In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Thursday, 4 June 2020.
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DA calls for tourism sector to be immediately opened up to prevent devastation BusinessLive reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the immediate easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions on the tourism sector and for inter-provincial road travel to be allowed to prevent the decimation of the industry. Under level 3 of the lockdown, no hotels, lodges, self-catering or other forms of accommodation, nor restaurants and coffee shops, are allowed to open. No international or domestic travel is allowed. In terms of the DA’s recovery plan for the travel, hospitality and tourism sector, inter-provincial road travel should be allowed under the existing level 3 regulations, domestic air travel in level 2, and international air travel in level 1. Hotels, self-catering accommodation, lodges and restaurants should be allowed to open immediately, subject to hygiene and social-distancing protocols. In cases such as with large hotels and restaurants, trade should be restricted to 50% of capacity. To formulate its plan, the DA conducted four surveys to determine the views of industry participants. The results highlighted the plight of the businesses concerned and the likelihood of their going under if they have to remain closed until November. According to DA spokesperson on tourism, Manny de Freitas, “most of the sector will be decimated” if it is only allowed to open up in December, as envisaged by the government. He also expressed criticism that the tourism department does not seem to have a recovery plan for the sector. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive Increasing concern by business about the effects of lockdown Business Report writes that business sentiment turned negative in May, marking the first prolonged subdued outlook as firms became increasingly concerned about the extended Covid-19 lockdown. The Markit’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) on Wednesday showed that private sector activity fell for the thirteenth month in a row to reach a record. The PMI fell to 32.5 points from 35.1 points in April, way below the 50 point threshold that separates growth and contraction. Markit commented that the PMI indicated an unprecedented collapse in business conditions as output and new sales collapsed during lockdown measures that were extended in the month. Markit economist David Owen observed: “Most notably from the latest survey results, business sentiment regarding the 12-month outlook for activity turned negative for the first time in the series. As such, firms are increasingly concerned that the extended lockdown period may hurt business activity for some time.” He added that the relaxation of lockdown regulations this month could see a strong rebound in the PMI if businesses were able to restart quickly. Markit also reported that PMI recorded a drop in employment, leading to a second consecutive fall in staff costs during May, one that was much quicker than the one seen in April. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphelele Dludla on page 11 of Business Report of 4 June 2020 Survey reveals 86% of those who work in an office want to return The Star writes that a surprising number of people want to get back to the office, even though office workers have largely been working from home and using online communication throughout the Covide-19 lockdown. This was revealed in a nationwide survey conducted by workplace consultancy Giant Leap, which canvassed several hundred people. Giant Leap’s Linda Trim said the survey showed that 86% of people wanted to go back to working in an office. She said that while remote work was initially very popular, as time wore on people realised there was a lack of work life balance. “The survey showed 70% of people missed the general social interactions of the office, while 85% said they missed the ‘colleague interaction’ while working at home,” Trim reported. About 81% felt that working remotely made work communication harder and 70% reported they were more sedentary working at home. Trim opined that SA would slowly get back to work and offices would again be the epicentre of the working world, but well-being had become paramount in workplaces. However, Lesiba Mothata and Craig Bentley of Alexander Forbes said that with remote working likely to become a more permanent feature of the workplace environment in various industries, companies needed to work on providing better technology to enable flexible working, increasing flexible working hours to encourage effective time management and rethinking their talent value proposition strategies. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Edward West at The Star Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Police national headquarters in Pretoria temporarily shut down due to positive Covid-19 case in HR department The Citizen reports that the SA Police Service’s national headquarters in Pretoria has been closed down temporarily after a member tested positive for Covid-19. This was confirmed by national spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo, who said one of the staff members in the HR department on the building’s sixth floor received a positive test result on Wednesday afternoon. The staff member immediately alerted the unit’s commander, who ordered a precautionary shutdown of the entire building. Naidoo advised further: “The commander activated the protocol we have in place, which consists of evacuation, sanitation, screening and testing.” The building will remain closed until Friday morning, when it is hoped employees will be able to return to work. Naidoo could not say how many staff members worked on the floor in question or how many might have come in contact with the infected member. But, he gave assurances that all necessary work would continue, despite the building’s closure, since “staff can all work from home, as they have all been given the necessary equipment to continue working remotely”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Earl Coetzee at The Citizen Defence Minister says 'very few' soldiers infected with Covid-19 News24 reports that according to Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, "very few" SA National Defence Force (SANDF) members have been infected with Covid-19, but she has declined to indicate how many. "It is not in our interest to disclose such numbers," Mapisa-Nqakula said in response to a question posed by the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans on Wednesday. Of the SANDF members infected, there has apparently been a 90% recovery rate. "We have not as yet have had any deaths," Mapisa-Nqakula reported, adding that most of the soldiers who had tested positive were asymptomatic. Soldiers who tested positive were placed under quarantine. President Cyril Ramaphosa has deployed the entire SANDF in aid of the government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic. While military personnel have been deployed to assist the police in enforcing the lockdown, the SANDF's auxiliary services are also expected to aid in other ways, for instance, the provision of field hospitals. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Gerber at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Patient admissions at Livingstone and Provincial hospitals in PE affected by linen shortages due to go-slow HeraldLIVE reports that a dispute between union members and management at the Livingstone and Provincial hospitals in Port Elizabeth has now trickled down to patients, with some having been turned away over the past few days. A doctor at Provincial Hospital claimed that staff had stopped washing linen and, without bedding, patients could not be admitted. Union members, however, said it was not a case of members refusing to wash linen but rather staff shortages that were causing problems. On Wednesday, health department spokesperson Siyanda Manana confirmed that workers were on a go-slow. The dispute centres around personal protective equipment (PPE) and also, according to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu), payment for overtime. Hospital management and unions were locked in meetings for the better part of Wednesday. PPE in the Nelson Mandela Bay area has been a thorny issue since the spread of the Covid-19 virus, with constant protests, staff go-slows and claims that hospital management was holding back PPE. Nehawu’s Sweetness Stokwe defended union members, saying they were not refusing to wash linen but had simply stopped going over and above their job requirements. “There’s a huge staff shortage at Livingstone hospital and, for the longest time, our members have been doing the work of many people,” she stated, adding that staff at Livingstone had been told that non-clinical staffers would not be paid overtime as from 1 June. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nomazima Nkosi and Angela Daniels at HeraldLIVE
Enormous challenge lies ahead for SA mines as they ramp up operations to full capacity amid the Covid-19 pandemic Financial Mail reports that as 200,000 mineworkers make their way across SA to join an equivalent number of their colleagues already back at work, the industry is fervently making preparations to mine amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Its efforts offer an ominous glimpse into the enormous challenge that lies ahead. Assuming that public health facilities may be overwhelmed at the peak of the pandemic, SA mining companies are converting old hostels and even renting church halls to prepare beds for infected workers. Sibanye-Stillwater has converted old hostels to quarantine facilities for 1,800 people at its platinum mines, and 800 at its gold mine. The company has also reserved 100 hospital beds for its workers. Impala Platinum has prepared 108 isolation beds, 777 quarantine beds and 319 hospital beds. Anglo American is bulking up capacity at its coal mines in Mpumalanga, where 85 new beds have been installed and 107 freed up. It has also recommissioned a TB ward to treat Covid-19 patients. "The penny is starting to drop. We are in a deep crisis. I’m not sure to what extent people really understand the crisis we are in … The only way we are going to get out of [it] is through a joint effort," commented Minerals Council SA president Mxolisi Mgojo. With the number of infections expected to peak in September, Covid-19 was something SA and, indeed, the industry, would have to learn to live with for some time to come, Mgojo stated. Meanwhile, unions are worried. Amcu has called for universal testing of all workers, but the council says that is not feasible. Gideon du Plessis of Solidarity noted that the economic reality of the lockdown has set in: "Solidarity is involved in 232 section 189 [retrenchment] processes, and 13 business rescues and liquidations. A survey found 60% of Solidarity members had to take a salary cut, while 6.6% believe the company they work for is no longer sustainable." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at BusinessLive EFF wants all Limpopo mines shut down to prevent spread of Covid-19 The Citizen reports that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Limpopo want all mines in the province closed in an effort to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. In a statement on Wednesday, the EFF said mining houses, controlled by white monopoly capital, continued to put the lives of workers in danger by forcing them to go to work in pursuit of profit in the midst of the raging Covid-19 pandemic. EFF provincial leader and chairperson Jossey Buthane said: “We are disturbed by the mining sector in Sekhukhune which took Sekhukhune region from zero to the epicentre level of Covid-19 in Limpopo.” Buthane added: “We warned them and they did not listen. Their arrogance has now led us to where we are in relation to Covid-19 in Limpopo. It is a pity that it is not the mine bosses that get infected with coronavirus because they are not in the shafts but our black people, working in these mines, are the ones getting infected.” The EFF further demanded that Marula Mine in Tubatse/Fetakgomo should be closed and treated like any other institution that had such high infections within a short space of time, with full benefits for workers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Matlala at The Citizen
News24 reports that Harmony Gold confirmed on Wednesday that the body of a missing miner had been found underground at its Moab Khotsong mine near Orkney in the North West. This after he was reported missing at the end of the day shift on Tuesday. Harmony spokesperson Sihle Maake said there had been an intensive search and the man's body was found by the search party on Wednesday afternoon. The cause of death was unknown, she indicated. Harmony CEO Peter Steenkamp said he had committed the company's "full support and co-operation to the official investigation". Maake indicated that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, police and the company were probing the death. Read the original of the above report by Tammy Petersen at News24. See too, Fatality at Harmony’s Moab Khotsong gold mine, at Mining Weekly
MultiChoice commits R50m to creating 500 jobs for the youth BusinessLive reports that on Wednesday MultiChoice advised that it has invested R50m to create 500 new jobs for young people. The DStv operator said it had created the employment programme through a partnership with the Youth Employment Service (YES), which has resulted in 400 jobs and another 100 sports coaching learnerships through its Let’s Play initiative. “The two partnerships equate to a total investment of R50m,” the company indicated. YES is a business-led collaboration with the government to create work opportunities for unemployed black South Africans between the ages of 18 and 35 years. The pandemic has brought mixed fortunes to MultiChoice because people staying at home has meant more people watching video content, but the lockdown has also meant a halt in film and television productions, as well as sport. The group had committed R80m towards salaries and wages for cast, crew and creatives affected by the nationwide lockdown, for the months of March and April. The company is moreover in a good place financially to weather the storm, having recorded about R6.9bn in cash at the half-year, which is likely to be used to fund all of these initiatives. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mudiwa Gavaza at BusinessLive
Horizon for unbundling of Eskom into three entities shifted by at least two years BL Premium reports that power utility Eskom has pushed out the time frame for its unbundling by at least two years and no longer has a firm target date for the full legal establishment of the three subsidiaries the process will create. The splitting up of the state-owned company into three parts — generation transmission and distribution — is seen as crucial to overcoming its operational and financial difficulties. Last October, public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan published a roadmap for Eskom, setting out timelines for the split. It envisaged that the most urgent project — a separate transmission company to act as operator of the grid and a market buyer — would be set up as a division by December 2020 and be fully legally separate by December 2021. That timeline has been pushed out to 2022 with no firm target date for legal separation. The divisionalisation of the generation and distribution parts of the business will now happen by 2022 and the legal separation later. The new timelines were presented to MPs by CEO Andre de Ruyter. He said that the timelines in the roadmap were "quite aggressive" and in consultation with the board and the shareholder, Eskom had targeted some "slightly relaxed" timelines. Progress made so far includes the allocation of 9,000 staff to divisions, the appointment of managing directors from existing staff for each division and the boards and the separation of income statements. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at BusinessLive
Government and unions working together on plan for new airline to replace SAA Bloomberg reports that the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) and trade unions are working together on a business model for a new national carrier that will replace the embattled SA Airways (SAA). The new airline will be funded through a variety of options such as strategic equity partners, funders and the sale of non-core assets, the DPE said in a statement Wednesday. The parties are still of the view that the state must continue to play a role. The business rescue practitioners (BRPs) running SAA had proposed firing the entire workforce to stave off liquidation after a request for state funding was rejected in April. However, DPE Minister Pravin Gordhan strongly objected to that plan and announced his ambitions for the creation of a new airline. “It is essential to build a leadership coalition which is robust and strong enough to find solutions, and establish the foundations of a new airline with a growth path,” the DPE said on Wednesday. The BRPs are now proposing the government provide a R21 billion bailout to help repay debt and resume operations after the lifting of Covid-19 travel bans. Read the original of the above report by Rene Vollgraaff at Moneyweb
Racism allegations rock 'financially strained’ Pretoria Society of Advocates The Star reports that racism allegations have rocked the “financially strained”, 120-year-old Pretoria Society of Advocates (PSA), which faces accusations that mooted liquidation plans are aimed at ridding it of black practitioners. The PSA, which has almost 700 members, 18 of whom sit on its Bar council, took a decision late last month to explore the liquidation of the society – ostensibly because it had run into alleged financial trouble. However, the Advocates for Transformation (AFT) grouping, which represents more than 100 black practitioners within the PSA, asserted that the liquidation process was being used “as a ruse” to deal with black members who went against a failed February constitutional amendment to reduce the influence of black advocates in the decision-making of the 18-member Bar council. In a statement this week, the AFT claimed the liquidation was intended to eliminate black practitioners, who were heavily reliant on two PSA chambers, of seven, to practise their trade. But, PSA chairperson Jannet Gildenhuys dismissed the racism allegations. She said the liquidation, should it be finalised, would be brought on by financial troubles that were exacerbated by the Covid-19 lockdown, which had taken a toll on members’ practices and their ability to meet their financial obligations towards the society. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khaya Koko at The Star
Education portfolio committee to probe fitness of Sefako Makgatho University vice-chancellor over sexual harassment claims News24 reports that Parliament's Higher Education Portfolio Committee is to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the fitness of newly appointed vice-chancellor of Sefako Makgatho University, Professor Peter Mbati, who got the job despite allegations of sexual harassment hanging over his head. During a virtual sitting with the Commission on Gender Equality (CGE) on Tuesday, the committee found that the recommendations in the commission’s report regarding allegations of sexual harassment against Mbati were never implemented. Mbati was accused of sexual harassment by Professor Thidziambi Phendla during his time as vice-chancellor of the University of Venda. Phendla submitted a complaint to the CGE in 2012, alleging that she was sexually harassed on several occasions by Mbati between 2008 and 2010. After an investigation, the CGE in its December 2014 report found the allegations to be convincing and the failure by the university to discipline Mbati to be a direct contravention of its policy on sexual harassment. The recommended in the report was that that a formal disciplinary inquiry be instituted against Mbati. Although Mbati sought to review the commission's report in the Gauteng High Court, he failed to get the recommendations set aside and only succeeded in getting certain portions redacted. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24
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