WAGE NEGOTIATIONS

Public Servants Association threatens industrial action over 0% wage offer from government

BL Premium reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA), which represents over 235,000 workers, has threatened to go on strike after the government formally tabled a 0% wage increase for the 2021/2022 financial year. The offer was tabled during negotiations at the Public Sector Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) on Thursday. “The offer for the cost-of-living adjustment for the 2021/2022-financial year was a 0% increase. The rest of the substantive demands by labour were also rejected,” the PSA’s Reuben Maleka advised. He went on to threaten: “We will go on strike and shut down the public sector. We will be on the streets, demanding the government takes us seriously.” Public sector unions are demanding a wage increase of the consumer price index (CPI) plus 4% across the board for 2021/2022, which is above the 2.9% inflation rate recorded in February and the 4.3% average the Reserve Bank expects for 2021. Their other demands include a R2,500 housing allowance, a special risk allowance of 12% of basic salaries during national disasters such as Covid-19, and the filling of all vacant posts in the public service. Maleka said the state as the employer should revise its 0% offer to prevent the “dispute process being invoked”. The Department of Public Service and Administration is apparently due to respond with a revised offer on 23 April.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (paywall access only). Read too, SA public-sector union warns it may strike over pay, at Moneyweb

Numsa and NUM seek 15% wage increases at Eskom, while Solidarity wants 9.5%

Bloomberg reports that the two biggest unions representing workers at Eskom are seeking 15% wage increases, adding to the woes confronting the loss-making state-owned power utility. The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) tabled their demands at a preparatory meeting on Friday and pay talks will resume on 4 May, Eskom spokesman Sikonathi Mantshantsha advised. A third union, Solidarity, wants 9.5% increases for its members.   Eskom is struggling to meet electricity demand due to breakdowns at its old and poorly maintained plants and isn’t generating enough cash to fund its operations and service its R464 billion of debt. The utility bowed to pressure from labour in the 2018 wage negotiations, after strikes crippled the grid, by agreeing to a one-time cash payment and annual increases of at least 7%. The latest pay demands were reasonable and affordable, with many of Eskom’s problems “manufactured” by a management that was failing to do its job, William Mabapa, the NUM’s acting general secretary, commented.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mike Cohen at Moneyweb

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

Free State emergency service worker shot dead execution-style on side of the road

News24 reports that a Free State Emergency Medical Services (EMS) member was shot and killed execution-style on the side of the road on Thursday afternoon. Bohlokong police were called to the scene along the R76 Lindley Road, where the body of the EMS worker was found behind an EMS response vehicle. “The body of a 48-year-old man was found on the ground behind the vehicle with five bullet wounds to the back of the head. The deceased, who was not in uniform, was identified as one of Bethlehem Emergency Medical Services personnel. The keys of the vehicle were still in the ignition," police spokesperson Colonel Thandi Mbambo reported. Mbambo appealed to anyone with information that could assist in the murder investigation to contact the police.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lwandile Bhengu at News24

Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg closed for a week after fire on Friday

TimesLIVE reports that Charlotte Maxeke hospital in Parktown, Johannesburg, has been closed for a week after a fire on Friday.   Gauteng premier David Makhura, who visited the hospital on Saturday, said patients who needed medication and care should go to nearby hospitals because services were suspended.   Makhura reported that the fire had been contained and added: “It is not in the wards but in the parking bays. A floor of one of the parking bays has caved in.” Gauteng health department spokesperson Kwara Kekana on Friday said the fire had affected the dispensary where all the dry and medical items were kept. According to Kekana, hospital and clinical services had not been affected. In a statement on Saturday, the Gauteng government indicated as follows: “The primary focus at this stage is to save lives and ensure a total evacuation of all the remaining 270 patients to other facilities. The evacuation of patients is a safety precaution due to concern of smoke contamination.” More than 415 patients had been evacuated from Charlotte Maxeke and sent to various facilities across the province, it added.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nomahlubi Sonjica at TimesLIVE

Lack of functional fire hydrants ‘part of a bigger problem’ at Charlotte Maxeke hospital

The Citizen reports that an alleged lack of functional fire hydrants with a fire which wouldn’t die down led to the mass evacuation of patients at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. Seemingly lack of maintenance might be the issue. Wynand Engelbrecht, the CEO of the privately-owned firefighting operation Fire Ops South Africa (SA), explained how the fire in the special dispensary stores on Friday morning was a result of poor maintenance of the ailing structure. “The fire hydrants were part of a bigger problem. The hospital should not have any patients in it, there were dozens of doors removed that were supposed be smoke control doors and there were no smoke detectors,” he claimed. Engelbrecht added that Joburg fire fighters made the best out of a poor situation:   “When the Johannesburg fire department could not find a working hydrant, they drove their fire trucks up and down, and ferried water around the building and every time they left the scene, the fire would flare up again.” If the fire had been in the actual hospital, claimed Engelbrecht, it would have easily spread through the entire building as there would be nothing stopping it from spreading to other floors. “There’s nothing [to warn] anybody that indicates a fire in a ward because there’s no emergency plan. When I asked for an emergency plan on Friday night from the executive group, they could not produce anything,” Engelbrecht said. City of Johannesburg Emergency Medical Services spokesperson said the department was waiting for an investigation to be conducted regarding the cause of the fire.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Asanda Matlhare at The Citizen

Nehawu calls for immediate investigation into Friday’s fire at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Joburg

The Citizen reports that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) called for an immediate investigation after fire ravaged through the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital dispensary section, including a PPE storeroom, on Friday. General secretary Zola Saphetha said: “This was a setback considering that workers were in dire need of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies. As we head towards the third wave of Covid-19 infections, hospitals must be fully stocked with PPE so to avoid the mass infections of frontline workers as it happened during the first wave.” Saphetha added that the hospital’s safety measures were being questioned by the union: “The fact that the fire raged on for many hours proved that occupational safety measures are not adequately adhered to at the hospital.   Investigations must reveal if the hospital had a functional fire sprinkler system and other measures to deal with such an ordeal.” The general secretary said the union would monitor the situation closely. “Nehawu will continue to sharply raise the issue of health and safety of its members and workers in all workplaces. The fire at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital comes two months after another store room of the Carletonville Hospital where medical equipment worth R23 Million went up in flames,” Saphetha pointed out. Jack Bloom of the Democratic Alliance (DA) said the fire at Charlotte Maxeke dealt a huge blow to health services in Gauteng and resuming certain services would take longer than expected. Bloom added he was concerned that large parts of the hospital were possibly not structurally sound after the fire and would not be safe for patients.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Asanda Matlhare at The Citizen (scroll down). Read too, PPE burns in hospital fire, on page 6 of Saturday Citizen of 17 April 2021. And also, Was fire at Charlotte Maxeke foul play? at City Press (paywall access only)

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Two firefighters hospitalised as Cape Town heritage gems including Mostert Mill and UCT library gutted, at TimesLIVE

TOURISM EQUITY FUND

Solidarity and AfriForum tell court that R1.2bn Tourism Equity Fund is unlawful

BL Premium reports that trade union Solidarity and lobby group AfriForum argued in the Pretoria High Court on Friday that the R1.2bn Tourism Equity Fund was unlawful because tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane established it without the go-ahead from her trade, industry & competition counterpart, Ebrahim Patel, as required by law. The fund was unlawful in terms of the tourism sector code and the Broad-Based BEE Act as well as the constitution because it constituted unfair discrimination, the organisations also claimed. They objected to the fund on the grounds that the criteria used to allocate funds was racially based because only businesses with 51% black ownership could apply. Counsel for Solidarity and AfriForum pointed out that the two organisations were not challenging the need for BEE, but contended that it should be done in accordance with the legislative framework. They sought an urgent interdict to stop the ministry from disbursing the funds. Counsel for the state, Azhar Bham SC, said the fund was set up to help black businesses progress in what remained an untransformed industry. It had been in the making for about four years and has nothing to do with the Covid-19 pandemic. Bham stated that the eligibility criteria were “not an outright exclusion of white individuals participating in the fund. The criteria is that a business must be at least 51% black-owned. It follows that a business that has a substantial white ownership of up to 49% is still eligible to apply.” Judgment on the urgent application for an interim interdict pending a judicial review was reserved.

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

MINING LABOUR

Sibanye-Stillwater launches campaign to reimagine, foster Marikana community of the future

Mining Weekly reports that precious metals miner Sibanye-Stillwater has launched the Marikana Renewal Programme to tackle the legacy of the Marikana mine following the 16 August 2012 killing of 34 mineworkers by the SA Police Service. Sibanye acquired the Marikana mine when it bought out Lonmin in 2019.   The renewal programme is a multi-stakeholder, collaborative and facilitated process to co-create a sustainable and positive future at Marikana. CEO Neal Froneman pointed out that when Sibanye acquired Marikana, it understood that an integral part of the assimilation of its operations would be the need to recognise the events that unfolded between 10 and 16 August 2012 in which a total of 44 people lost their lives. Froneman stated that Sibanye hoped, through delivering tangible and sustainable programmes for the benefit of local communities around Marikana, a new legacy of healing and hope would emerge. He explained that the renewal vision was built on three core blocks, the first being to honour the lives that were lost, and to support those for whom the loss was the greatest. The second building block was that of engagement, through which the miner was prioritising its listening and speaking to affected communities. The third building block was Sibanye’s opportunity to create, or more specifically to co-create, social and economic development. With the tenth anniversary of the Marikana incident approaching in 2022, patron of the Marikana Renewal process, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, said all those affected and impacted needed a new reality which reimagined the future of Marikana. “A community that is united, has found healing and is working at restoring itself, and gearing itself up for greater heights,” he stated.

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

Advisers recommend that shareholders reject incoming Glencore CEO's proposed pay package

Mining Weekly reports that proxy advisers Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis have recommended that Glencore’s shareholders should reject a proposed pay package for incoming CEO Gary Nagle at the firm's annual general meeting (AGM) later this month.   Glencore announced in December that Nagle would take over as CEO from Ivan Glasenberg, who has been at the helm for 19 years, from July. Glasenberg had a yearly salary of $1.5-million with no further incentives.   Under the new proposed pay plan, Nagle would receive a maximum total compensation of $10.4-million, including short-term incentives and the introduction of a restricted share plan (RSP), which is a form of long-term pay whereby shares are held by the employer for a certain period. Share rewards would account for 60% of the total. Around 40% would be held back until two years after employment under the holding requirement. In a note to shareholders on Thursday, ISS said the "proposed pay package is considered excessive with a large proportion being non-performance-related, partly due to the introduction of an RSP." ISS added: "The package is driven by a salary of $1.8-million, which stands out as relatively high amongst peers." Glass Lewis noted that Nagle's compensation would be excessive for a "newly appointed CEO with no previous experience of running a publicly listed company." But according to Glencore's remuneration committee, which compared the proposed pay to peers including Anglo American, BHP, BP, Rio Tinto and Royal Dutch Shell, Nagle’s remuneration of up to $10.4-million would be aligned to shareholders' interests.

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

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY

Employment Equity Amendment Bill unconstitutional, says Busa

BL Premium reports that two business organisations argued in parliament on Thursday that proposed legislation which would give Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister the power to set sectoral targets for employment equity was unconstitutional in its current form.   Presenting their comment to MPs on the Employment Equity Amendment Bill, Business Unity SA (Busa) and the SA Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec) said forcing compliance with the targets as a precondition to secure state contracts would be unconstitutional. Busa’s Nedlac business convener Kaizer Moyane said during the hearing that the bill “simply empowers the minister to determine targets without reference to any prescribed framework. As such it will, in Busa’s view, be unconstitutional.” He went on the say: “The consequences of not meeting the sectoral targets would eliminate organisations from transacting with the state and destroy their revenue lines, resulting in liquidation and job losses.” The bill aims to address the slow pace of transformation of the economy to achieve employment equity, which business agrees with government has been too slow. It hopes to do this by giving the DEL minister the power to set numerical sectoral targets for blacks, women and the disabled, replacing the existing self-imposed employment equity targets. The bill stipulates that companies that fail to comply with the targets will be fined 1% to 10% of turnover and would be disqualified from doing business with the government.

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

REMUNERATION

Radiation therapists leave Charlotte Maxeke in droves over pay disparity

SowetanLive reports that even as the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital faces cancer treatment backlogs, radiation therapists are leaving the institution in droves because of disputed salary scales. At least nine therapists have resigned in the past two years, leaving about 40 staff members to treat some 4,500 new cancer patients every year. The hospital's oncology department is the largest cancer unit in the country and apparently has a backlog of more than 250 patients, some of whom have been waiting to receive radiation treatment from as far back as 2016. The department of health has, however, denied the backlog claims. The department and 23 radiation therapists have been at loggerheads over salary scales for more than four years. The therapists, all of whom qualified after 2002, claim unfair remuneration as the HR department pays them using the radiographer code, in terms of which they earn less than their counterparts at other hospitals. They took their grievance to the CCMA, which ruled in their favour in August 2019.   “The applicants were unfairly discriminated against in respect of their right to equal pay for work of equal value, in that there were no fair and rational reasons, as submitted by the respondent, the Gauteng department of health, for the differences in pay between them and their chosen comparators,” read the award. The CCMA also instructed the department to pay the therapists R5.7m in compensation. However, the department appealed against the ruling, saying the therapists were in different jobs to those they were compared to. The funds have yet to be paid to the therapists as they are waiting for the labour court to set a date for the hearing.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lindile Sifile at SowetanLive

SUSPENSIONS

Unisa legal services executive hauls vice-chancellor to court over suspension

TimesLIVE reports that Unisa’s executive director of legal services, Adv Modidima Mannya, has hauled vice-chancellor Prof Puleng LenkaBula to court after she suspended him for, among other things, allegedly abusing his position. Mannya was placed on suspension on 8 April for three months after he rejected a proposal by LenkaBula to participate in what she termed, according to him, “a mediation”. He has asked the North Gauteng High Court to suspend the vice-chancellor’s decision to suspend him pending the finalisation of the arbitration of the dispute. In court papers filed on Friday, he stated that his notice of suspension indicated that the action was taken against him on the recommendation of the directorate: labour law in terms of a clause which provided for the immediate suspension of an employee on full pay pending a hearing. “It was impossible for the second respondent (LenkaBula) to obtain a recommendation from the directorate since I am the only official in that department and I have not recommended my own suspension.” He claimed there was no investigation into any allegation of misconduct against him. “In fact, to date, I do not know what I have allegedly done as the university changes its stance at every opportunity.” He stated in court documents that as far as he could tell, the suspension concerned allegations that were made against him a year ago “which were not processed by the officials of the university”.   According to him, the three officials who made the allegations have since left the university. Both the university and LenkaBula have until 19 April to file a notice of opposition if they plan to oppose the application.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at TimesLIVE