers fail to do so. The NGO has launched a labour court application against Department of Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi and the Commissioner of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), amongst others, and the case is expected to be heard on 28 May. In March, Nxesi launched Ters, administered by the UIF, to provide relief to those in formal employment expected to lose their income due to the coronavirus lockdown. The UIF has disbursed about R11.3bn in Covid-19 relief benefits to date. According to CWAO’s Ighsaan Schroeder, Ters has “two fundamental flaws”. Firstly, the directive governing Ters “irrationally limits the reach of the scheme” as it stipulates that only employers who have registered with the UIF can apply on behalf of their employees. “Secondly, only employers — and not employees — are able to apply for the benefit and so employees whose employers fail to so apply have no alternative mechanism though which they can access the relief. The CWAO wants the court to permit employees to apply in person in the event that their employers fail to do so within a stipulated period. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Study shows SA’s nurses were overwhelmed and drowning in debt even before Covid-19 struck BusinessLive reports that according to a study conducted at a large public hospital in Johannesburg, SA’s nurses were overworked, overwhelmed, and drowning in debt even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. The International Council on Nursing issued a warning last month about the increased stress and anxiety facing nursing staff in the face of the highly contagious Covid-19 virus, which has created a host of new demands on front-line workers. These pressures come on top of the already stressful lives of SA’s nurses. The study, published in the Public Library of Science, found the dependency ratio for nurses was more than three times higher than it is for the average earner in SA. The dependency ratio measures how many people an individual supports. For SA nurses in the study, it was 5.24, while the average dependency ratio for earners in SA is 1.55. Only two of the 71 nurses who took part in the study were debt-free. On average, debt payments took up a quarter of nurses’ net take-home pay. Their gross monthly salaries ranged between R33,600 and R9,000 depending on their qualifications and experience; after deductions, such as tax, medical aid and union fees, their net take-home pay ranged between R22,000 and R7,500 a month. The study also highlighted an exhausting treadmill for many nurses, with little respite from caring for others and domestic responsibilities. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive Staff, patients test positive at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital in Cape Town, some areas temporarily closed News24 reports that the Western Cape Department of Health has confirmed that a number of staff members and patients at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital in Cape Town have tested positive for Covid-19. But it has refused to divulge the number of cases at the government facility, claiming this was "in order to uphold both patient and staff confidentiality". Department spokesperson Natalie Watlington said that the affected areas in the hospital had been closed temporarily for decontamination and would be reopened with staff who did not pose a risk. Watlington went on to comment: "As the pattern of the spread of coronavirus develops, it is clear that new clusters of infections are concentrated in the places where people congregate such as essential services. Health facilities are also places where gatherings occur and, over the last few days, we have found positive cases of staff at various health facilities across the province." These included the District Six, Du Noon, Matthew Goniwe and Retreat community health centres. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tammy Petersen at News24 Netcare Sunninghill Hospital’s theatre complex to reopen after closure for a week following ‘several’ Covid-19 cases among staff News24 reports that Netcare confirmed on Saturday that its Sunninghill Hospital's main theatre complex had been temporarily shut for a week after several staff members tested positive for Covid-19. The theatre complex was closed for seven days as a precaution and would reopen this coming week, the hospital group’s Sandile Mbele stated. "The theatre complex has been deep cleaned, disinfected and decontaminated and we have deployed ultraviolet disinfection robots which have proved highly effective in destroying viruses, bacteria and fungal spores in healthcare facilities throughout the theatre," he indicated. Additional measures included the testing of all who might have had contact with the affected staff members, 14 days of monitoring and self-isolation for nursing and support staff, as well as doctors, and re-testing once the quarantine period was completed. Mbele added that Netcare could not disclose detailed information on Covid-19 cases in the group's hospitals, unless consent for this was given by the national department of health. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24 Eastern Cape health department call centre in East London closes after four workers test positive for Covid-19 News24 reports that four Eastern Cape Department of Health employees assigned Covid-19 duties have tested positive for the virus. The department's superintendent-general, Dr Thobile Mbengashe, indicated that the employees were based at its call centre in East London, where a staff complement of around 80 persons gave telephonic emergency counselling to patients and also supported emergency responders. The officials will now be in isolation for a period of 14 days. As a precautionary measure, the building will be temporarily closed to allow for decontamination and deep cleaning. Mbengashe said the department's Covid-19 team would now trace all the people who were in contact with the employees, both at work and outside, for screening and testing. He added it was not yet clear how the four employees contracted the virus as the health department had taken all precautionary measures and had availed personal protective equipment to workers at the call centre. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Malibongwe Dayimani at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Implats’ Marula operation put on ice after ‘cluster’ of Covid-19 cases suggests high community prevalence Miningmx reports that Impala Platinum (Implats) has confirmed 19 positive cases of Covid-19 at and around its Marula joint venture in Limpopo. As a result, the company said it would not recall employees due to report to Marula this week in terms of the rotational shift cycles it operated at the mine whereby two teams alternate a week at work and a week off. “The only people on the mine on Monday will be essential service people required to maintain infrastructure and conduct the required health and safety work,” said spokesman Johan Theron. Of the 19 cases, which were asymptomatic, 14 were identified as a result of proactive testing of employees returning to work. Therefore, none of these employees started work at the mine. Of the remaining five, one case was identified as a primary contact and the other four were identified through contract tracing. Two of the active cases had recently returned from the Eastern Cape. “Significantly, 17 of the confirmed cases reside locally, suggesting the prevalence of Covid-19 among local communities is far higher than the company’s initial estimates had indicated,” Implats indicated in a statement over the weekend. The positive cases also included a local health provider and four mine-employed health providers working at the mine clinic. This facility was immediately closed for sterilisation and testing of medical staff and all primary contacts, said Implats. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by David McKay at Miningmx. Read too, Implats suspends operations at Marula mine after detecting 19 positive Covid-19 cases, at Mining Weekly. And also, Quarantine everyone, says Limpopo health MEC after mineworkers test positive for Covid-19, at News24 Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Truce reached over SAA rescue plans, with establishment a new airline, Newco, formally put on the table BL Premium reports that the government and the business rescue practitioners (BRPs) of SA Airways (SAA) have reached a formal agreement to discuss proposals that include the establishment of a new airline as mooted by public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan. They agreed there should be "optimal saving of jobs" in the business rescue process. The agreement, which marks a truce after weeks of escalating tension over the future of the airline, commits the BRPs to halting any planned asset sales while an alternative plan is under discussion. According to a memorandum of understanding concluded this week, the two parties agreed that the department would have until 30 June "to formulate proposals to be included in the business rescue plan.” Moreover, during this time “there will be no sales of assets nor negotiations in this regard without consultation with and involvement of the department." The agreement commits both parties to "actively co-operate in the development of a business rescue plan for SAA. The objective of the business rescue process is to have a restructured, efficient and sustainable airline whether in the form of a restructured airline or a NewCo with no reliance on the fiscus." NewCo is the interim name given to a new airline, which Gordhan has suggested be formed while the liabilities of SAA are ring-fenced in an "OldCo" or SAA. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at BusinessLive (paywall access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
IT firms go on hiring spree to keep up with services for remote working BL Premium reports that while many of SA’s businesses are left with no option but to trim salaries, retrench or close their doors due to the economic effects of the Covid-19 lockdown, several IT companies are looking to hire as the need for their services grows. Jon Tullet of International Data Corporation (IDC) observed: “One of SA’s retail banks pushed about 10,000 employees to work remotely when the Covid-19 induced lock down hit.” In addition to the company needing to buy additional services such as cloud and VPN, “they now have 10,000 PC’s and laptops that can break and need to be replaced and repaired.” Supporting the new remote workforce is proving to be a growth opportunity for many IT companies. Africonology Solutions, a software testing and quality assurance business, also anticipates a recruitment initiative during this period. Internet of Things solutions provider says it is actively recruiting and expects an escalation as market demand for its services grow. Meantime, cloud-based HR and payroll software provider PaySpace has added a combination of about 10-15 new junior support consultants, compliance specialists and software engineers to its current staff contingent of 108. But some IT businesses are taking a more conservative approach to their recruitment forecasts and are bunkering down. Dial-A-Nerd, which supports home users and small business, and its sister company Turrito, say that about 30% of their customers have asked for a cancellation of their services, payment holidays or financial relief. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jane Steinacker at BusinessLive (paywall access only)
Teacher unions warn that schools are not fit to reopen City Press reports that SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) general secretary Mugwena Maluleke opined on Friday that provinces would not be ready to reopen schools by 1 June. There had been growing concern about putting teachers and pupils at risk of being infected with the Covid-19 coronavirus if they returned to schools by that date. Maluleke explained further: “This is because the provinces were far from ready to comply with the Covid-19 regulations, that is, screening, disinfecting the schools and offices, and delivery of the PPEs as required. We are convinced as Sadtu that the provinces will not be ready by June 1 because they were not ready for the return of school management teams on May 11 (as prematurely announced).” Basil Manuel of the National Professional Teachers of SA (Naptosa) said with reference to the basic education department’s contention that the system was ready that “seven of the nine provinces had not left the initial starting block and the other two provinces were not 100% ready. We asked how she (basic education minister Angie Motshekga) could declare that the system was ready. We highlighted glaring problems, such as the lack of delivery of PPEs.” Manuel said it was likely that schools would reopen in June, but not on the first day of the month because there were still lots of blank spots. Chris Klopper of the Suid Afrikaanse Onderwysers Unie (Saou) said on Thursday that a number of provinces were nowhere close to being ready to commence this week. “In fact, it is clear that several district offices are not functional,” he claimed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Msindisi Fengu at City Press. Read too, Schools in Covid-19 hotspot areas could remain closed, at News24. And also, We are in the dark, principals protest, at City Press
Court orders that, pending probe, SANDF must suspend members present when Collins Khosa was beaten to death News24 reports that the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has ruled that absolute rights such as those to dignity and not to be treated or punished in a cruel, inhuman or degrading way cannot be removed, compromised or limited even during a national state of disaster and the lockdown. On Friday, Judge Hans Fabricius handed down judgment in favour of the family of Collins Khosa who had launched an urgent application after he was beaten to death, allegedly by members of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) in Alexandra, Johannesburg, in March. The application sought to force the government to intervene and reign in law enforcement agencies which have been accused of using excessive force during the lockdown. Fabricius ordered that police officers and soldiers, who were present when Khosa was killed, be placed on precautionary suspension with full pay, pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings. In doing so he rejected claims that accused members of security forces could only be suspended after they had been found guilty by an investigation. "The respondents claim that any accused members of the security forces can only be placed off-duty and disarmed after they have been found guilty in a thorough investigation which is underway. This of course is not so. Precautionary suspensions have been ordered by courts before, where there has been a prima facie case of abuse of public authority," Fabricius indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24. Read too, Alexandra man’s family plan to sue after his death allegedly at the hands of SANDF soldiers, at Sunday Independent
North West police sergeant, accomplice in court for house robbery in Lichtenburg ANA reports that a SA Police Service (SAPS) sergeant and a civilian accomplice have been arrested and appeared briefly in court on Friday in connection with a house robbery in Lichtenberg, North West. This followed their arrest the previous day, North West SAPS spokesman Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said. He went on to advise as follows: "It is alleged that the complainant was woken up by a strange noise on the roof of the house. Upon investigating, the intruder indicated that it was the police and ordered the complainant to open the door. The complainant then opened the door and saw a policeman in the company of another man. The duo allegedly demanded money from the complainant who told them that he did not have money. It was at that point that the accused took the victim’s driver’s licence and a set of keys before fleeing the scene. The suspects were later traced and arrested. The police also recovered robbed properties." The accused, Olebogeng Selemela and Edward Tekane, were granted bail of R500 each and will appear in court again on 6 July. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Independent News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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