In our early morning roundup, see summaries
of our selection of recent South African labour-
labour-related reports.
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SANDF to begin vaccinating its members on Thursday News24 reports that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) will launch its Covid-19 vaccine programme on Thursday. The programme will start at the Waterkloof Military Medical Centre situated at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria, but 16 vaccination sites have been identified "for the purpose of inoculating uniformed, civilian and extended members of the military community" across the country. This forms part of phase two of the government's rollout plan, which includes essential workers. More than 300,000 teachers have been vaccinated to date, along with more than 2,000 SA Police Service members. Priority will be given to the SANDF's regular force members, including reserve force members on call-up. First in line to receive the vaccine jabs will be healthcare workers, persons in congregate settings such as military courses, and members deployed on the Mozambican border. Also included in the programme will be military veterans on the Regular Force Medical Continuation Fund, and dependants according to their age group, as prescribed by the National Department of Health. Scheduling will be done through the various SANDF formations and units. Members will not be required to register for inoculation. The various vaccination sites will accept military personnel walk-ins stationed within the radius of the identified vaccination site. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24. See too, Weermag begin met entstofprogram, at Maroela Media With 400,000 teachers jabbed so far, Basic Education seeks extension of education vaccination programme News24 reports that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) wants the Covid-19 vaccination programme for teachers and support staff to be extended. This was indicated by DBE Minister Angie Motshekga on Wednesday during her visit to Gallagher Estate in Midrand, where she observed the vaccination process. The department started its vaccination programme on 23 June and set itself a target of vaccinating 582,000 workers in the sector. Motshekga said the latest figures from the health department indicated that 400,000 people in the sector had been vaccinated so far. The education department initially received 300,000 doses. However, the health department then allocated it with additional doses which, Motshekga said, would be used to vaccinate those who had been excluded from the programme. She indicated: “We initially targeted 582,000 people in the sector but we have now loaded on the EVDS system (Electronic Vaccination Data System) 789,554 [people] who include food handlers, janitors and support staff from independent schools and Early Childhood Development centres located within school premises.” Motshekga added that the programme would also accommodate those who could not take the jab because they had tested positive or taken the flu vaccine. "As a result of this, we are going to ask the Department of Health to give us an extension in order to mop up the outstanding vaccinations," Motshekga said. The department initially planned to conclude its programme on 8 July. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sesona Ngqakamba at News24. Read too, Inentings van onderwysers vorder goed, at Maroela Media Surging death toll fails to convince vaccine-wary South Africans, with lack of communication and misinformation contributing factors Bloomberg News writes that South Africans are hesitant about having Covid-19 vaccinations despite the increasing fatality rate in the country. SA deaths from the virus rose 72% week-on-week as of Monday, the fifth-fastest worldwide and behind only Zimbabwe on the continent. Yet a lack of communication, coupled with anti-vaccine propaganda, may be responsible for daily doses languishing almost 50% below President Cyril Ramaphosa’s target. Vicky Baillie, a senior researcher at the Wits Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics unit, commented: “There is definitely vaccine hesitancy. I’ve spoken to a lot of people who just don’t understand the information that’s available, but if you talk them through the information they 100% come around.” SA’s vaccine programme has suffered numerous setbacks, of which wariness among the over-60 priority group is just one. The government was slow to place orders when other countries were stocking up last year, opting not to use the AstraZeneca vaccination after adverse trial results, while deliveries from Johnson & Johnson were delayed after a manufacturing glitch. Public vaccine sites also remain largely closed at the weekend, drawing widespread criticism. Just over 3.6-million doses have been administered to a population of about 60-million. The daily figure was almost 165,000 on Tuesday, compared with Ramaphosa’s target of 300,000. Still, there are signs the country’s roll out could accelerate — even if it’s largely too late to address the ongoing third wave. Over-50s became eligible this week, and news reports showed long queues at sites in Johannesburg. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Monique Vanek & Leah Wilson at BusinessLive Two more George municipal employees die, bringing municipality’s Covid-19 death toll to nine News24 reports that two more George municipality officials have died from Covid-19 complications, bringing to nine the number of staff members who have died during the pandemic. Another 36 are currently managing their Covid-19 symptoms. The municipality, on the southern Cape coast, has been tested severely in previous pandemic waves, with staff in the community services and finance divisions being hit hard. Colleagues are grieving the loss of Melvin Jansen, the acting supervisor for cemeteries and community services, who died on 3 July. Freddy Booysen, a civil engineering official, died on 30 June. Acting municipal manager Michele Gratz extended the municipality's condolences to both officials' families, loved ones and colleagues. In the meantime, the municipality asked for patience as it worked with fewer staff than usual. It said there would be closures of some service divisions, due to deep cleaning and staff shortages due to isolation or quarantine. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jenni Evans at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Nehawu’s decision on latest public service wage offer expected on Thursday Independent Media reports that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) will decide at a special national executive committee (NEC) on Thursday on the government’s latest public service wage offer. The union is labour federation Cosatu’s biggest affiliate and is scheduled to hold a special NEC meeting to receive feedback from its negotiators at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC). At a meeting on Tuesday of the PSCBC, government tabled a revised offer, which Nehawu said “translates to an additional R22 from the initial R978” previously put on the table by the employer. In its latest proposal, the government is offering its employees between levels 1 to 12 salary increases between R1,200 and R1,700 and has indicated that the pay hike will be closer to R1,000 after tax deductions. According to Nehawu, the union remains resolute as a matter of principle that it will refuse to sign any offer for an increase outside of baseline salaries that accordingly does not contribute to pensionable service. Nehawu has also dismissed the government’s offer of 1.5% pay progression, which it insisted would only benefit some 39 000 state employees who were not going to qualify for the pay progression. The Public Servants Association (PSA), which declared a dispute in May and has not been part of the subsequent negotiation process, has not been presented with the latest revised offer. Its members who participated in a strike balloting process are reported to be overwhelmingly in support of strike action, with only the picketing rules outstanding before the PSA embarks on industrial action. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Loyiso Sidimba at Independent Media Treasury warns that wage offer to public servants will break compensation ceiling and mean reductions in key service delivery budgets EWN reports that national Treasury has confirmed that the government’s latest wage offer to public servants would break the compensation ceiling. This means Treasury will have to make reductions in other areas of government spending, including allocations for key service delivery budget items. Although unions initially demanded 7% hikes across the board, government has offered them 1.5% and a monthly payment of about R1,000 . The lowest-paid workers will get adjustments of about 11.7%. While the government appears convinced that a settlement can be reached, Treasury said its preliminary costing indicated it would need about R20 billion to fund the deal for one year. National Treasury chief director Edgar Sishi told 702 that while the 1.5% pay progression due to several employees was budgeted for, the rest of the offer was subject to negotiation through a political process. He said the ministers who formed the mandating committee on wages had been appraised of the consequences if they breached the ceiling. “We would try avoid making reductions to critical priority areas. But it is unavoidable that if you negotiate beyond the ceiling, you are going have to find the money from somewhere. The compensation ceiling would be bridged by the new offer which means funds will have to be taken from elsewhere to make up the difference,” Sishi stated. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Theto Mahlakoana at EWN Make-or-break time as local government wage fight heads for arbitration Fin24 reports that two days of arbitration at the SA Local Government Bargaining Council between the SA Local Government Association (Salga), the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union will start later this month. Samwu declared a dispute with Salga, representing local government in wage talks under the auspices of the bargaining council, which triggered an arbitration process aimed at breaking the deadlock. The arbitration is set to take place on 19 and 20 July in Durban. The dispute is registered as a "mutual interest dispute" by essential service employees in terms of section 74 of the Labour Relations Act. While the in-person hearings will be compliant with Covid-19 lockdown regulations, additional delegates will be able to connect to the hearings virtually. Before the breakdown of talks on Friday, Samwu demanded a R4,000 salary increase across the board and a sectoral minimum wage of R15,000. The bargaining council’s facilitator proposed a three-year wage agreement, with a 4% salary increase in the first year and with projected CPI minus 1% in the remaining two years. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24
Solidarity sounds warning to health director-general over failure to place young doctors in internships Trade union Solidarity sent a warning on Tuesday to the Department of Health’s Director-General because some of its members had still not been placed for their medical internships. The doctors concerned should have started their internships on 1 July, but have still not been placed by the department. Paul Maritz, Manager of Solidarity Youth, indicated: “The state is acting negligently by failing to meet its obligations towards these doctors. Its inability to place them along with their silence is absolutely unacceptable. In its letter to the Director-General Solidarity expressed its dissatisfaction and demanded that all doctors involved are placed no later than 16 July.” Solidarity said it would continue with legal action should these young doctors not be placed in internships by 16 July. Maritz went on to state: “Many young, qualified doctors sit at home, waiting while the state is simply not communicating with them. These doctors are dependent on the state for their internships because the state is refusing to give private hospitals and medical institutions accreditation so that they may accommodate these graduate doctors. Now they are suffering under the incompetence of the state. They cannot use their skills to earn an income, nor can they hone their skills at the workplace. If the state does not listen to us, we will continue with legal action to hold the Department accountable.” Read Solidarity’s press statement regarding this matter at Solidarity News. See too, Departement gemaan oor ongeplaasde dokters, at Maroela Media
Government again defends hiring of Cubans in jobs-starved SA The Citizen reports that SA medical specialists, doctors, engineers, mechanics and teachers have been urged by the authorities not to fret about the Cuban specialists that have been brought into the country and paid billions for their skills. Department of Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said the Cuban teachers were hired to boost the mathematics and science division in the country. “If you looked at the research that was done and the improvement we made to the system, it was because of the contribution they [the Cuban specialists] made,” he said during an interview with Power FM. Mhlanga argued that the specialists were tasked with different activities: “Some of them helped teachers with different strategies of teaching maths in a way that would make an improvement. Others worked in district offices for the creation of capacity for our colleagues to be able to work.” But, Matakanye Matakanya of the National Association of School Governing Bodies slammed the decision to import the Cubans. He said: “The manner in which it was done was wrong because there are South African teachers who are qualified and unemployed who I thought should be trained by the Cuban teachers so that we have the skill at home and don’t need to import them. Why were these skills not taken to tertiary level where the teachers were produced? This would prevent the recurring problem of unemployed teachers who lacked skills.” Twenty-four engineers were imported from Cuba three months ago to repair and assist with SA’s ailing water infrastructure at a cost of R64 million. There are also 28 Cuban doctors at a cost of R32.5 million to fight Covid. Cuban mechanics and technicians were also brought in for repairs at the SA National Defence Force at a cost of nearly R1 billion. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Asanda Matlhare at The Citizen. Read too, State slammed for employing Cuban educators, at SowetanLive
Mango staff in limbo almost two weeks after June salaries not paid The Citizen reports that nearly two weeks after their 25 June payday, staff at budget airline Mango are still in the dark about when they will be paid for the month. The wait comes after the employees of the SA Airways (SAA) subsidiary received a letter two days prior to payday advising them that there were no funds to pay salaries. This was followed up in turn by a mail from Mango acting chief executive officer (CEO) William Ndlovu explaining the process that the ailing carrier had to follow for funding, and that Mango management had zero control over most of what happened. “When we say things are out of our control we mean it,” Ndlovu wrote to staff, going on to say that “we all need the patience and hope that those who are responsible for approving and moving our application [for funds] along the process do so as quickly as possible”. The letter states elsewhere: “All we can do is call the SAA company secretary”. Mango’s Benediction Zubane explained that the failure to pay June salaries was “due to the much-anticipated, pending shareholder funding and insufficient income generating opportunities thus far.” Despite several messages, the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) did not respond to any questions about provision of funding and neither did SAA. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Hein Kaiser at The Citizen June salaries of ANC employees still not paid EWN reports that following several commitments to urgently address the non-payment of salaries, the African National Congress (ANC) has once again left its staffers high and dry. Barely a month after picketing, employees at the governing party’s headquarters still have not received their pay-cheques for the month of June. The party has previously admitted to having cash flow problems and not being able to meet its monthly obligations. Treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, who was meant to meet with employees on Tuesday, is said to have failed to turn up. But spokesperson Pule Mabe said that the party had been communicating openly with staff. "The situation has been fully explained to staff. They've been given an update, people have not been left in limbo on what is happening," Mabe claimed. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Tshidi Madia at EWN
Newcastle Municipality replaces sacked workers despite long-delayed court proceedings by aggrieved ex-employees The Mercury reports that in an attempt to kick-start service, the Newcastle Municipality has announced the filing of over 100 posts that have been vacant for more than 18 months after the municipality dismissed the workers. In 2019, the municipality sacked 223 workers – mostly from the community services department – after a violent dispute over unpaid overtime. The fired workers took the matter to the Labour Court in a bid to reverse the municipality’s decision. Due to Covid-19 regulations, the matter has been dragging for months, leaving the municipality battling with poor service delivery. One of the workers said they were disappointed that the municipality had decided to replace them while the appeal process was ongoing. “If the workers win the case and the court orders that we be reinstated, it will be a mess. This means that the municipality will have to pay for two employees occupying one post. We understand that service delivery is bad since they dismissed workers, and I understand their frustration. However, this will backfire,” he opined. Municipal manager Vish Govender confirmed the appointment of the workers, saying the new staff had already started with their duties. He indicated that many of the appointed staff had been acting since the dismissal of the previous workers. Govender said if the dismissed workers won the case and were reinstated, the municipality would have no option but to comply with the ruling. But he added: “I cannot wait for the court case to be concluded as that can take up to five years. In the meantime, how do I collect waste and cut the grass? How do I provide fire and traffic services?” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sakhiseni Nxumalo at The Mercury
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