In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 4 June 2021.
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Public Works Minister Patricia de Lille tests positive for Covid-19 News24 reports that Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille has tested positive for Covid-19. She made the announcement on Twitter on Sunday morning: "I have tested positive for Covid-19. I took the test on Friday after showing some symptoms. As per Covid-19 regulations, I immediately self-quarantined. I have also informed those who have come in contact with me to do the same." De Lille further cautioned South Africans to ensure they followed Covid-19 protocols. Meantime, SA is on the brink of a Covid-19 third wave and daily infections are on the increase. Gauteng Premier David Makhura announced on Thursday that the province was already in a third wave, with more than 15,000 new infections recorded last week and more than 3,000 people admitted to hospitals in the province. Over the past few days, SA consistently reported more than 5,000 infections per day. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Getrude Makhafola at News24. Read too, More than 3,000 people hospitalised with Covid-19 in Gauteng, at News24. And also, Covid-19: KwaZulu-Natal not yet in third wave, but public urged to be vigilant, at News24 Health department says vaccination plan for teachers still in planning phase; 'nothing is confirmed yet' News24 reports that the national Department of Health (DOH) indicated late last week that a Covid-19 vaccination plan for teachers was still in the planning phase and "nothing is confirmed yet". That was said amid a leaked memo from the KwaZulu-Natal provincial health department that stated that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) would be the target group for the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine in the week of 7 June. Earlier last week, the DBE had said that it was in consultation with the DOH to get teachers vaccinated ahead of the full-time return of primary school pupils. Pupils from grades R to 7, including those from schools for children with special needs, will be returning to class under the traditional timetable from 26 July. Meantime, teacher unions have called for teachers to be vaccinated. Mugwena Maluleke of the SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) said they had been calling since April for teachers to be vaccinated. He stated: “Teachers are frontline workers and must be on the priority list… This vaccination must happen now.” Basil Manuel of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA (Naptosa) teachers and learners must be kept safe. "As part of our demands, we have also said teachers should be vaccinated, but not only for health and safety protocols, but because it settles the minds of our teachers. They will set the example. It's been confirmed that there is support for this by the education minister and health minister.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24. Read too, No teachers will get J&J jabs this week, as the US first has to rule that the shots are safe, at News24 “Excruciatingly slow” vaccine rollout means casual dining could be in for another year of pain Business Times writes that casual sit-down dining, one of the sectors hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns, is facing an uncertain recovery path, with analysts expecting it to return to some semblance of normality only in 9-12 months. The lag is due to the “excruciatingly slow” vaccine rollout, they say. Even the more resilient quick-service restaurant segment, with its focus on takeaways and deliveries, faces hurdles as consumers come under increasing pressure because of rocketing unemployment, higher food prices and cuts to the Covid-related social grants from the government. Small Talk Daily analyst Anthony Clark said that with the third wave upon SA, there was definitely anecdotal evidence that people have been shying away from going out to restaurants in general over the past two weeks. “People still want to go out but they are fearful about going out. Deliveries are still doing quite well, which tells you they are still fearful. And whilst underlying trends are encouraging and coming off an awful base of last year, I think it is going to be at least another 9-12 months before any semblance of normality comes back to casual dining or until the vaccine rollout gathers momentum,” Clark said. He added that key to the recovery of casual dining and the fast-food sector would be what happened during the Covid-19 third wave, and whether the vaccine rollout could be sped up so that there was a weakened fourth wave by the time the summer months came and there was a traditional pick-up in fast food. Independent investment analyst Chris Gilmour said the pace of recovery in casual dining could be tied “almost exactly to the pace of the vaccine rollout”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nick Wilson at BusinessLive (paywall access only)
City of Cape Town employee robbed at gunpoint and left stranded after his vehicle was set alight News24 reports that a City of Cape Town employee was held at gunpoint and then left stranded when his vehicle was hijacked and set alight in Delft on Thursday. The driver from the parks and recreation services department's standby team was travelling to fetch eight members of his team in Mfuleni when he was hijacked at gunpoint by two men. After robbing him of his belongings, the gunmen then chased him out of the vehicle and proceeded to pour petrol on it and set it on fire. The truck was valued at around R580,000 and was carrying equipment worth R100,000. The driver had to make his way from the scene to his workplace in Maitland and then reported the incident to the police. The other staff members were left stranded without transport to work in the areas planned for the day. "[On Thursday], the team would have spent the day doing tree maintenance, root pruning and mowing of greenbelts and parks in Langa, Pinelands, Thornton, Maitland and Epping. Service delivery to those areas will now be delayed for at least two weeks while a replacement vehicle is sourced and resources are reallocated within the area," said mayoral committee member for community services and health Zahid Badroodien. Trauma counselling and days off have been made available to the driver to recover from the incident. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24 Rand Water to lay criminal charges against customers who were 'abusive' in emails to customer care staffers News24 reports that Rand Water is preparing to lay criminal charges against customers who allegedly sent abusive emails to its customer care centre during water shortages in several areas in Gauteng. The water utility's spokesperson, Justice Mohale, said staffers were insulted and accused of incompetence in emails sent by angry customers, who had gone for days without water. Several areas in Gauteng, including public hospitals, have experienced severe water shortages for a few weeks. "The employees are also human. They cannot tolerate such profanities directed at them. Some customers even called in, using the F-word against staffers. Rand Water views the tone and the abusive language used in the emails as unacceptable, undesirable and malicious to its brand," Mohale said on Saturday. He added: "The sender of one email implied that water shortages in his area was as a result of the incompetence of Rand Water employees. This accusation is unfounded and baseless, since water supply is dependent on interlinkages with other service providers in the water value chain." Mohale said two letters had been drafted and would soon be emailed to the senders with regard to impending criminal charges. He advised that formal charges would be laid with the police in due course. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Getrude Makhafola at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
PSA to start getting ready for strike if there is no other way forward from government in the public sector wage talks City Press reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) said on Friday that it would start preparations for industrial action this week if government did not offer a favourable way forward on the public sector wage dispute. PSA spokesperson Reuben Maleka said that, despite the association having declared a dispute, it had made every effort to engage with the employer (government) during the conciliation process on Thursday regarding the salary proposal tabled to other unions. He said the PSA had also stressed that the matter should not be dragged to the courts, thereby preventing PSA members from embarking on strike action. Maleka indicated further: “In short, the employer argued that the majority parties were still engaged in negotiations when the PSA declared a dispute. The employer requested 10 days to submit its arguments in writing. The PSA strongly objected to the time required by the employer to do this. We indicated that two days were enough. The employer will be given two days to respond to the PSA’s reply.” The PSA filed its wage dispute on 11 May and, as a result during the conciliation hearing on Thursday this week, government refused to deliberate orally with the union and requested approval to submit its arguments in writing. Government argued that the PSA’s declaration of a dispute had been premature, since the majority of the unions were still engaged in negotiations. A knowledgeable source commented: “The PSA is aggrieved by the route they themselves took of lodging a dispute. In my view, they thought that moving out of facilitation and lodging a dispute would give them political mileage. Yet now they’re not getting any traction from their stance.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thuletho Zwane at City Press
Technology gives farmers a leg up in cutting costs after minimum wage rises, but sector could lose over 4,000 jobs BL Premium reports that farmers are turning to technology to improve productivity, reduce costs and keep their enterprises afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic. This after Agri SA warned recently that the national minimum wage of R21.69 per hour that came into effect on 1 March could result in the loss of more than 4,000 jobs. The sector is considered one of the beacons of the economy as it contributes 3% to GDP and is responsible for 900,000 jobs. Commercial farmers were unhappy that the minimum wage had increased 16% from R18.68 an hour to match the broader national minimum wage of R21.69, which is up 4.5% from 2020. Emerging farmers welcomed the increase, saying it was long overdue as farm labourers contributed immensely to the growth of the sector and towards SA’s food security. But, disgruntled farmers said they would turn to modern technology, precision farming, and consider mechanisation to reduce operational and labour costs. The technology farmers are using includes GPS-guided tractors, drones, apps and biological technology such as genetically modified organism seeds. Ken Treloar of agri-tech company Aerobotics reported that farmers “are coming to us to ask for assistance on precision farming, for a host of reasons. They want to digitise their farming operations, do data capturing, and monitor return on investment.” Agri SA’s Christo van der Rheede commented: “Farmers have to ensure a quality product and higher yields, so they are forced to use all kinds of technologies to ensure profitability and quality products. If labour becomes too expensive and has an impact on profitability and on yield, then farmers have no other option but to mechanise and use technology on their farms.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (paywall access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Denel faces liquidation bid from SAAB Grintek Defence eNCA reports that state-owned arms manufacturer Denel faces a legal bid to have it liquidated. SAAB Grintek Defence has approached the High Court in Pretoria for the winding up of the company. It says Denel’s affairs should be handed over to a liquidator to allow its creditors to file claims according to the Insolvency Act. The matter at issue relates to a contract for SAAB to produce 211 Fire Control Computers for the Badger Infantry Combat Vehicles. The deal is known as the Hoefyster Agreement. In terms of the contract, Denel was supposed to have supplied SAAB with specific equipment to fulfill its side of the deal. However, that did not happen. Read the original of the short report in the above regard and view a video clip by Barry Bateman at eNCA. Read too, Saab Grintek vra likwidasie van Denel, at Maroela Media ‘Unemployment, corruption and poorly managed SOEs crippled economy’, Black Business Summit hears TimesLIVE reports that opposition parties have called on the government to address unemployment, corruption and poorly managed state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which they argue are crippling the country’s economy. “We must start from scratch. Even before Covid-19, our economy was in the doldrums. Our economy faced challenges before Covid-19. Those challenges are still here,” noted UDM leader Bantu Holomisa, speaking at the Black Business Summit in Johannesburg on Thursday. He said load-shedding was interrupting lives and businesses and added: “We must grapple with these realities given that we have an unreliable power supply and that this has certainly not changed since 2020.” Corruption, service delivery and poorly managed state-owned enterprises were the Achilles heel of the economy, Holomisa told delegates. The Covid-19 outbreak had fuelled corruption, he added. “Our economy is not recovering. [Those in government] use the tender system to enrich themselves through PPE deals. Unemployment keeps rising and Covid-19 is putting a damper on all of it… Paying lip service is not good enough. The corrupt must be fired, go to court and if found guilty, they must rot in jail and pay back the money,” he exhorted. IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa echoed the sentiments on corruption crippling the “already ailing” economy. He called on government to consider public-private partnerships in respect of the ailing SOEs to allow for much-needed skills and capital injection. According to DA shadow minister of finance Geordin Hill-Lewis, the country was no nearer to economic reform and recovery. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nomahlubi Sonjica at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Labour desks of political party interfering in the work of the CCMA Mail & Guardian reports that the cash-strapped Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has warned that “political party labour desks” pose a threat to the work of the statutory dispute resolution body. Last month, Democratic Alliance MP Michael Bagraim asked in a parliamentary question why the CCMA had identified civil society organisations, which included political parties, as a threat in its annual performance plan. Tthe minister of employment and labour, Thulas Nxesi, replied: “The CCMA has noticed an emerging trend where political parties with established labour desks/advice offices are representing parties in CCMA processes. This trend is likely to continue as worker representativity across various workplaces is declining with vulnerable workers seeking or forming new associations to assist them.” He said the CCMA was concerned that the participation of civil society organisations in its processes might be viewed as political interference. This posed a risk to the commission’s perceived objectivity and independence. The CCMA gave a similar answer, adding that there had been a growing trend of organised civil society groups, advice offices and workers’ committees representing workers, using the CCMA’s rule 25. Rule 25 provides that a worker may be represented by a legal practitioner, a fellow employee or a trade union official in an arbitration hearing, but rule 25(6) allows a worker to apply for alternative representation. CCMA director Cameron Morajane reported that the commission had received accounts of disruptive behaviour by representatives in or near hearing venues. “The CCMA needs to be alive and sensitive to the changing dynamics and new role players in the labour market, who are not necessarily highly skilled in labour relations, and be pro-active as to equip them with the required knowledge and skills through training initiatives. This will mitigate the risk of instability in the labour market and ensure that the independence and relevance of the CCMA is maintained,” Morajane said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sarah Smit at Mail & Guardian (paywall access only)
Skills programme to give leg up to unemployed youth in Alexandra The Sunday Independent reports that Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Morakane Mosupyoe officially opened the Ikusasalethu Youth Development Project centre in Alexandra township, on Thursday. The department said the project aimed to equip young people with the necessary skills to crack the labour market, thus make young people more employable. Ikusasalethu is one of the six centres of excellence in the five Gauteng regions that are aimed at tackling issues of youth unemployment. The centre has been approved to train 400 young people and offers programmes in web design, furniture making, carpentry, and welding, among others. Heinrich April, an MP who serves in the portfolio of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, applauded the Department of Social Development and the community for working together to establish the project. April said he would ensure that the youth participating in these programmes had access to the markets after completing their courses. “There is tons of progress that specifically looks into how we can incorporate small-medium enterprises into the mainstream. One thing I can convey to you is that I will make sure that these young people have access to the necessary tools of the trade and their markets,” said April. “The focus is to ensure that all individuals are skilled and further trained to start their own businesses to curb reliance on employment,” said Feziwe Ndwayana, spokesperson for the social development department. The office of the MEC said that it would collaborate with the involved parties to ensure that the programme became a success. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tshepiso Tshabalala on page 5 of The Sunday Independent of 6 June 2021
Soshanguve taxi operators strike over commuters' refusal to pay increased fares. SowetanLive reports that taxi operators in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria embarked on a strike for the second day on Thursday last week over commuters' refusal to pay increased fares. The drivers started the strike on Tuesday, saying they hoped the move would make commuters concede to pay the R15 for local trips. The local fare was increased by R3 in March. Busiziwe Gomba, 77, said as commuters they were struggling because every time there was a petrol hike, there was also a taxi-fare hike but when the petrol price decreased the fare remained the same. "I depend on a social grant for survival and no one is working at home," Gomba said, adding that they would shut down the industry in the area. "We will walk or use other modes of transport. No more taxi-fare hikes in Soshanguve or all local taxis will be banned completely and we will see where the operators will work," another commuter said, adding that taxi associations must intervene before what was happening led to a total shutdown in the area. But, taxi driver Brine Chauke said they would no longer make an exception for commuters as they did not respect their jobs. He said some passengers claimed they only had R10 while they had just bought a box of KFC and groceries. Another taxi operator Bongani Njangase said commuters did not respect them because they thought that they were not educated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Keletso Mkhwanazi at SowetanLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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