This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Makhura says Gauteng has shifted focus to vaccinating farm workers News24 reports that Gauteng Premier David Makhura’s provincial government had now shifted its Covid-19 inoculation programme to farmers and their workers. He launched the vaccination drive in farming communities on Wednesday at Devon Abattoir outside Springs. By midday, about 100 workers had been inoculated. The premier advised that they were targeting at least 200 farmworkers a day. "Farmworkers are part of our population, and they deserve to be vaccinated like other people in parts of the province. We first targeted highly dense urban areas. We are also concerned about communities that are out of reach,” Makhura noted. He went on to say: “We are urban dominated province, but there are rural parts. We have not forgotten about people living in farms in Gauteng. Farmworkers are being transported to this abattoir [site] to be inoculated. We want to reach different parts of farms across the province.” A shareholder at Devon Abattoir, Gerrit Oelefse, said it was essential for all farmworkers and farmers to be vaccinated. "We work only on weekdays, and it is difficult for our employees to visit vaccination stations. We are mobilising more farmers through various organisations to allow their workers to come forward and receive their vaccines,” he indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Warder found dead on Tuesday in Leeuwkop Prison's Covid-19 isolation wing News24 reports that the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has called for the suspension of top officials at Leeuwkop Prison in northern Johannesburg after the discovery on Tuesday night of the body of a warder in the Covid-19 isolation wing. The 50-year-old woman's body was discovered on the floor in the Medium A area, which is used as a Covid-19 isolation site. Her bloodied jacket was found nearby. The official had started work at 7:00 on Tuesday, but it was only after her husband called the department at around 21:00 to enquire where she was that her body was found. Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo called for the immediate suspension of the Acting Area Commissioner, the Head of Prison, and the Security Manager at the Leeuwkop Correctional Centre. Mamabolo said Popcru was concerned about the lack of clarity over the circumstances of her final hours, in the light of the union warning previously about understaffing and overcrowding. "This is a painfully disturbing incident,” Department of Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said. Nxumalo advised that police were investigating the official’s death, and a full report would determine how she had died. The woman had worked in the department for 23 years. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Jenni Evans at News24. Read too, Female officer found in a pool of blood at Joburg prison, at Independent Media. En ook, Bewaarder dood by Leeuwkop-gevangenis aangetref, by Maroela Media Military union lashes SANDF over shortage of hygiene material in KZN The Star reports that the SA National Defence Union (Sandu) has called on newly appointed Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise to intervene over the alleged shortage of hygiene material for army personnel deployed in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The army was deployed to KZN and parts of Gauteng following the unrest and looting last month. In a letter on Monday, the union called on Modise to respond within 48 hours to what it labelled the “scandalous neglect of basic hygiene for our soldiers”, or face urgent legal action. Sandu’s Pikkie Greeff said they had been alerted this week by their members of a shortage of hygiene material, including toilet paper, soap, and hand sanitizer. He expressed concern about the health of the union’s members amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “Our position is that it is important to provide hygiene protection to the people entrusted with protecting the country. Given that we have Covid-19, the risk is even greater and that is why action on the matter should be taken urgently,” Greeff said. SANDF spokesperson Brigadier General Mafi Mgobozi said they were not aware of a shortage of hygiene material for soldiers and they would whether investigate the matter. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sibusiso Mboto on page 2 of The Star of 11 August 2012 Permanently injured fireman in court battle with City of Cape Town to secure promotion The Star reports that the City of Cape Town has been accused of acting immorally and arbitrarily by refusing to promote a firefighter who suffered permanent injuries at the workplace. Adam Damons, who suffered life-changing injuries when he was dropped during a drill in 2010, has taken his employer to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) over its insistence that it won’t promote him. In papers filed at the apex court, Damons pointed out that the metro did not change his firefighter rank after the accident. He was first transferred to finance and billing, and then to the fire and life safety education section. But 11 years later, Damons remains with no prospects of career advancement. His applications for senior firefighter posts were declined based on his disability. In court papers, Damons has sought to convince the ConCourt that the metro’s lack of action constitutes unfair discrimination. “I submit that it is against good morals to prejudice someone injured permanently at the workplace, because of the negligence of the employer, by refusing him advancement opportunities when the very same establishment has seniors who are also disabled like the applicant,” Damons’ lawyer argued. In its papers, the city maintained that it has acted in accordance with its Fire and Rescue Advancement Policy adopted in 2009. This policy states that one must be physically fit to be considered for appointment as a firefighter, and subsequently for promotion. | Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bongani Nkosi on page 2 of The Star of 11 August 2012
Labour Minister outlines interventions to assist KZN workers affected by recent civil unrest Engineering News reports that Minister Thulas Nxesi has outlined interventions by the Department of Employment and Labour on how it will be assisting affected workers across KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) following the recent civil unrest. The Minister advised that his department was collating all the necessary workers’ information so they could benefit from both the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Public Employment Services (PES) work-seekers database for re-employment when the Theku Plaza, in Newcastle, resumed its operations in the near future. It is estimated that about 1,800 workers in the Theku Plaza region lost their jobs as a result of the looting. PES deputy director-general Sam Morotoba encouraged all the affected workers to register with the PES “so they can be assisted when employers request workers for possible recruiting”. He also urged workers to access employment counselling services provided by the department at the Newcastle labour office. The UIF’s Advocate Mzie Yawa emphasised the importance of benefits for workers in these trying times and encouraged all workers to apply for unemployment insurance benefits, including Temporary Employers/Employees Relief Scheme benefits. Nxesi encouraged employers to access South African Special Risk Insurance Association compensation. He further urged employers to apply for the Reduced Work Benefit from the Beneficiary Service of his department so that those affected and working for minimal hours could access relief. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News
Amcu to commemorate Marikana, celebrate Women’s Month with upcoming events in August Mining Weekly reports that in paying tribute to the 44 mineworkers killed at Marikana on 16 August 2012, trade union the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) will host its ninth commemorative lecture this week. The events will include a memorial lecture on 11 August and the main commemorative event on 16 August at a venue yet to be confirmed. The memorial lecture will take place at the Capital Hotel in Sandton, with the keynote address to be delivered by Xolani Dube of the Xubera Institute. Advocate Dali Mpofu will be the guest speaker. Amcu has also invited Neal Froneman, CEO of Lonmin mine’s current owner Sibanye-Stillwater to give a message of support. Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa noted that the memorial lecture had become an important item on the union’s calendar. “We look forward to prominent voices in our country reflecting on the events of August 16, 2012, and the challenges that remain after nine years,” he indicated, adding that most of the victims of the incident associated with strike action at the Lonmin platinum mine have not yet experienced closure and healing. Meanwhile, Amcu also plans to commemorate women during Women’s Month, highlighting their role in the struggle for political and economic emancipation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Sibanye-Stillwater to hold webcast series during August to aid healing and renewal in Marikana Mining Weekly reports that the precious metals producer Sibanye-Stillwater will be hosting a series of webcasts and live streams during August as part of its Marikana renewal process. “We believe that by co-creating a shared vision and delivering on tangible and sustainable socioeconomic programmes for the benefit of local communities, a new legacy of healing and hope will emerge,” the company indicated on Wednesday. Launched in 2020 under the patronage of Archbishop Thabo Makgoba under the themes of 'honour, engage and create', the Marikana renewal process acknowledges the events that took place in August 2012 and their impact, and calls on all stakeholders to work together to rebuild relationships and communities affected by the tragedy around the operations where the injured and deceased employees lived. Sibanye advised that the Letsema process involved an inclusive approach to social and community facilitation through collaborative engagements for ensuring the delivery of tangible and sustainable programmes for the benefit of the communities around Marikana. “By recognising the past, we also look to the future. In 2020, Sibanye engaged stakeholder specialist ReimagineSA to plan and undertake an extensive stakeholder engagement process aimed at finding ways to bring sustainability, healing and renewal to Marikana and beyond,” the company advised. “While the Letsema process is ongoing, we commemorate by sharing and reflecting on the stories which emanated from that tragic week in 2012,” Sibanye said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly
Struggling arms manufacturer Denel confident of recovery if it gets state bail out BusinessLive reports that cash-strapped state-owned Denel believes it can become a sustainable business within the next five years if it restructures to create a streamlined and refocused company. The arms manufacturer has only been able to pay employees a percentage of their salaries for the past few months and does not have enough capital to fulfil its orders. The turnaround will depend, however, on a significant bailout by the state, which has apparently given its support to the group’s plan. It will also require the sale of noncore, or unprofitable assets, which Denel conservatively estimates will realise about R1.5bn over the next five years. Denel has been making losses for several years. Interim group CEO William Hlakoane said in a statement on Wednesday that the Department of Public Enterprises had acknowledged that there was a need to assist the struggling company. “I am positive that the discussions with other government departments that have keen interest in Denel’s survival, such as the department of defence and the Treasury, will soon bear positive results,” Hlakoane said. Part of the turnaround plan includes reducing Denel’s current operating divisions (plus one subsidiary) from six to two. The executive cost structure will be cut and a shared services model in areas such as supply chain management, human capital, IT and finance will be introduced. The descent of Denel into financial collapse and its difficulty in paying salaries has resulted in the loss of critical skills over the past year. Rebuilding these skills will be a priority. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive. Read too, Denel releases radical restructuring plan to make the business sustainable, at Engineering News
Unions at Mango considering appealing against business rescue ruling in effort to have own candidate appointed Fin24 reports that three unions at Mango say they intend to appeal a ruling placing the low-cost airline in voluntary business rescue, pending consideration of the judge's reasons for his decision. The Mango Pilots Association (MPA), the SA Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) originally approached the South Gauteng High Court on an urgent basis to request an order placing the airline under business rescue. The unions wanted Ralph Lutchman to be appointed as the business rescue practitioner. The court dismissed the unions' application and instead granted Mango's own application to be allowed to go into business rescue on a voluntary basis. This means Mango will have a say in who is appointed as business rescue practitioner. The judge still has to provide his reasons for dismissing the union's application in favour of Mango's. "We are disappointed with the ruling. We sought a fair, open and transparent process in collaboration with Mango management, which is why we approached the court. We want to ensure a genuine turnaround strategy which is not based on retrenchments, but on making the business viable in the long term... We intend to appeal this judgment," the three unions indicated on Wednesday. Meantime, the Department of Public Enterprises welcomed the judgment to place Mango under voluntary business rescue, saying it brought certainty to the process that would unfold to restructure Mango and ensure a sustainable aviation asset serving the low-cost market. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carin Smith at Fin24. Lees ook, Vakbonde gaan appelleer oor Mango-besluit, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
INSOURCING
TimesLIVE reports that according to newly elected City of Johannesburg mayor Jolidee Matongo, the city does not have a problem with insourcing staff, provided it makes financial sense and achieves savings for the city. However, he cautioned that any move to insource services should be done after a study had been undertaken to ensure its viability. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Wednesday, Matongo said: “I think the point the late mayor Geoffrey Makhubo made, and some of us in the ANC made, is that when insourcing was done for the security guards and cleaners in the city, it was a populist stance (on the part of the DA).” He recalled that when former (DA) mayor Herman Mashaba announced the insourcing of security guards in 2019, he claimed that the city had redirected the lucrative profit margins of politically connected security companies and had directed them to the families of nearly 4,000 workers. However, according to Matongo, what Mashaba did not tell the public was that there were other costs involved in insourcing, such as providing tools of the trade and the administrative component. “In a financial year, we used to pay about R600m for security services, but with insourcing, we pay about R1.2bn. It has caused us serious problems. We are saying there is no problem insourcing, but do a study before you even say we are insourcing,” Matongo said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE
Plan for partial pension withdrawals won’t be ready before 2022, with GEPF to be excluded BL Premium reports that workers in financial distress hoping for early access to a portion of their retirement savings while still employed won't be able to do so until at least 2022. In a statement on Wednesday that sought to clarify a proposal to allow partial pre-retirement access to pensions during emergencies or extraordinary circumstances, Treasury also said that the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) would be excluded from the proposal. But the exclusion of the GEPF, which will rule out its 1.2-million members who are mostly public servants, has been roundly condemned by labour federation Cosatu, which said that the proposed reform should apply to all workers “whether they are in the public service or the private sector”. The question of how to allow individuals early access to their money following the Covid-19 onslaught which saw millions of workers either lose their jobs or suffer pay cuts gained impetus after former finance minister Tito Mboweni said the Treasury was moving to expedite an issue that had been “stuck in the system for too long”. The Treasury has been working on overhauling the retirement savings framework to create “a two-bucket system” that will allow limited withdrawals, together with mandatory preservation — including preventing withdrawals when changing jobs as currently allowed — and wider coverage. The Treasury advised further on Wednesday: “Any consideration for early access will require legislative and fund rule amendments because the current law and policy prohibits any pre-retirement access to retirement savings unless an employee resigns or is retrenched. It is expected that the earliest that any changes would become effective for a new withdrawal mechanism is 2022.” It added that “redesigning the retirement system to allow for limited withdrawals with mandatory preservation is complex and requires thorough consultations.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lynley Donnelly at BusinessLive (paywall access only). Read too, Treasury reiterates retirement savings withdrawal considerations, legal requirements, at Engineering News Treasury advises public that partial withdrawal of pension funds currently not permissible The Citizen reports that National Treasury has advised the public against contacting their retirement funds in an attempt to request a partial withdrawal of pension funds as the law did not currently allow that. On Wednesday, Treasury said that the partial withdrawal or retirement funds was not happening presently as legal processes needed to be followed first. It advised that a further announcement on the proposed measures for comment and consideration would be made during the medium term budget policy statement. “Any legislative changes to pension fund withdrawal would first require a comprehensive public consultation process, changes to fund rules and period of preparation by fund administration. Retirement funds are primarily designed to encourage individuals to save while working to finance consumption later during retirement,” the Treasury advised in a statement. It said that the redesigning of the retirement system to allow for limited withdrawals with mandatory preservation was complex and required thorough consultations. Treasury further explained that: “The government has been engaging with trade unions, retirement funds, regulators and other stakeholders to discuss how to increase savings and improve preservation and allow limited withdrawals, without creating liquidity and investment risks.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyanda Ndlovu at The Citizen
Suspect arrested for ‘offering R50,000 bribe’ to squash PPE investigation by SIU Sowetan reports that a man who allegedly tried to bribe away a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigation into the irregular awarding of a personal protective equipment (PPE) contract by the Mpumalanga department of public works has landed himself behind bars. The suspect was scheduled to appear in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s court on Tuesday and apply for bail. SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the arrest was carried out by the Hawks on Monday shortly after the man delivered a R50,000 bribe to an investigator whom he hoped would be tempted to quash the investigation. “The Hawks seized a further R63,600 which was found in the man’s possession. The ‘bribe’ follows an intensive PPE tender corruption investigation by the SIU in the Mpumalanga department of public works, roads and transport which uncovered procurement irregularities,” said Kganyago. The SIU probe revealed the department had contracted a particular service provider in the 2017/18 financial year for pest control services. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, the same company suddenly started getting payouts meant for PPE. As the SIU investigator carried out his probe into the matter, he was approached by a man who offered to pay money for the docket. It was not immediately clear whether his company had delivered any of the PPE for which it had received payment. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Naledi Shange at SowetanLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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