Today's Labour News

TOP STORY – CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN

Covid-19 workplace protocols must become ‘second nature’ for any further lockdown easing

Mining Weekly reports that organised business has called for domestic firms to take steps to ensure that their workplaces are Covid-19-ready in light of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Sunday that the country would transition from lockdown Level 4 to Level 3 from 1 June.  The move will result in many more South Africans returning to work.  In welcoming the easing, Business Unity SA (Busa) president Sipho Pityana said it was critical that businesses, big and small, played their part in ensuring workplaces were “corona-ready when employees return to work under Level 3”.  Business for SA’s (B4SA’s) Martin Kingston added that a “different premise” was required when restarting business activity, “one where everyone is willing to adapt to fight Covid-19”.  He added:  “The consistent use of non-pharmaceutical interventions (masks, hand washing and sanitising, social distancing) must become second nature for every individual and every organisation. We must all ensure that working practices are adapted to meet the health, safety, and hygiene protocols required to combat Covid-19.”  Business Leadership SA CEO Busi Mavuso advised that, during a meeting between business, the President and some Cabinet members on 21 May, an understanding developed that further transition through the lockdown levels would only occur if business was able to demonstrate that it could operate safely and protect workers.  Mavuso noted that the pressure was now on business to innovate and adapt to the crisis.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly

‘No mercy’ for companies that flout Covid-19 safety rules

Business Report writes that as the government reopens the economy and eases the Covid-19 lockdown, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) plans to close down companies that flout regulations designed to protect the well-being of employees.  Lionel October, director-general of the department, told MPs on Friday that the government had adopted a “no mercy” approach to firms that did not adhere to the regulations.  He said:  “The essential workers are most exposed.  People working in the health sector and people working in the retail sector are vulnerable.  We are adopting an approach where worker safety and protection is imperative.  We are adopting an approach where we are saying there is no mercy.  If people do not implement these regulations properly, they will close down.”  October went on to indicate:  The social contract is that we will have an opening of the economy on condition of protective measures being in place to protect employees.”  On another matter, October advised that the department aimed to create jobs by procuring 20-million masks from clothing manufacturers that would be used by schools.  He also said the department had launched a ventilator programme in the fight against Covid-19.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at Business Report

Educators Union of SA to take Angie Motshekga to court for reopening schools amid virus pandemic

The Star reports that a last-ditch attempt to stop schools reopening next week is set to play out in court as the Educators Union of SA (Eusa), which apparently represents more than 27,000 teachers, challenges Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga’s “arrogance”.  On Sunday, the union’s general secretary Siphiwe Mpungose confirmed that an urgent court application would be launched against the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to halt the government’s plans to reopen schools for Grade 7 and Grade 12 from 1 June.  Schools have been closed for some two months since the announcement of the lockdown in March.  Motshekga has adamantly maintained since last week that the DBE was ready to reopen schools safely, including the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to all institutions nationwide.  However, this was vehemently rejected by Mpungose, who said on Sunday the minister and the department were lying to the public about supplying PPEs and guaranteeing the safety of learners and teachers.  “There are stark discrepancies between what the minister and provincial MECs have said regarding the state readiness, compared to the actual information on the ground.  “We totally reject the use of teachers and learners as guinea pigs used to test against an invisible enemy,” Mpungose said.  The union indicated that it expected to file its court papers by Monday morning.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khaya Koko at The Star

With no specific industry support in place, Covid-19 lockdown is killing hair salons

City Press reports that for those in the hair and cosmetology industry, the national Covid-19 lockdown has meant lost livelihoods and wiped-out businesses.  Designated a level 1 service, they’ll only be able to work again in the last stage of the lockdown.  However, there’s been no indication of when that will be or how they’re meant to survive until then.  While most hairdressers and cosmetologists accept that the close interaction required with clients means that social distancing can’t be practised, it’s the lack of financial support from government that’s most frustrating for them.  There seems to be no specific plan made for their survival while they can’t operate.  In April, President Cyril Ramaphosa detailed an amount of R2 billion to be made available to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs), spaza shop owners and other small businesses, as well as R40 billion for income support payments for workers whose employers can’t pay their wages.  But, salon owner Natasha Summers said that, although the support was available, it was inaccessible.  According to Summers, owners were simply closing their doors, rather than risking getting grants they might not be able to pay back.  Another salon owner Chris Fisher pointed out that nothing was actually made available to the hair and beauty industry specifically.  He said the lack of support has been devastating.  Meanwhile many hairdressers have been forced to break the law and do house calls under the radar, just to put food on the table.  If caught, they can be heavily fined, stripped of their trading licences and prosecuted.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Grethe Kemp at City Press. Read too, It's getting ugly for hair and beauty salons as up to 70% of businesses face closure as restrictions remain, at TimesLIVE

Builders feel the pressure of lockdown

Moneyweb reports that according to construction market intelligence firm Industry Insight, an estimated 120,000 to 140,000 formal jobs will be lost in the construction sector.  But, the fear of job losses and the financial blow of the Covid-19 lockdown will hit the small business owner the hardest.  The property and construction sectors have been severely impacted by the lockdown because residential and commercial projects can only resume from Level 3 and 2.  Vere Shaba, founder and CEO of Greendesign, a Johannesburg-based engineering consulting firm that designs, engineers and commissions high-performance buildings across Africa, laid bare the sentiments of those in the construction sector on how the lockdown would further harm an industry that was already on its knees.  The construction sector has already faced numerous liquidations and has seen JSE-listed companies having to be placed under business rescue.  “Delays negatively impact our workload, cashflow and investor confidence in the property and construction sector in South Africa which was already on the fifth consecutive quarter of a recession,” Shaba lamented.

Read the original of the report in the above regard by Melitta Ngalonkulu on page 24 of Saturday Citizen of 24 May 2020

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Funerals big source of Eastern Cape Covid-19 infections, at SowetanLive
• Another inmate dies with coronavirus at East London prison, at The Citizen

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

Helen Joseph Hospital support staff protest after nurses test positive for Covid-19

The Citizen reports that support staff at Helen Joseph Hospital protested outside the facility on Monday and, among other requests, asked to be tested for Covid-19 after more than five nurses had tested positive for the virus.  A spokesperson for the protesters, Martha, advised that the protest action had begun last Friday.  The spokesperson alleged that some wards, including the causality ward, had not been shut down and decontaminated after staff stationed in these wards had tested positive for Covid-19.  Martha said the support staff were also protesting so that they could be tested as they feared for their safety.  She further alleged that there had been no communication from the hospital’s management after some nurses tested positive for Covid-19.  The protesters said they would on Monday hand over a memorandum of demands.  This would include their demand for personal protective equipment (PPEs), because they had only been given masks and sanitisers.  Hospital management would be given two days to respond to the protesters’ memorandum.  Martha claimed that unions were not supporting their protest action, with union shop stewards working on Monday.

Read the original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen

One dead, three injured when boundary wall under construction built collapsed in KZN

TimesLIVE reports that one person was killed and three were injured when a boundary wall collapsed in Inanda, north of Durban, on Monday.  According to IPSS Medical Rescue's Paul Herbst, workers were apparently building a boundary wall when the structure gave in.  He said one man was killed while two others and a woman sustained moderate to serious injuries.  "Police K9 search and rescue dogs were used to search the collapsed structure to ensure no one else was trapped beneath the rubble," Herbst indicated.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Orrin Singh at TimesLIVE

MINING LABOUR

Amcu drags labour registrar into its fight with axed deputy president Nkosikho Joni

City Press reports that continued infighting at the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has dragged labour registrar Letlhogonolo Molefe into its midst.  The union has submitted its responding affidavit to the Labour Court regarding axed Amcu deputy president Nkosikho Joni’s allegations that he was dismissed unfairly, and has accused Molefe of being in cahoots with Joni.  In the submission, Amcu general secretary Jeff Mphahlele asserts that the registrar, along with Joni and other members believed to be part of his faction, have been on a mission to shut down the organisation.  “The most recent threats to deregister Amcu are borne of an elaborate plot by Joni, the registrar and other members who have been sent to destabilise Amcu and have it shut down.  [They want to] seize power,” the document reads.  Mphahlele states that Molefe allowed these members to “besmirch [Amcu founder and president Joseph] Mathunjwa’s name and provided them with advice on ways to attack, undermine and shut down Amcu”.  Molefe, however, responded that the allegations levelled against him were “absolute nonsense” and that he would be submitting a response to the accusations.  This comes just months after Molefe once again threatened to deregister the union over questions regarding its finances and the legitimacy of its office bearers.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Queenin Masuabi at City Press

Amcu again calls for testing of all employees at affiliated workplaces

Mining Weekly reports that as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across SA, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has again called on employers to test all employees for Covid-19.  The union noted that while it has consistently called for the testing of all workers, the official stance of government and employers has been to only test workers who failed the screening process.  “Even though Amcu warned that screening alone would have significant shortcomings, especially when workers do not present symptoms, there was no appetite to change the current approach by employers,” the union noted in a statement.  Although Amcu welcomed the opening of the economy, it said there remained serious concerns about the safety and welfare of workers as SA moved to Alert Level 3 of the national lockdown.  Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa noted many workers were facing economic hardship as a result of the national lockdown.  “It is important that they are enabled to return to work so that they can look after their families and their loved ones,” he said.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly

LABOUR MARKET / EMPLOYMENT

Department of Employment and Labour, UIF in race to beat rising unemployment threat

Fin24 reports that Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister Thulas Nxesi told Parliament last Wednesday that his department was working on additional job creation strategies to assist employees and companies impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.  This would be in addition to existing job protection and unemployment insurance mechanisms.  Nxesi told MPs that while the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Compensation Fund were going to be under "very serious strain" for some time, the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic had prompted the department to consider investing aggressively in job creation.  Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is expected to be ready to table an "emergency" budget, which will make provision for Covid-19 relief efforts, by 24 June.  Yet, Nxesi said on Wednesday that while the department had thus far been caught between an expected budget revision by National Treasury and the middle of the pandemic, it had still managed to assist more than 2.5 million workers received the benefit to the value of more than R3 billion.  "As the pandemic continues, not all companies will make it out.  Jobs will be lost and the demand for the UIF protections will increase. So, these are the realities faced by the UIF as we begin to get things moving in the economy," said Nxesi.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24

SA’s auto industry proposes a host of government measures to help ensure its post Covid-19 continuity and safeguard jobs

Moneyweb reports that SA’s automotive industry has proposed a host of liquidity relief measures to President Cyril Ramaphosa to alleviate the industry’s serious cash flow challenges and ensure its survival post Covid-19.  The proposals would also safeguard the lives of more than 500,000 employees across the automotive industry value chain during the lockdown, a report on the economic impact of Covid-19 on the industry indicated.  The report was released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa) on Thursday.  It warned that the Covid-19 lockdown could lead to job losses of between 21% and 30% in SA’s automotive industry, which supported more than one million people in the formal sector.  “The real effect will be known with time lags,” the report advised.  Forecast total domestic sales for this year – at 405,000 units – is 24.5% lower than the 536,611 units sold in 2019, and will be the lowest level of domestic sales since 1995.  Total domestic production is projected to slump to 466,500 units, its lowest level since 2004 and 26% lower than the 631,983 vehicles produced in SA last year.  However, Thursday’s Naamsa report said:  “Taking into consideration the supply chain disruptions, possible global lockdown extension in South Africa and abroad … the South African automotive market might take a [volume] knock as high as 40%.”  The liquidity relief proposals made by the industry to government are set out in the Moneyweb report.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Roy Cokayne at Moneyweb

RETRENCHMENTS

Tiger Brands looking at ‘significant’ job losses as it counts cost of coronavirus pandemic

Reuters reports that food producer Tiger Brands said on Monday it was looking at “significant” job cuts as its business had been hit by supply disruptions and margin pressures due to the impact of the coronavirus.  The company also won’t be paying an interim dividend   The owner of Jungle Oats and Tastic rice said first-half headline earnings fell 35%.  It expected coronavirus-related costs of about R500 million to hit profit in the second half of the year due to rand weakness, global supply chain disruptions and additional costs incurred during a lockdown in SA to curb the spread of the virus.  As a result the company has started looking at cost-cutting measures, including possibly “significant” job cuts, CE Noel Doyle indicated.  “Not just in headcount but right across our whole offering and of course we have to look at a couple of the categories where we have been incurring significant losses,” he stated.  Tiger Brands employs more than 11,200 people in SA, excluding seasonal staff, a company spokesperson indicated.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nqobile Dludla at Moneyweb

MEDICAL SCHEMES

No premium holiday for medical aid members financially hurt by national lockdown

BL Premium reports that health experts say that the medical aid regulator has not done enough for cash-strapped South Africans who have been financially hurt by the national lockdown to get payment holidays on their premiums.  This has left some medical aid members struggling to pay their monthly dues.  A survey by NGO Rare Diseases SA, for example, found that 47% didn’t know how they would afford their premiums at the end of April.  And, if medical aid members can’t pay, it could mean a number of people in the private sector will require state care at the exact time the government is trying to keep its hospitals empty to manage the Covid-19 crisis.  The Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) has refused a blanket payment holiday for people who have lost their livelihoods as a result of the lockdown, though it has allowed medical schemes to apply for exemptions on a case-by-case basis.  According to Prof Alex van den Heever, a health economist at the Wits School of Governance, the regulator is the only financial body in SA that hasn’t put a proper plan in place to help those hardest hit by a temporary loss of income during the crisis.  He says the council and the health department should have been proactive by meeting at the beginning of the lockdown to discuss how to help the worst-affected medical aid members with "interim relief".  "It is an indictment of the CMS and the department of health that they have failed to do anything," he stated.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Katharine Child at BusinessLive (paywall access only)

MISCONDUCT / SUSPENSIONS

Soldiers allegedly involved in death of Collins Khosa suspended

TimesLIVE reports that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) members who were allegedly involved in the death of Collins Khosa from Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, have been suspended.  SANDF spokesperson Col Ronald Maseko confirmed on Monday morning that the four members were suspended on 15 May, pending the outcome of an investigation.  Khosa, 40, died on 10 April, allegedly after an altercation with soldiers and Johannesburg metro police officers over violations of Covid-19 lockdown regulations.  In a high court application, his family sought a number of orders, one of which was that the SANDF, police or JMPD management should render off duty and disarm all members who were present at, or adjacent to, Khosa's house on 10 April, pending the outcome of any investigation or disciplinary procedures.  Two weeks ago, the High Court in Pretoria declared that all people in SA were entitled to a number of rights which could not be suspended, even during the Covid-19 state of disaster.  These included the right to life, the right not to be tortured in any way and the right not to be treated or punished in an inhumane and cruel way.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at TimesLIVE