COVID-19 VACCINE ROLL-OUT

SA will get enough Covid-19 vaccines — but not before winter

Financial Mail reports that according to experts, SA will have enough vaccines to weather the Covid storm. But whether they arrive ahead of winter or by the end of the year, and whether those who most need the shots will get them first, will likely pose bigger problems than the supply. Overall, there’s been a general lack of information from the government about timelines for its vaccine rollout. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has not yet specified when SA will receive 11-million doses of its vaccine — a single shot that doesn’t require extreme cold storage and has been shown to prevent death from Covid.   Those close to the process say 2.8-million doses will arrive between April and June, but no more are likely to arrive until winter, when Covid-19 infections may spike. Pfizer is set to have about 2.8-million doses of its two-shot vaccine ready for SA from the end of March. But as of Tuesday, the government and Pfizer had yet to sign an agreement. Aspen’s Stavros Nicolaou, who is working with Business for SA on the vaccine rollout and the private sector response, cautions that SA won’t get enough vaccines by winter, when people "cuddle and huddle" and are confined indoors, which drives up transmission of the virus. It is for this reason that Dr Aslam Dasoo, leader of the Progressive Health Forum, is pushing for the private sector to be permitted to buy its own vaccines now — provided they are distributed to those most at risk. In the longer term, though, SA was unlikely to have "a dearth of vaccines", said Nicolaou.

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

First private sector Covid vaccine site for private sector healthcare workers opens in Western Cape

TimesLIVE reports that SA’s first private sector vaccination site opened in the Western Cape on Tuesday as the province vaccinated its 13,415th person against Covid-19. Gatesville Melomed health-care centre will be a dedicated site for private sector health-care workers in the Cape Town metro to receive their vaccines, said Western Cape premier Alan Winde. By Tuesday, 73,000 health-care workers had been vaccinated in SA since the rollout of vaccinations first started on 17 February. Winde said vaccines at the Melomed vaccination site would be administered as part of the Sisonke implementation study in which 40% of the Western Cape’s health-care workers would be vaccinated as part of a trial to determine how the vaccine performed in real-life settings.   With the opening of the new vaccine centre, Winde warned anyone against attempting to jump the queue by pretending to be doctors. Health-care workers going to be vaccinated will need an e-voucher sent to them via SMS, their ID, as well as proof of registration or a staff card proving that they are health-care workers. Winde said these will be cross-checked with the lists of names submitted by each health-care facility to be vaccinated on the day. SA is currently in its first phase of the vaccine rollout, which restricts vaccines to health-care workers. Vaccines will be rolled out to the general population in phases 2 and 3.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Aron Hyman at TimesLIVE

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Western Cape health department to investigate allegations of vaccine queue jumping, at News24

LIMPOPO HEALTHCARE DISPUTE

Health workers in Limpopo give notice of intention to down tools next week

News24 Wire reports that seven health sector unions in Limpopo have served a joint notice of intention to strike over what they say is the unilateral change of working conditions of nurses and other healthcare workers. Limpopo health department spokesman Neil Shikwambana confirmed receipt of the notice served on Friday. The seven unions include Denosa, Nehawu, Hospersa and the PSA. In the notice, the union indicate that the strike, which will be preceded by lunch hour pickets, will start next week across all health facilities in the province. Union members to embark on the strike also include paramedics and other related workers. The unions have already been issued with a certificate of non-resolution of the dispute by the public health and social development sectoral bargaining council.   But head of department Dr Thokozani Mhlongo on Monday described the unions’ intention to strike as “bullying”.   She said the decision to change working conditions was premised on financial constraints as 70% of the budget was spent on salaries and overtime for employees.

Read the original of the report in the above regard on page 8 of The Citizen of 3 March 2021

Limpopo study shows nurses to be the biggest culprits in abusing overtime

SowetanLive reports that according to a study conducted by the Limpopo department of health, nurses have been singled out as the worst abusers of overtime and sick leave in the province. The study, which looked into the department's spending on overtime and sick leave, revealed that nurses aged between 20 and 29 utilised sick leave overtime systems in order to milk the state.   "The age group would take sick leave a day before holiday and after it. And when they return to work they would work for few days then subsequently be placed on overtime because he or she was on sick leave," the report indicated. Other healthcare workers, including medical officers and pharmacists, were also found to have benefitted from abuse of the system. The department said on Monday that health workers milked the state of nearly R2bn in the past two years by allegedly manipulating rosters to create the need for overtime pay. It has sent a circular to all facilities introducing new rosters meant to cut the need for overtime and ensure employees worked 40 hours a week.   But unions representing health workers are up in arms and have vowed to go ahead with a planned strike on Monday next week over what they claim was lack of consultation in the implementation of the new working conditions. They have called on their members to embark on a total shutdown on 8 March to protest against the unilateral implementation of the policy.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Peter Ramothwala at SowetanLive

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING / WAGE NEGOTIATIONS

Public sector unions adamant that they will get better wages for their members

Independent Media reports that public sector unions have unanimously demanded that the government give them a salary increase across the board or face their wrath. The unions tabled their demands at the Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council on Monday. Included was an urgent call to the government to abolish levels 1 to 3 and allow all public servants to be employed on entry level 4. The unions also demanded that the government increase the housing allowance to R2,500, claiming that the current amount of R1,300 was too little. Mugwena Maluleke, who represents Cosatu affiliated unions at the Bargaining Council, said their demands were aimed at finding solutions to the current impasse between the employees and government. But, if common ground was not found between the parties, the unions would declare a dispute to entitle them to go on strike. Public Service Association (PSA) president Dr Lufuno Mulaudzi agreed with those sentiments, saying their primary aim was to improve the living conditions of their members. If they succeed, unions expect their demands to come into effect from 1 April this year. The government is expected to respond to the demands on 16 and 17 March.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Baldwin Ndaba at Independent Media

MINING LABOUR

Tshiamiso Trust pays first seven claimants under silicosis settlement

Mining Weekly reports that the Tshiamiso Trust, which was established in February 2020 to manage the payment of benefits to eligible silicosis and tuberculosis (TB) sufferers in the gold mining sector, has paid benefits to the first seven claimants in the past two months. The trust has been hard at work over the past year to ensure it is able to process claims and since its establishment has opened 50 lodgement centres where the claims process starts. As at 28 February, the Tshiamiso Trust call centre has taken 10,151 calls, while 5,638 appointments have been made by claimants to start the lodging process. About 2,400 claims have been lodged and 408 medical examinations have taken place. The six participating companies to the trust, namely African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American SA, AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Harmony Gold and Sibanye-Stillwater, have in aggregate provided for about R5-billion that is expected to be paid in benefits and to fund the costs of the trust. Benefits of between R10,000 and R500,000 will be paid out for ten classes of claimants. Tshiamiso Trust chairperson May Hermanus clarified that there was a maximum amount stipulated for each class, related to the severity of the mineworker's illness. Only about 1% of all claimants would be eligible for a R500,000 claim, the maximum amount set in the highest class. Further payments will be expedited as more lodgement centres open up.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly. Read too, Silicosis trust set to ramp up compensation payments to victims, at Business Report

Other general posting(s) relating to mining

PGMs project will ensure Marikana’s sustainability for 50 years-plus, says Sibanye-Stillwater, at Mining Weekly

FARMING LABOUR

Agri SA warns that more than 4,300 jobs at risk in agriculture due to national minimum wage increase

BL Premium reports that Agri SA, a federation of agricultural organisations, says the national minimum wage (NMW) of R21.69 per hour — which came into effect on Monday — could result in the loss of more than 4,000 jobs in the agricultural sector. Agriculture is considered one of the beacons of the economy, contributing about 3% to GDP and employing about 900,000 people. On 1 March, minimum wages of farmworkers increased 16% from R18.68 an hour to match the broader NMW of R21.69, which is up 4.5% from 2020. Agri SA’s Christo van der Rheede said that according to a desktop survey they conducted on the impact of the new minimum wage, 549 out of 577 participants indicated that due to the new rate they would exceed their allocated budget for wages in 2021. He said they foresaw a 24% increase in wage costs over turnover for 2021. Of the 577 participants surveyed, 456 foresaw retrenchments of their farmworkers as a direct result of the new minimum wage.   “This data indicates that there is the potential of 4,384 jobs to be lost amongst the 456 participants, meaning that 9.6 workers per participant run the risk of losing their jobs,” Agri SA indicated. Participants further indicated that the retrenchments would mostly impact seasonal/casual workers. Subsectors that remain labour intensive will consider mechanising processes that will reduce staff numbers and shorten working hours of retained workers.

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

SAA BUSINESS RESCUE

SAA pilots threaten legal action against rescue practitioners over ‘favouritism’ and alleged unfair labour practices

Moneyweb reports that as SA Airways (SAA) prepares to exit its business rescue proceedings, the SAA Pilots’ Association (Saapa) has threatened to take legal action against the airline’s business rescue practitioners (BRPs) for alleged “favouritism” and unfair labour practices.   Saapa has referred the BRPs and the airline to the CCMA for allegedly contravening sections of the Labour Relations Act and “infringing [on the] freedom of association of Saapa members”.   The BRPs have denied the allegations, saying their conduct against Saapa members has been lawful. Saapa members have been locked out of the airline since December, pending the cancellation of their contentious Regulatory Agreement. They have also not received a salary since March last year, when the airline ceased operations. Saapa members have also been unable to access SAA simulator facilities to qualify for ad-hoc work with other companies to recoup lost income.   Non-Saapa members have apparently been permitted to use these facilities (paid for by third parties) while the airline remains under care and maintenance. In a 24 February letter to the BRPs, Saapa chief negotiator Glen Smith accused the BRPs of punishing Saapa members in favour of pilots who joined a rival union, the National Transport Movement (NTM), before the lookout, saying it was a “textbook instance of trade union sweetheart-ism”.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thando Maeko at Moneyweb <https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/companies-and-deals/saa-pilots-threaten-legal-action-against-business-rescue-practitioners/>

FAKE QUALIFICATIONS

Sassa official in Mbombela court for allegedly using fake matric certificate to get job, pocketing salary of R4m over 14 years

News24 reports that a SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) official in Mpumalanga has appeared in court for allegedly lying about her qualifications and in turn pocketing a salary of around R4 million over 14 years. Alina Selepe was released on R3,000 bail by the Mbombela Magistrate's Court on Monday. She was arrested by members of the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation unit in Volksrust on Friday. "It is alleged that in 2006 there was an advertised post for an administration team leader in the department of Sassa. In applying for the said position, the suspect submitted a fraudulent matric certificate... [A matric certificate] was one of the requirements for that job. As a result, the suspect was employed and appointed as an administration team leader at Sassa," Hawks spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi explained.   The alleged fraud was discovered during a vetting process in which qualifications were verified by the Department of Education. The matter was reported to the Hawks in in December 2020. The case was postponed to 26 March.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24

PRASA DISMISSAL DISPUTES

Labour court orders reinstatement of two senior Prasa executives and a manager, but appeal to be lodged

TimesLIVE reports that the Labour Court on Tuesday set aside the Passenger Rail Agency of SA’s (Prasa's) termination of the employment contracts of two senior executives and a manager, who must be reinstated with immediate effect. Martha Ngoye, group executive for legal risk and compliance, and Nkosinathi Khena, Prasa’s COO, received letters terminating their employment on 29 January. The letters were followed by a statement from Prasa on 30 January saying their employment contracts were terminated for having been in the employ of Prasa for more than five years. According to the statement, the executives were employed for a period not exceeding five years, with no expectation of extension of the contracts. Tiro Holele received a letter terminating his employment as general manager of strategy on 1 February, also on the basis that his stay at Prasa had exceeded the normal fixed five-year contract extended to all executives. After receipt of the letters of termination, the three wrote to Prasa to claim that they had not signed five-year fixed-term contracts. In a judgment passed on Tuesday, the court noted that despite their contestations and reminders to Prasa that at no point had they they entered into five-year fixed-term contracts, the three never received any response from Prasa. The court said it was not denied the contracts of employment did not have expiry dates, but it noted that Prasa had elected not to produce documentation to support the decision to terminate the contracts. The Prasa board said it would lodge an appeal as it believed the basis for the judgment in favour of the three was flawed in law.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE

Prasa makes a settlement offer in dispute with dismissed CFO

Independent Media reports that the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has made a settlement offer to its dismissed chief finance officer (CFO) Japhtalina Lesibana Fosu. This was announced by Prasa board chairperson Leonard Ramatlakane on Tuesday. The agency appointed Krishna Govender in May 2020 as its acting CFO following the departure of Fosu. Briefing MPs on the agency’s annual report, Ramatlakane said the board, which was appointed in October, inherited a dispute with the previous CFO, whom he said “was in fact fired”. He stated:   “We could not fill the position until the dispute has been resolved. Currently, we have made a proposal to settle with this particular individual so that we are able to advertise. That proposal, I have seen, has gone to lawyers of that individual - we wait for her to accept the offer that has been made so that we are able to advertise.” Board member Smanga Sethene said the board had since agreed that the position of the CFO should be advertised. “We are going to ensure that is done possibly before the end of next week to ensure we have a CFO that is up to the task moving forward,” Sethene advised. The planned search for a CFO takes place hot on the heels of the announcement of Zolani Matthews as the new CEO after Cabinet approval last week. On Tuesday, Ramatlakane told MPs that they were finalising matters related to Matthews’ contract.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mayibongwe Maqhina at Independent Media

CORRUPTION IN SAPS

Police commissioner has ‘sleepless nights’ over crooked officers in his ranks

TimesLIVE reports that national police commissioner Gen Khehla Sitole has admitted that corruption in the country’s police force gives him sleepless nights as it “tarnishes the image of the organisation”.   Speaking on eNCA radio on Tuesday, Sitole said corrupt officers were among his biggest headaches. “You can’t find crime with a dirty organisation,” he pointed out. Sitole said a response was in place and a clean-up operation had been launched. “As long as corruption continues, there will be more heads to roll. But I am convinced that even the most dirty house, if you keep cleaning it up, it ends up being clean one day. We are not cleaning the police service for ourselves.   We’re cleaning it for a new generation that will come and lead. We’re also doing it for their community so they regain confidence,” he stated. Sitole was also asked whether he felt he was winning the war against crime, particularly in light of recently released crime statistics which showed an increase in many areas. “The national crime combatting strategy we adopted has provision for stabilisation and normalisation. In all the areas, or hotspots, identified for stabilisation, I think we managed to stabilise crime.   We now need to go further and extend normalisation,” he indicated.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Matthew Savides at TimesLIVE