In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Thursday, 21 January 2021.
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Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu dies from Covid-19 complications The Citizen reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu has passed on from Covid-19 related complications. Mthembu died on Thursday morning. Ramaphosa said: “Minister Mthembu was an exemplary leader, an activist and life-long champion of freedom and democracy. He was a much-loved and greatly respected colleague and comrade, whose passing leaves our nation at a loss.” Mthembu tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this month, and government called on those who had come into contact with him to self-quarantine. He was the fourth member of the executive who had tested positive that week. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Vhahangwele Nemakonde at The Citizen Nehawu calls on universities not to abuse workers by calling them back to unsafe campuses Cape Argus reports that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has noted a proposal from the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation that universities must develop their own safety plans relating to the return of workers to work. But, Nehawu general secretary Zola Saphetha said it was concerning because it might open a window for abuse of workers by various uncaring institutions which potentially would recall more than 50% of workers back to unsafe campuses. This came after Minister Blade Nzimande indicated on Monday that, as at November last year, Covid-19 positive cases reported across universities had been 3,088 (1,499 staff and 1,588 students), with 58 deaths (48 staff and 10 students). He is expected to soon receive an updated report on infections and deaths. Saphetha said the union was hoping the department would continue to monitor and approve all plans as submitted by various institutions based on the Covid-19 regulations. “The national union reiterates its call for the department to ensure that all workplaces must have established functioning health and safety committees with clear plans to protect the lives of workers and our members in particular,” he stated. He explained that those committees must be inclusive of representatives from trade unions and must ensure that workplaces complied fully with the occupational health and safety act. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sisonke Mlamla at Cape Argus Survey shows teachers spend most of the school day asking pupils to adhere to Covid-19 protocols News24 reports that a survey has found that teachers spend a large part of their school day pleading with pupils to adhere to Covid-19 protocols. Also, and notwithstanding that the reopening of schools has been pushed back, teachers feel their concerns have not been fully addressed. The online professional learning community, Zibuza.net, has conducted multiple surveys since the start of the pandemic in 2020. The most recent survey, which was conducted before the reopening of schools was pushed back to 15 February, focused on teachers' concerns, especially amid the second wave and the new virus variant. According to Zibuza.net’s Malcolm Mooi, teachers are sceptical about what improvements can realistically be made between now and the new date for reopening of schools. The Zibuza.net survey relied on feedback from its almost 20,000 members. Results showed that 61% of respondents were aged 45 and above, which meant they were at higher risk of contracting the virus. Some 62% said they had either contracted the virus, or knew one of their colleagues who had it. At least 90% respondents also expressed their fear of the new virus variant. One teacher stated Learners aren't really scared of Covid-19 and most only wear a mask when you tell them to. They are often sitting in groups, they leave some of their stationery at home and borrow from their friends.” Other respondents noted that their biggest fear in 2021 was that pupils, whose parents won't send them to school, would be disadvantaged. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sesona Ngqakamba at News24 Solidarity and AfriForum take Dlamini-Zuma to court over Covid-19 vaccines The Citizen reports that trade union Solidarity and lobby group AfriForum on Thursday said they were proceeding with the preparation of court papers against Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma over government’s implementation plan for Covid-19 vaccines. This was because she failed to respond to their letter of demand of 13 January in which the organisations claimed that the government had not been transparent about the details of its vaccine plan. Solidarity and AfriForum said in a joint statement that the government was “playing a reckless game by refusing to be transparent.” AfriForum’s Ernst van Zyl stated that government’s failure to disclose the information was proof that it could not be trusted with a “monopoly” to be the sole purchaser of vaccines from manufacturers globally. Solidarity said the current implementation plan came down to nationalising the distribution and administration of the vaccine. “There is no clarity on the rollout of the government’s so-called vaccine plan at the moment. It is also not clear why Drs Dlamini-Zuma and [Zweli] Mkhize have the power to prohibit anyone but the state to procure vaccines,” said Connie Mulder, the head of the Solidarity Research Institute. He added that they were not against the government being the sole purchaser of vaccines, “but there is absolutely no reason why they must be the only institution involved in the process.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thapelo Lekabe at The Citizen. Read Solidarity’s and AfriForum’s press statement in the above regard at Polity Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Labour department acts against Eastern Cape factory after worker's hand severed GroundUp reports that the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) has taken action against a food company in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape where a worker’s hand was severed last week by a machine DEL provincial communication officer Ziphozihle Josefu advised that inspectors had visited Truda Foods on 15 January, soon after the accident in which Eugene Jali lost his hand while working on a maize mixing machine. His lower arm was later amputated at a local hospital. “An Occupational Health and Safety inspection was conducted on 15 January and found a lack of supervision and a contravention notice was issued to that effect,” said Josefu. The department has instructed the company to review its risk assessment process to ensure that revised safety measures are put in place. Josefu added that the company had also been requested “to advance precautionary measures of the machine and to ensure that workers are inducted before operating the machines.” The department has reportedly received the first medical report and is assessing and determining compensation for the employee. Meantime, the SA Security and Allied Workers Union (Saswu) accused Truda Foods of exposing workers to poor safety conditions. The union claimed that Jali was not trained to use the machine and that the company did not offer its workers sufficient protective clothing. But, CEO of Truda Foods, Colin van Heerden, denied Saswu’s claims as being “completely false”. He said the company complied with occupational health regulations and blamed Jali for the accident, saying that the employee had worked for more than a year on the machine and was aware of the safety features on it. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Joseph Chirume at News24
Unions slam Ramaphosa over ban on booze sales BL Premium reports that labour has called on the government to intervene after unions claimed that SA Breweries (SAB) has begun engaging with them on a possible ‘section 189’ retrenchment process. The company is fighting the outright liquor ban President Cyril Ramaphosa imposed for a third time in December, arguing in court that such a prohibition infringed on the constitutional right to trade freely. The ban was instituted amid a second wave of Covid-19 infections, but has raised fears that booze companies, unable to trade, will look to retrench workers to mitigate their losses. Mayoyo Mngomezulu of the Food & Allied Workers Union (Fawu) noted that any retrenchments would be in addition to other cost-saving measures taken by companies such as SAB, which implemented an 18-month 10% across-the-board salary cut in July last year due to the first alcohol ban. Mike Sikani of the SA Commercial, Catering & Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu) said the union wrote to Ramaphosa and also trade & industry minister Ebrahim Patel last year offering alternatives to the alcohol ban, but has not had a response. It proposed reinstating alcohol sales on certain days only, ensuring that a strict curfew remained in place and having better law enforcement. Mngomezulu pointed out that workers and their families were bearing the burden of the ban. "There are 165,000 jobs on the line in a country with more than 40% unemployment. I am afraid the president got it wrong this time in how he is balancing livelihoods and lives," he observed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Natasha Marrian at BusinessLive (paywall access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Striking SABC employees want board expelled for failing to save jobs SowetanLive reports that striking SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) employees have called for the immediate dissolution of the public broadcaster’s board, which they accused of failing to lead and save jobs. Dozens of workers drove in a convoy from Auckland Park in Johannesburg to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday to protest against the ongoing retrenchments, which will see about 300 employees losing their jobs. They handed over a memorandum of demands to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office. Both the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) called on the board to be dissolved for having failed the SABC and its workers. The protesting workers were supported by several political parties including Cope and the National People’s Front, which both lambasted the board and called on government to save the SABC. CWU general secretary Aubrey Tshabalala said the protests would continue on Thursday, when there would be a go-slow, which would be followed by another full-day strike on Friday. Bemawu president Hannes du Buisson said they supported the strike action. “We want the retrenchment process to be halted, [and] our alternatives which we presented to the SABC to be considered and implemented,” Du Buisson said. Meantime, communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is set to meet with the SABC board and unions over the retrenchments. Her spokesperson on Wednesday reiterated that the minister was against the retrenchments and said the meeting would be a step towards finding a "lasting solution". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Isaac Mahlangu at SowetanLive Cosatu blasts ANC over SABC retrenchments The Star reports that labour federation Cosatu has blasted its alliance partner the ANC, accusing it of having failed SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) workers and those employed in other struggling state-owned companies. This came as the federation and the SA Communist party (SACP) threw their weight behind strike action by SABC workers against retrenchment plans at the public broadcaster. The SABC is planning to retrench more than 300 workers by the end of March as part of cutting costs and doing away with what management calls redundant posts which do not fit in with the newly trimmed newsroom structure. But employees and their unions have rejected the move. According to the Communication Workers Union (CWU), a Cosatu affiliate, strike action on Friday will include a temporary media blackout. Cosatu’s national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla accused the ANC government of “leading the charge when it comes to destroying jobs”. He said: “This government is supposed to be exemplary in protecting workers and creating new jobs. These retrenchments are not just going to destroy workers' lives and those of their families, but they are going to weaken what is a very vital institution of our democracy.” The SABC has indicated that the “no work, no pay” principle will apply during the strike and that it has made contingency plans to ensure that broadcasting continues. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siviwe Feketha at Independent Media
Chris Griffith appointed CEO designate of Gold Fields Mining Weekly reports that Gold Fields has appointed Chris Griffith CEO designate. Griffith will succeed Nick Holland with effect from 1 April. Holland, who had been due to retire on 30 September after 13 years as CEO of the company, has agreed to retire six months earlier to facilitate the leadership transition. Griffith, 55, was previously CEO of Anglo American Platinum. He resigned from that position in April last year to pursue other career opportunities and is currently on ‘gardening leave’ until 31 March. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Mining Weekly
State-owned PetroSA plans to cut more than a third of its 1,424 jobs BL Premium reports that state-owned PetroSA plans to slash more than a third of its workforce. According to the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (Ceppwawu), employees have been issued with notices of a retrenchment process that could affect up to 500 of PetroSA’s 1,424 staffers. PetroSA’s main business is the extraction and use of offshore natural gas to produce synthetic fuels at the Mossgas facility. Following unsuccessful and costly gas exploration efforts, PetroSA is in deep financial trouble while its refinery grapples with a dwindling gas supply. According to Ceppwawu’s Chinaman Melani, the impact of the layoffs will be devastating because every PetroSA worker supports an average of five dependants and the Mossel Bay economy is highly dependent on the refinery. Melani said the union has been in talks with PetroSA since the second half of last year over how the entity might be saved and a steering committee was established, although it has yet to meet. He also indicated that the turnaround strategy for the company included a 12-point plan, which appeared not to have been implemented. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at BusinessLive (paywall access only) Numsa and Macsteel resolve ‘impasse’ over retrenched workers, employees back at work The Citizen reports that steel manufacturing company Macsteel has confirmed that employees returned to work on Thursday, following a protest launched by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) earlier in the week. Numsa had demanded that 99 retrenched workers should be reinstated, and vowed to organise a nationwide picket from Monday. On Tuesday, Macsteel had indicated it could not compromise on reinstating the retrenched workers, explaining that the company needed “to focus on the future to protect the jobs that remain”. However on Thursday, Macsteel said in a statement that “the impasse between unionised and non-unionised workers is resolved”. The company confirmed that it had reached “a mutual consensus” with Numsa late on Wednesday. “Macsteel regrets the need for these retrenchments but remains committed to adapting to changing economic conditions and protecting remaining jobs,” it said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen
NUM blames Eskom CEO for load shedding, urges government to change leadership at the power utility Bloomberg reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has blamed “poor leadership” at state-owned power utility Eskom for ongoing nationwide power cuts. The union, which is the biggest labour grouping at Eskom, said on Thursday in a statement that it was “very disappointed with the performance” of Eskom Chief Executive Officer Andre de Ruyter and the lack of a plan to prevent outages.” The union also continues to oppose the use of independent electricity producers, which Eskom is counting on to help increase generation. SA could experience power shortages through at least April, presenting another threat to an economy already hampered by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Eskom is saddled with R464 billion of debt and has been unable to provide reliable power since 2008, when outages began. The NUM, which represents about a third of Eskom’s more than 44,772-strong workforce, urged the government to change the leadership at Eskom. Eskom responded by saying that it “has regularly communicated its plan to improve the performance of the power stations and to reduce load shedding” and that there was “a good working relationship with its labour representatives, including the NUM.” Read the original of the report in the above regard by Paul Burkhardt at Moneyweb <https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/eskoms-biggest-union-blames-ceo-for-load-shedding/>
Government Employees Medical Scheme faces possible PSA legal action for increasing members’ contribution fees Independent News reports that public servants are threatening to take legal action against the Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems) for increasing its membership contributions by 4.25%. The Public Servants Association (PSA) said it vigorously canvassed Gems and the Council for Medical Schemes not to effect any increases, taking into account the current economic situation, but its attempts were unsuccessful. Last month, Gems announced it would increase contributions for its flagship options, Tanzanite One and Emerald Value, following a decision by its board of directors and approval by the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS. ”The PSA is strongly considering legal action to force Gems/CMS to reconsider the increase in membership fees, especially during a pandemic and the fragile economic climate members are facing,” the union said. Earlier this month, the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) expressed its disappointment with Gems’ decision to increase the annual membership contribution fees. The federation demanded that the members of its affiliates not be overburdened with more fee increases and called on Gems to follow other medical aid providers which had frozen increases. The PSA also wants public servants to be allowed to join other open schemes and for the government to pay the same subsidy as it does in respect of Gems members. Gems, which has over 1.9 million beneficiaries and 740,000 principal members, defended the contribution increases, saying they were to ensure its long-term financial sustainability and access to quality health care to weather any storm, including Covid-19, in the coming years. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Loyiso Sidimba at Independent News
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