Today's Labour News

COVID-19 THIRD WAVE AND LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS

With Covid-19 lockdown level 4 extended, alcohol and leisure sectors warn of death knell for recovery

BL Premium reports that in a blow to the liquor, leisure, travel and tourism industries, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday extended the government’s ban on alcohol sales by another two weeks. “As things stand now, (Covid-19) infections remain extremely high ... we are experiencing a third wave which is worse than the first and second waves,” Ramaphosa said during a televised address.   However, he also announced that sit-ins would be allowed at restaurants and eateries subject to strict protocols, such as restricting the number of patrons to less than 50% of capacity. Gyms would also be allowed to open. Schools will remain closed until 26 July. Industry players in the alcohol, leisure, travel and tourism sectors have warned that the current restrictions signal the death knell for recovery efforts.   The alcohol sales bans on three separate occasions in 2020 for a total of 20 weeks have drawn widespread condemnation for the devastating effect on the economy, including R38bn in lost liquor sales, R27bn less tax revenue, job losses and billions in cancelled investment. The alcohol industry is fighting back against the fourth liquor ban in court, with SA Breweries arguing that there is no scientific evidence that banning alcohol sales reduces the number of Covid-19 infections. Even though the restaurant industry will now be breathing a sigh of relief, the continued ban on alcohol sales will hurt recovery efforts.   “The list of restaurants that are closing is continuing to grow, and every minute we are receiving a notification of another closed restaurant,” said Wendy Alberts, CEO of Restaurant Association of SA.

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

Ramaphosa announces extension of Covid-19 Ters scheme for sectors affected by lockdown measures

The Citizen reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the extension of the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) in an effort to support people who have been affected by lockdown restrictions. He addressed the nation on Sunday night, when he announced the extension of SA’s adjusted Alert Level 4 lockdown for another 14 days. Ramaphosa said that following negotiations between the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and social partners, it was decided to extend the Ters scheme for sectors affected by the lockdown measures. “On the basis of these discussions, the UIF has decided that the Covid-19 Ters scheme should be extended to sectors that are affected by adjusted Level 4 restrictions. The details of the extension will be published shortly following the finalisation of the full scheme, which will include further details on who is eligible for this support,” he indicated. According to Ramaphosa, the Ters scheme has provided more than R60 billion to protect the jobs of 5.5 million workers.   Meanwhile, the sale of alcohol remains prohibited under Level 4.

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

Johannesburg mayor Geoff Makhubo dies of Covid complications

BusinessLive reports that City of Johannesburg mayor Geoff Makhubo has died of complications after contracting Covid-19.   He tested positive in June. The city’s finance MMC, Jolidee Matongo said on Friday: “It’s confirmed, he has passed on this morning (Friday). He was in hospital due to Covid-19. He did not make it.” In a media statement on Friday, Joburg acting mayor and MMC for health and social development Eunice Mgcina expressed heartfelt condolences to Makhubo’s wife, daughters, mother and the rest of his family, friends and comrades and indicated that the office of the executive mayor and council speaker would announce further details in due course. Cosatu said Makhubo worked well with them and would consult on “deployments, policy direction, and challenges in the city”. The labour federation went on to say: “He also worked well with the [tripartite] alliance in Johannesburg and his leadership, respect and humility will be missed. The residents of Johannesburg and the alliance have lost a selfless cadre.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Vlak 4: Restaurante, gimnasiums mag oopmaak, at Maroela Media
• Pandemic taking toll on pastors, at SowetanLive

COVID-19 VACCINATION ROLLOUT

With funding for additional staff secured, weekend Covid-19 vaccinations to roll out from August

The Citizen reports that acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane on Friday announced another big step forward in SA’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout programme with the implementation of weekend vaccinations. The health ministry had been in talks with the National Treasury to secure funding in order for additional staff, including medical and nursing students, to assist with weekend vaccinations across all provinces. Since funding has now been secured, Kubayi-Ngubane said weekend vaccinations would roll out from August. “The matter [of] funding of the vaccination programme was clarified.   To this end, we will be starting our work to ensure the availability of human capital to vaccinate over weekends as well. Our target for this is 1 August 2021 and my appeal is that we continue working together with the provinces to achieve this target,” she said. According to the National Income Dynamics Coronavirus Rapid Mobile (NIDS-CRAM) survey released on Thursday, the lack of weekend vaccinations has been a major roadblock in SA’s vaccine rollout programme.   Despite SA trudging through a vaccine quagmire, Dr Nicholas Crisp from the National Health Insurance (NHI) on Friday confirmed that the country was now in its strongest position yet for vaccinations. He confirmed that there were 3.6 million vaccine doses ready for use in SA as of Thursday, comprising both the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Pfizer doses.   The country has about 18 days of vaccines in stock, which is the strongest position it has been in to date.   With citizens over the age of 50 are now receiving their jabs, Kubayi-Ngubane said individuals between the ages of 35 and 49 could start registering on 15 July, with their rollout set for 1 August.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cheryl Kahla at The Citizen

Solidarity report finds that Covid-19 vaccines to be effective and safe, but everyone must decide for themselves

The Solidarity Research Institute has found in a comprehensive scientific report that vaccines are an effective and safe way to end the Covid-19 pandemic, but the report also supports people’s freedom to decide for themselves. According to Solidarity Movement chairperson Flip Buys, large numbers of the group’s members and other citizens will have to make a decision regarding vaccinations within the next few weeks.   He said: “We want to enable our members and other South Africans to make decisions in a responsible way. Covid-19 is hitting all of us hard and everyone is longing for an end to the pandemic. With all the opinions, fake news and political agendas doing the rounds, good scientific research is essential. From the findings in the report, we can encourage our members to get the vaccines, but on condition that everyone must make their decision in a responsible way and take their own unique circumstances into account.”   According to the report, it was found that internationally vaccines were indeed effective. Connie Mulder, head of the Solidarity Research Institute, also advised that an in-depth investigation had been conducted into data on reports of side effects. Like other medications, it was found that there were side effects, “but for most people the risk posed by Covid-19 is much higher than the risk of getting the vaccine.” Noting that vaccination could definitely play a major role in getting out of the pandemic, Solidarity Chief Executive Dr Dirk Hermann said: “What we now have to do is to consider the facts. We encourage all to assess their circumstances, make their decision (in a responsible way) and to exercise their freedom of choice.”

Download the full report here. Lees ook, Covid-19-entstof ‘doeltreffend, veilig’ – Solidariteit Beweging, by Maroela Media

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Coronavirus vaccine rollout to open for those aged 35-49, with registrations from 15 July, at BusinessLive

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

Two construction workers shot when City of Cape Town housing project came under attack last week

News24 reports that Western Cape police are investigating a case of attempted murder after two construction workers were shot by unknown suspects last week. This was the fourth targeted shooting incident with malicious intent directed towards the Beacon Valley Housing Project in Mitchells Plain. In this latest incident, two construction workers were shot, one in both his legs and the other in the chest. According to the housing settlements department, this was also the second time petrol bombing was used to damage the construction plant. The latest incident happened last Wednesday, within 24 hours of the contractors having moved back to the site after the previous shootings. Both contractors who were working on the site have since halted all work at the project, which is intended to provide affordable housing opportunities to 1,809 qualifying beneficiaries in the 2024/25 financial year. Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairman Norman Jantjies said there could be two reasons for the attacks on the City's projects: “One could be extortion, and another reason could be the allocation of contracts. The people are unhappy about the contractors and sub-contractors.” He added that the City had not involved the community in the decision-making process, hence some people were resorting to violence.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cebelihle Mthethwa at News24

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Man in snymasjien vasgevang, by Maroela Media

INDUSTRIAL ACTION / STRIKES

Pilots’ association reaches in principle agreement with SAA, striking members to ballot over weekend

BusinessLive reports that the SA Airways (SAA) pilots’ association has reached an in-principle agreement with the national carrier to end a strike and enter retrenchment processes. Members of the SAA Pilots Association (Saapa) have been on strike since April and locked out by management since December in a dispute, which among other things included the terms of retrenchment they were offered.   While all other employees were offered very generous retrenchment terms, which included a large gratuity, Saapa was offered the statutory minimum of one week of pay for each year served.   Saapa has now agreed to these terms as well as a demographic matrix that will use both race and seniority to determine pilot retention. The intention is that the new pilot cohort should reflect the racial composition of the population. Eighty-eight pilots out of 378 will be retained and the rest will be retrenched.   Saapa chair Grant Back said that members would be balloted over the weekend and a decision made on Monday.   He commented: “It is a fairish deal under the circumstances and bearing in mind that our members have not received a cent in 15 months. It is the best deal we are going to get,” said Back.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at BusinessLive

Rubbish collection in Kariega halted by garbage collectors demanding permanent jobs

GroundUp reports that about 30 garbage collectors at the Cuyler Depot in Kariega (Uitenhage) stopped rubbish collection for the second day on Friday morning. Fourteen workers, whose contracts ended on 30 June, were demanding permanent jobs.     Dressed in their overalls, they stormed the depot, singing “dubula dubula’ (shoot shoot) and blowing whistles.   Municipal spokesperson Mthubanzi Mniki said the employees contracts had ended due to budget constraints as the department could only afford to take on a smaller number of employees.   At 6am on Thursday and on Friday, when rubbish trucks were supposed to have set out for the streets of KwaNobuhle, Khayelitsha and the city centre, the workers closed the main gate and told truck drivers not to drive out of the depot. Vehicles were also barred from entering. “We have been badly treated … The management has told us they won’t employ us permanently,” a worker claimed. He said tensions rose in June when they demanded overalls and personal protective equipment. “We discovered that in all the other five depots in the city other casual workers will be made permanent in this financial year, except us,” he also claimed.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thamsanqa Mbovane at GroundUp

WAGE NEGOTIATIONS

Markets unfazed by prospect of higher than budgeted public sector pay hike

Business Times reports that markets and ratings agencies are unfazed by the prospect of a public sector wage increase that's now set to come in higher than the government had budgeted for. But there are concerns that the single-year deal unions have insisted on will fuel uncertainty and weigh on SA's credit ratings, at a time when the fiscal picture had been looking much better than expected. The government and public sector unions met on Friday to finalise details of a package that will yield an effective increase of about 4.8% for the current 2021/2022 year, rather than the 2.1% the government had budgeted for in February.   This came after the government recently upped its offer of a cash gratuity that would give all public servants an after-tax increase of about R1,000 for this year, at a cost of about R18bn that departments will have to find from within their existing budgets.   This will be on top of a 1.5% increase that had already been budgeted for to cover notch increases but which will be repurposed as a cost-of-living increase for all public servants. The deal, which the unions still have to sign, will flatten the longer-term trend of public sector pay increases, which have come in well above inflation and over the past 15 years. Citi economist Gina Schoeman commented that markets were not too swayed by the prospect of a higher wage increase, given that the economic recovery and the fiscal picture were better than expected, and the government has been cutting debt issuance. According to Sanlam Investments chief economist Arthur Kamp, the extra gratuity would not derail the government's fiscal consolidation process.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Hilary Joffe at BusinessLive (paywall access only). Read too, Behind Mchunu’s sweetened final offer to public servants, at Daily Maverick

MINING LABOUR

Richards Bay Minerals to resume operations on Monday, to reserve 50% of general worker jobs for community members

Mining Weekly reports that Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) has agreed to reserve 50% of its currently available general worker jobs for members of the Sokhulu community. Briefing the media last Thursday on the efforts led by the provincial government to resolve the impasse between RBM and the Sokhulu community, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala announced that RBM would resume operations on Monday, 12 July. RBM, which is majority-owned by Rio Tinto, suspended operations on 30 June after violent protests. “As part of the provincial government’s concerted efforts to save the multibillion-rand investment by RBM, we met with various stakeholders to deal with security concerns and challenges that have led to the company’s decision to halt operations and declare force majeure,” Zikalala said. While the provincial government recognised the concerns raised by the host communities, it emphasised that such concerns should be raised in a nonviolent way. “We are pleased to report to the public that both RBM and the Sokhulu community have found common ground on a number of issues, while some have been referred for further engagement," Zikalala indicated. The provincial Department of Community Safety and Liaison, the SA Police Service and the eThekwini municipality will monitor the area and ensure the situation returns to normal.

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

DISMISSALS

Workers dismissed for refusing polygraph tests head to Labour Court to argue that the tests are unscientific

GroundUp reports that three workers who were dismissed by their employer for refusing to take polygraph tests are heading to the Labour Court next month. The workers will be asking the court to set aside a CCMA arbitration award, claiming it was “grossly flawed”. The workers also want to be reinstated. In January 2018 Silveray Stationery Company noticed stock losses of about R170,000 and then asked 12 employees to take polygraph tests. This was intended to be used as a “tool to assist investigations” and to “narrow or focus on a potential group or area to conduct investigations.” Three of the workers repeatedly refused to take the polygraph tests. After receiving final written warnings, the workers were dismissed for breaching their employment contracts and insubordination. The workers took the matter to the CCMA in 2019, which ruled in April 2019 that the workers’ continuous “refusal to undergo polygraph test[ing] was serious, deliberate and persistent” and that their dismissals were fair. But, Professor Colin Tredoux, a professor of Psychology at the University of Cape Town, testified at the CCMA that polygraphs were psychological tests and that they were scientifically unreliable.   In his view, polygraph tests were unable to definitively detect whether someone is telling the truth or lying, since deception was not the only thing that could trigger a “lie” on a polygraph test. “What they measure is physiological arousal. They measure anxiety; this is probably the best way to characterise what they actually measure,” he said to GroundUp. The workers’ application will be heard in the Labour Court in August. In its documents submitted to court, Silveray argues that “polygraph testing was important to prevent stock losses” and that “compulsory testing was a reasonable command”.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Liezl Human at GroundUp

WORKPLACE CRIME / CORRUPTION

Gauteng traffic chief and two cops among those arrested in Joburg in R200m cocaine bust

News24 reports that a traffic chief, two police officers and a civilian have been arrested after a large haul of cocaine with an estimated street value of R200 million was allegedly discovered in a police bakkie.   Police on Friday responded to a report of a suspected hijacked cargo truck at the premises of an Aeroton business in Johannesburg and found 23 bags containing cocaine in a parked bakkie on the premises. Colonel Brenda Muridili reported: "Upon interviewing the driver of the bakkie, it was discovered that he is a police warrant officer attached to Zonkezizwe police station and that the bakkie is a state vehicle. He was placed under arrest on the scene together with his three accomplices, another police warrant officer attached to National Investigative Unit, a Gauteng chief traffic officer and a civilian." According to the police, 552 bricks of cocaine, four vehicles, three state vehicles and R60,000 in cash were seized during the bust.   Allegedly, the cargo truck transported the cocaine from Durban Harbour to Johannesburg, escorted by the three state vehicles. At the warehouse, suspects removed the consignment from the truck and loaded it onto the bakkie. On duty police officials intercepted the suspects' vehicle as they were about to flee the scene. The suspects, aged between 35 and 42, are due to appear in the Booysens Magistrate's Court on Monday, facing charges of robbery, dealing in drugs and defeating the ends of justice.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24