In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 29 May 2020.
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Last-minute delay in restarting schools means pupils will only go back on 8 June BusinessLive reports that only some 12 hours before pupils were set to return to school after a 10-week closure, Department of Basic Education (DBE) Minister Angie Motshekga delayed the reopening to 8 June. The announcement on Sunday night came as some pupils in hostels had already returned to school, and parents had prepared to take their children to school in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. It also came after the Western Cape informed schools to reopen on Monday, which authorities said would still happen. The DBE advised that, while schools would still reopen on Monday with the return of school management teams, teachers and nonteaching staff, pupils would now return to school next Monday. The phased reopening will see only grade 12s and grade 7s return on 8 June. Education unions have indicated that out of the nine provinces, only the Western Cape and Gauteng were close to being compliant with the measures that must be put in place for reopening. Access to water and personal protective equipment was of particular concern. Mugwena Maluleke of the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) said the union wanted a uniform date for all pupils. Chris Klopper of the SA Teachers’ Union (SAOU) said their position was that schools that were ready could open, but if a school could not comply it should not open. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Claudi Mailovich at BusinessLive. Read too, Education department now says pupils will only go back on 8 June, Western Cape disagrees, at News24
In an important strategic shift, almost 16-million people allowed back to work under ‘new’ level 3 BusinessLive writes that during the Covid-19 pandemic and response an important question from both a health and economic policy perspective has related to the number of people permitted to return to work as the lockdown was eased. In the final regulations for Alert Level 3, which were published on 28 May, there have been significant changes to the five-level plan unveiled on 26 April. The “new” level 3 allows all economic activity to resume, except for a small set of exceptions including restaurants, theatres, personal services and leisure air travel. This has significantly increased the number of people who are permitted to work under level 3. According to the original strategy, it was calculated that 11.8-million workers would be permitted to return to work at level 3, but under the new regulations an additional 3.97-million people will be permitted to return to work. The total number of those permitted to work under the new level 3 is about 15.8-million, slightly more than would have been permitted under the original level 2 regulations, and close to the total level of employment at the end of 2019, which was 16.6-million. This marks an important strategic shift in the government’s approach. The initial approach was to restrict all activity and then allow a set of special emergency sectors to operate. The new approach is the opposite: allow everything, except for a small set of restrictions. The new regulations are likely to be easier to regulate, are more transparent, and will result in better coherence between the health and economic strategies government is following. Read the full original of the article in the above regard by David Francis, Kamal Ramburuth-Hurt and Imraan Valodia at BusinessLive Western Cape judge dismisses challenge to lockdown ban on hairdressing TimesLIVE reports that an advocate who went to court to highlight the plight of hairdressers under Covid-19 lockdown should have combed through the roots of the regulations more thoroughly, a judge said on Thursday. Cape Town high court judge Lee Bozalek pointed out that while Carlo Viljoen had aimed his legal challenge at health minister Zweli Mkhize, in fact the custodian of lockdown regulations was cooperative governance minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. "The [health] minister simply does not have the power or authority to compel the minister of cooperative governance to change the regulations pertaining to the industry," said Bozalek in dismissing Viljoen's application. But the judge did indicate that the application had raised questions about the wholesale suspension of sectors such as hairdressing and he suggested mediation between the sector and the government so that salons could open under certain conditions. Although Viljoen did not have support from the Employers Organisation for Hairdressing, Cosmetology and Beauty (EOHCB), which it appeared from court arguments would rather negotiate with the government about a way to restart operations, he told Bozalek on Wednesday he had received supportive e-mails from hundreds of hairdressers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Aron Hyman at TimesLIVE Alert level 3 permits domestic workers to go back to work from Monday TimesLIVE reports that domestic workers can go back to work from Monday, 1 June, albeit only in circumstances where it’s safe to do so. Trade and industry minister Ebrahim Patel was asked during a briefing on Thursday whether this was possible under alert level 3 of the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown. “They are able to return to work, subject to the health protocols being followed. Even as they return, it’s vital it’s done in circumstances where it can be done safely,” he said. While domestic work was not specifically mentioned during the briefing, level 3 regulations show that all businesses may operate from Monday. The exceptions are as follow: places where on-site consumption of food and liquor takes place; short-term home-sharing, letting, etc; passenger ships for leisure; conferences and events, including sport events; personal care services, including hairdressing, nail salons and tattoo parlours; and tourist attractions, casinos and entertainment activities. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Kgaugelo Masweneng at TimesLIVE Vinpro says 18,000 jobs lost in wine industry GroundUp reports that though liquor sales will be allowed from 1 June, the two-month ban on the sale of alcohol, combined with the initial ban on exports, has had a devastating impact on the wine industry. According to figures released by Vinpro last week, about 80 wineries and 350 producers have gone out of business, and 18,000 workers have lost their jobs. The industry lost R200m per week on exports over the lockdown period, and R300m per week on local sales, bringing total revenue losses to about R3bn. It is unsure how and when the wine industry will recover from these losses. Nosey Pieterse, president of the Black Association of the Wine and Spirits Industry (BAWSI) and chief negotiator for the Rural Agriculture and Allied Workers Union (RAAWU), is angered by the job losses. Pieterse said farm workers were categorised by government as essential workers and therefore they should not have been affected by the lockdown. But he has been inundated with Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) applications from farm workers. He claimed “unscrupulous farmers” were using the lockdown as an opportunity to terminate workers’ contracts. He added that during the lockdown farm workers have had few options available to them to fight decisions by farmers to lay them off. The CCMA is functioning with a skeleton staff and the trade unions and NGOs workers would normally approach for help are classified as non-essential, leaving employees vulnerable. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sade Allcock at SowetanLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Nurses at Tygerberg Hospital work and provide care to patients in fear of Covid-19 Mail & Guardian reports that public-sector worker unions claim about 150 staff members at Cape Town’s Tygerberg Hospital have to date tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. Nursing staff from different areas of the hospital have been negatively affected by the Western Cape’s exponentially increasing number of positive cases. “I have to mentally prepare myself every day,” one nurse observed. Although she’s not borne the brunt of the outbreak just yet, being on the front lines of the medical response is starting to take its toll on the 30-something nurse: “You only have so much mental energy to deal with so much every single day. I will never refuse an assignment; I will always help. But you reach a point where you just feel exhausted. Another nurse, who works in the intensive care ward, which is the epicentre of the medical response in the Western Cape, if not SA, detailed the mental strain of working in the hospital considered the ground-zero of treating coronavirus patients. “Nothing in our training prepared us for this … I have experience in dealing with infectious disease, but this is not the same.” Of the six healthcare workers in the Western Cape who have died from Covid-19, two were working at Tygerberg hospital. The head of the Western Cape department of health, Keith Cloete, said they were regularly meeting with labour unions to brief them on the plan to fight the virus. He also indicated: “The anxiety is not about policy. The anxiety is people feeling tired and anxious. We [are] backing that up with support [for nurses] and we may need to bring in more psychosocial and psychological support.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lester Kiewit at Mail & Guardian Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Mineral resources minister urges mines to test for Covid-19 without fear of mine closure Mining Weekly reports that Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe on Friday urged mines to test for Covid-19 to the full extent without fearing mine closure. The Minister was responding to media questions on steps being taken to end the backlog of close to 100,000 tests, how testing could be increased and what would trigger a mine shutdown. The Minister said the primary objective of the insistence of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) on Covid testing was to detect the extent of the infection. In the case of one mine, the extent of positive testing had been such that the mine itself agreed to closure. On capacity for testing, Mantashe said the DMRE had advised the mines to pool their resources and to establish regional centres for testing collaboratively. On closure of mines, the Minister said: “It’s not the primary intention to close operations. The primary objective is to detect the extent of infections at the mine so that we know the size of a problem we’re dealing with because we know we’re better off with full knowledge.” It the case of Mponeng in Carletonville, Mantashe said that on the basis of the numbers, the mine had agreed with the DMRE that it should be closed until everyone was clear on the problem. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly. See too, Calls for testing of mineworkers to be stepped up, at The Citizen Aiming to return to full production during level 3, mines work with government to get mineworkers from neighbouring countries back Business Report writes that with the national lockdown to ease to level 3 from Monday, the Minerals Council SA (previously called the Chamber of Mines) said on Friday that the mining industry was working with the government to get mineworkers from neighbouring countries back to work. Senior executive Nikisi Lesufi said the council was working with the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure to facilitate the return of nearly 10,000 employees from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. “We have a list of 9,500 workers from neighbouring countries that are supposed to have come back from Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland (Eswatini) and Zimbabwe. We are submitting all the details of the transport logistics, and quarantine facilities. The list is to be finalised tomorrow (Monday),” Lesufi advised. Thuthula Balfour, the council’s head of health, indicated that 384 mineworkers had tested positive for Covid-19. She added that 216 of the affected miners worked in the gold sector. The government announced that all deep mining operations were expected to ramp-up to full capacity under level 3 of the lockdown, bringing the mining industry to full capacity of production. However, Gold Fields spokesperson Sven Lunsche commented that reaching 100% capacity and bringing back 100% of employees would be challenging. He said the industry would take time to reach maximum production as returning employees needed to get tested before entering the mining premises. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at Business Report Minerals Council believes mining industry is well prepared to tackle Covid-19 Mining Weekly reports that according to the Minerals Council SA (MCSA – previously called the Chamber of Mines), the mining industry is, generally, well prepared to deal with the return to work of a large percentage of staff as lockdown moves from Level 4 to Level 3 on 1 June. The council noted in its second weekly Covid-19 update briefing on 29 May that, historically, it has sound medical quarantining, screening, testing and treating infrastructure, which has been used to combat tuberculosis (TB), and HIV and Aids. These have been legacy, prevalent issues within the industry. Head of health, Thuthula Balfour, pointed out that, for example, in tackling TB in the industry, council members' operations had medical facilities available to screen, test and contact-trace suspected cases with great success. These measures have helped miners in their ability to screen 100% of their respective workforces, every day of work. Roger Baxter, CEO of the MCSA, pointed out that standard operating procedures had been adopted by all parties and were reflected in the directives issued by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. But, he also warned that a significant increase in the number of infections of Covid-19 in the domestic mining industry was inevitable, in line with increases that will happen in other industries. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Contract worker killed at Ifalethu Colliery Mining Weekly writes that diversified miner South32 has reported that an employee of a contract mining company, Modi Mining, died following an accident at subsidiary South Africa Energy Coal’s Ifalethu Colliery, on 27 May. South32 advised on 29 May that the area where the incident occurred had been immediately secured and the workforce withdrawn. It added that the site was being inspected by the relevant authorities and all activities at the colliery, in Mpumalanga, had been temporarily suspended. Read the original of the report at Mining Weekly Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
No end to Fawu’s factional fight, with deputy general-secretary suspended immediately after being reinstated by labour court Mail & Guardian reports that the tit-for-tat factional battle for control of the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) has taken yet another twist. The union’s deputy general secretary, Moleko Phakedi, was suspended on Tuesday, hours after he was reinstated by the labour court. The national office bearers immediately placed Phakedi, who is also the deputy general secretary of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), on suspension with full pay, pending an investigation into his alleged violation of Fawu’s constitution by conducting himself “in a manner which intentionally causes division”. In response, Phakedi’s faction has convened its own, parallel meeting of the union’s national officer bearers and has called on union staff and members to “ignore” the rival grouping. Fawu had previously dismissed Phakedi, who was then reinstated by the labour court. It then stripped him of his powers and stopped his pay, and went to the court seeking an order confirming this. But, in its judgment on Tuesday, the labour court in Johannesburg dismissed Fawu’s application and instead issued a declaratory order confirming Phakedi as an employee of the union. It also ruled that Fawu should allow him all of his contractual rights as an employee. The fight between the faction led by Phakedi and by former general secretary Katishi Masemola, who is also challenging his dismissal from the union, and a grouping led by Fawu’s president Atwell Nazo and deputy general secretary Mayoyo Mngomezulu is said to have brought the union to its knees. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Paddy Harper at Mail & Guardian
‘Significant’ retrenchments down the line for Barloworld, as group prepares for post-Covid-19 trading Business Report writes that distribution company Barloworld plans significant group-wide retrenchments before the end of the year to prepare itself for trading after the coronavirus pandemic. The group, which has more than 15,000 employees, said the retrenchment plan was in addition to a 12-month remuneration sacrifice plan implemented this month. It indicated in a trading statement on Thursday that retrenchments would affect its automotive and logistics division, equipment southern Africa operations and the corporate centre. A spokesperson said they did not know as yet how many jobs would be cut. The stated said: “Most of our businesses have been severely affected by restrictions on trade as well as various lockdowns and the prospects of a quick recovery are low, with some of the changes expected to be structural and trading activity expected to be lower for longer.” But, the group said it had a strong balance sheet and stable mature business platforms to weather the storm. It added that the board and management were focused on cash preservation, lowering operating costs in line with reduced activity, and ensuring the business was positioned for a recovery. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Edward West on page 11 of Business Report of 29 May 2020. Read too, Barloworld to implement group-wide retrenchments as coronavirus 'severely affects' business, at Fin24
No decision as yet on converting Eskom debt to equity, says Government Employees Pension Fund BL Premium reports that the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) has not taken a decision to convert its Eskom bond holdings into shares in the company, principal executive officer Abel Sithole advised on Thursday. Earlier, Public Investment Corporation (PIC) chair Reuel Khoza said in an interview with eNCA that the PIC had submitted a proposal to the fund to convert Eskom bonds held by the GEPF into equity in Eskom. This would have the effect of reducing Eskom’s debt servicing costs substantially. “Jointly the PIC and GEPF have just under R100bn of bonds and if we could discuss with them and they met certain requirements, it would be possible to convert those bonds to equity. Then the interest that Eskom pays would be virtually halved,” he pointed out. However, such a proposal would need the approval of the GEPF board before it could go ahead. Pension fund holders and several large public sector trade unions have voiced strong opposition to the use of pension money to prop up state-owned enterprises. However, union federation Cosatu proposed in January that the PIC provide financial support to Eskom in the broader interests of preventing its collapse. Sithole was on Wednesday appointed as the new CEO of the PIC, where he will soon take up his position Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at BusinessLive (paywall access only)
PIC extends suspension of CFO Matshepo More, despite inquiry clearing her BusinessLive reports that the board of the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) said on Friday that it had decided to extend the suspension of its CFO, even though a disciplinary inquiry found her not guilty. More was suspended in March 2019 for her role in irregularities related to the PIC’s investment in Ayo Technology Solutions. The Ayo transaction was one of several that was flagged for investigation by the Mpati commission on inquiry, which investigated corruption at the PIC. More was charged for signing a settlement memo before it had been approved by management and of failing to serve the interests of the PIC by not disclosing that. However, she was found not guilty by an independent inquiry. But the board said that it had “decided to extend More’s suspension pending the implementation and finalisation of the Mpati commission recommendations”. It also announced that it had appointed Justice Yvonne Mokgoro to lead a panel of experts to give advice and guidance on the legal steps and disciplinary processes that must be followed to implement the findings of the Mpati report. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at BusinessLive
Prasa not ready for at least another month to restart Metrorail train service, says Mbalula Sunday Independent reports that thousands of commuters will have to wait for at least another month to board passenger trains. Providing details of public transport operations and travel during alert level 3 of the national lockdown, which starts on Monday, Transport Minister Fikile said that through ongoing engagements and evaluation of the state of readiness of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), it had been concluded that Prasa was not ready to resume with the Metrorail commuter service. He indicated that Prasa had revised its target of resuming operations to 1 July and only in respect of four routes, namely Pretoria to Pienaarspoort, Cape Town to Simon’s Town, East London to Berlin and Port Elizabeth to Uitenhage. However, long-distance trains would remain prohibited. Mbalula also announced the lifting of time restrictions on all road-based public transport modes. But capacity limits would remain - minibus-taxis would remain at 70% loading capacity, buses at 50% (taking into account standing passengers) and e-hailing, metered taxis, shuttle, chauffeur and charter services at 50%. Domestic business air travel will resume on Monday, but strictly for business purposes. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Loyiso Sidimba at Sunday Independent
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