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 Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Health experts see Covid-19 fourth wave starting in early December and lasting about 75 days The Citizen reports that with SA still recovering from the third wave of Covid-19 infections, leading health experts are saying a fourth wave could be here by early December and that it will last about 75 days. . Back in June, Professor Salim Abdool Karim told Bhekisisa that SA would almost certainly experience a fourth wave, and based on the data, it is expected to happen in December. He advised that a country would have to have “a very high level of vaccination to stop the fourth wave”, meaning between 70%-80% of the population should be vaccinated. Data suggests the current third wave will end around 26 August, ahead of the 18-and-34 age group’s vaccination rollout. The severity of the fourth wave will depend “on a balance between the prospects of a new immune-escape variant, versus how many people” are vaccinated by then. Talks of a fourth wave were also confirmed in July by the Department of Health’s Dr Nicholas Crisp, who said SA had “to get to herd immunity as fast as possible […] and protect the most vulnerable people in the community”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cheryl Kahla at The Citizen. Read too, SA sees Covid-19 fourth wave starting in early December, at Moneyweb Metropolitan Life sees unexpected surge in Covid-19 deaths during third wave Fin24 reports that Momentum Metropolitan Holdings (MMH) says Covid-19 death claims during the recent third wave of infections were more severe than the company initially expected. Initially, most insurance firms expected the severity of the third wave to be somewhere between the first and the second waves. They expected fewer death claims than what they had fielded between December 2020 and February this year. But the death rate proved higher than those expectations. Momentum Life was severely impacted and its Myriad protection product paid R1.8 billion in gross mortality claims where Covid-19 was reported as the cause of death. Momentum Corporate, the business unit that provides work-based insurance and other benefits, also experienced increased death claims across all ages. The business saw more claims from members who were at higher salary levels, which resulted in the average claim sizes increasing 33% from last year. The average monthly claims in the past year were nearly double the three-year pre-pandemic monthly average. Metropolitan Life, which predominantly sells funeral cover products, experienced approximately 20,000 or 70% more deaths than expected. Altogether, MMH said in the 12 months to end-June, its SA life insurance businesses paid close to R11 billion in death claims, compared to an average of around R6 billion a year over the three years preceding the pandemic. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Londiwe Buthelezi at Fin24 Health department worried that SA’s vaccination programme has lost momentum due to vaccine hesitancy TimesLIVE reports that the national Department of Health on Tuesday conceded that its Covid-19 vaccination programme had lost momentum due to vaccine hesitancy. Newly appointed deputy minister of health Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said: “The president made a pronouncement a few weeks ago that he would want to see us vaccinating up to 300,000 South Africans per day. We were excited when we were sitting at about 275,000 on July 21, but we are now down to about 175,000 vaccinations per day. That is a red light that tells you something should be happening that is not happening.” Dhlomo, who is former chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on health, said initially the country struggled to secure vaccine supplies, but now the department was grappling with vaccine hesitancy. In its presentation to the National Council of Provinces’ (NCOP) select committee on health and social services, the department painted a bleak picture of how it was struggling to use all the vaccines the country has secured. Providing a snapshot of the vaccine rollout programme, the department’s deputy director-general Dr Nicholas Crisp said: “The biggest challenge is no longer the vaccine nor our capacity because we have more than 3,000 sites on any day. The biggest challenge is driving demand and getting the public past the point where we are now.” Trying to understand vaccine hesitancy, Crisp said what people thought and felt about the vaccine was very important. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Amanda Khoza at SowetanLive. Read too, Phaahla accuses men of slacking with Covid-19 jab, on page 6 of Sowetan of 17 August 2021 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Report into 2018 deaths of three firefighters at Bank of Lisbon building to be released in September The Star reports that the report of investigations into the death of three firefighters at the now demolished Bank of Lisbon building in Johannesburg are set to be made public next month. The building housed the Gauteng health, human settlements and local government departments. The firefighters lost their lives when a fire broke out at the building on 5 September 2018. The report release date was revealed by Gauteng Premier David Makhura in his written reply to questions by the DA’s health spokesperson Jack Bloom in the provincial legislature. Makhura said his office was coordinating with all agencies to ensure that all investigations were completed by the end of September. “Different investigations are at various stages and those processes are also subjected to legal advice. Significant progress has been made towards meeting the timeline of end of September 2021. This will enable us to take appropriate action in line with the evidence from various investigations conducted by different local, provincial and national agencies or departments in line with their legislative mandate,” Makhura said. He acknowledged that it was in the public interest to publicly release all the outcomes of the investigations together with the remedial action that would be taken. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Baldwin Ndaba at Independent Media
ANC risks missing IEC deadline to register municipal election candidates as staff on a ‘go-slow’ refuse to work extra hours Sunday Times Daily reports that the ANC runs the risk of failing to register its candidates to contest this year’s municipal elections by the IEC’s 23 August deadline, as staff refuse to work overtime and at weekends due to outstanding salaries and other benefits. Party employees countrywide remain on a “go-slow” in protest against not being paid, which means the ANC’s leaders face the risk of failing to submit the names of their preferred municipal councillor candidates for the elections scheduled for 27 October. Febe Potgieter, the general manager at ANC headquarters Luthuli House, has written a desperate letter to disgruntled staff, pleading with them to suspend the go-slow, work extra hours and, this weekend, help the party to meet the deadline. Staff have been on a go-slow since last month, only working the hours stipulated in their contracts. According to Potgieter, staff would be required to work late this week and again at the weekend. She said they were needed for candidate selection and the registration process to provide support to party structures in convening branch general meetings, community meetings and conducting interviews and the vetting process. The go-slow was acknowledged by ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, who on 5 August sent a letter to national and provincial ANC leaders telling them to allow staff to exercise their labour rights by embarking on a go-slow. It is not yet clear whether ANC staff have acceded to the plea from their bosses. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kgothatso Madisa at TimesLIVE
Thungela Resources speedy in putting R6m into trust for communities around its coal mines Mining Weekly reports that with the new Thungela Resources only months old, the listed coal mining company has already put an initial R6-million into a trust for the benefit of the communities living around its coal mining operations. The first distribution to the Community Partnership Plan was made on 30 June. Trustees have been appointed and plans are under way to appoint an administrator to ensure the trust delivers on its mandate. Thungela’s Employee and Community Partnership empowerment transactions involve communities receiving a 5% fully funded interest in Thungela’s coal operations, and employees holding the same percentage. Thungela CEO July Ndlovu also indicated in an interview that the new thermal coal company was, amongst other goals, strongly committed to working with the coal value chain on carbon capture, utilisation and storage realisation; treating mine polluted water not only for reuse at its mines, but also for the benefit of the townsfolk of eMalahleni; and returning land to its previous state or sustainable use, which has included bringing back a rare species to a restored wetland as a world first. Read the full original of the report in the above regard, including an interview with July Ndlovu at Mining Weekly
State lays out breakdown of payments to Marikana claimants, and the remaining pending cases The Citizen reports that Monday marked the ninth anniversary of the 2012 Marikana massacre, in which 44 people lost their lives, but the actual figures of longstanding claims by families were only released to the public on Tuesday. The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development’s solicitor-general, Fhedzisani Pandelani, outlined to the media what had been being paid to claimants, and the problems the state was having with finalising pending problems. The State Attorney offices in Pretoria centralised claims after claimants engaged a number of different legal representatives. Regarding the Wits Law Clinic claims, Pandelani reported that there were no outstanding matters and that R3,995,121 had been paid out. Of the 36 matters filed via the Socioeconomic Rights Institute (Seri), 35 have been finalised, with payouts of R69,083,121. Pandelani explained that had the claims been filed under the Once and for all Rule, the matters would have been resolved. However, Seri was requesting General and Constitutional Damages for all claimants, a figure that was “not easy to quantify”. As a result, the state had offered to add an additional R500,000 to the just under R70 million paid to Seri claimants. Seri rejected the offer, and presented a counter-offer of R1.5 million, which was still in court. Claims from Maluleke Msimang Attorneys, which is representing both wounded and unlawfully arrested victims, were currently in court and the outcome “might take time”. Other victims who were injured and/or assaulted in 2012 filed through Thlathla Attorneys. Almost 27 claims were submitted, which were in the process of settlement negotiation. Nkome Attorneys had 275 claimants, 253 of which have to date been paid R97,685,000. Of the 22 remaining claimants, 11 were being negotiated, while 11 “have outstanding issues not yet resolved.” According to Pindelani, all claims involving deceased mine workers have been settled. Those that were still alive needed to be wrapped up soon, he said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nica Richards at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Treasury aims to stamp out widespread abuse of employment tax incentive to prevent claims on behalf of trainees BL Premium reports that the Treasury is seeking to stamp out abuse of the employment tax incentive to prevent employers claiming it on behalf of trainees rather than full-time employees. SA Revenue Service (Sars) head of legislative policy Franz Tomasek indicated on Wednesday that the abuse was widespread. In August 2020, the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants and SA Institute of Tax Practitioners deplored the marketing of abusive schemes that involved a recruiting agency, an employer and a training institute. They created the appearance of genuine employment so that claims for the incentive could be made on behalf of trainees. Treasury officials briefed parliament’s finance committee on Tuesday on proposed amendments to the Employment Tax Incentive Act to clarify that “substance over legal form” would be considered when assessing an employer’s ability to claim the incentive. This will ensure that work is actually being performed in terms of an employment contract with the employee, who must be documented in the employer’s records as required by the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. The proposed amendment to the act will apply retrospectively to 1 March 2021. The employment tax incentive was introduced in January 2014 to provide employment for young workers aged between 18 and 29 years old by reducing the cost of hiring them. It was expanded in 2020 and 2021 to cover those aged up to 65 years to mitigate the devastating effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (paywall access only)
Aftermath of recent unrest threatens thousands of sugar industry jobs The Citizen reports that the unrest in parts of KwaZulu-Natal last month wreaked an immense amount of economic havoc, particularly in the sugar industry. In a statement on Tuesday, the SA Canegrowers Association (Sacga) voiced its concern about the impact that the chaos has had on the industry’s lifeblood. The association has written to government to request that immediate financial relief be paid to growers, especially small-scale ones. Some 500,000 tonnes of cane was burnt in arson attacks associated with the attempted insurrection. “The extent of the damage becomes clearer by the day, there are now thousands of precious rural jobs… at risk,” the association warned. Almost a third of the destroyed cane belonged to small-scale growers, many of whom will not be able to recover from financial losses. Small-scale growers also do not have any form of insurance. Sacga said many were awaiting relief from Grocane, a fire insurance cooperative, as well as from the SA Special Risk Insurance Association. However, small-scale growers were told that any cane burnt before mill closures during the riots would not be covered by either body. This despite many mills only closing after a large amount of cane had already been destroyed. These growers also stand to lose industry transformation benefits, which are linked to the tonnage of cane delivered. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nica Richards at The Citizen. Read too, Sugar industry pleads for state assistance as it counts unrest losses, at BusinessLive (paywall access only). En ook, Suikerrietbedryf verloor miljoene weens KZN-onluste, by Maroela Media Workers affected by recent unrest can get up to R6,700 from UIF Fin24 reports that the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) estimates that more than 75,000 workers have been impacted by the recent unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Employers who were affected, but who have not been contributing to the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), which is paying out the relief funds, can also apply to get government payments for their staff. But to receive the payments, they now need to register with the UIF. To qualify, the employer's closure must be directly linked to the destruction, damage or looting of its workplace. "The employer must provide details of the destruction, closure, or damage to, or looting of, its workplace and submit documentary proof of a report to the South African Police Services, with proof that a case has been opened by providing a case number, and, if insured, proof of submission and acknowledgement of receipt of the insurance claim," the DEL indicated in a statement. "The relief will be paid based on the income replacement rate calculated on the sliding scale of 38% - 60% based on the employee's remuneration. The maximum payment will not exceed R6,700 and the minimum will be not less than R3,500 per month, or a flat rate as the minister or accounting authority may decide, depending on financial considerations of the UIF," the statement advised. The DEL also indicated that the temporary financial relief could only be paid into the worker's bank account unless the UIF commissioner specified the conditions under which payments could be made into the employer's account. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24
Teacher unions united in rejecting cancellation of October school holidays SowetanLive reports that five teacher unions have rejected the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE’s) intention to cancel the October school holidays to compensate for the days lost as a result of the early closure for the winter holidays. This proposal was communicated on Saturday to the unions recognised by the Education Labour Relations Council, namely the SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu), National Professional Teachers Organisation of SA (Naptosa), SA Teachers Union (SAOU), National Teachers Union (Natu) and Professional Educators Union (PEU). But, the unions complained that they were not consulted on this matter and their members needed a break from the busy academic schedule to avoid burnout or fatigue. The unions said they were in unison and empathic in urging the department to factor in the pressure and mental health of teachers as they grappled with and endeavoured to catch up on the lost time. This has forced the DBE to go back to the drawing board. DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga indicated: “We are presently in a meeting with the stakeholders and the head of education department committee will discuss the matter again tomorrow [Wednesday].” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Yoliswa Sobuwa at SowetanLive
Magistrate appointed to senior position after 12 years of exclusion due to his race Solidarity announced on Tuesday that, after 12 years of being excluded for reasons of race from a job, Martin Kroukamp must be officially appointed as a senior magistrate in Alberton. This came after years of litigation between the trade union and the Department of Justice. Anton van der Bijl, Solidarity’s head of legal matters, commented: “We welcome the Equality Court’s ruling and are delighted by it. The court unequivocally found that the actions of the then Minister of Justice, Jeff Radebe, amounted to unfair discrimination on the basis of race. It is a shame that for more than a decade Mr Kroukamp had to act in the position he had applied for simply because the department did not want to permanently appoint a while male”. According to the ruling, the Department of Justice must appoint Mr Kroukamp to the position with immediate effect. The department must also carry the costs of the case. According to Solidarity, Kroukamp’s case will pave the way for future litigation over appointments made by government departments. “Although blatant such behaviour by the government is by no means rare. Therefore, we will continue to fight for hundreds of other Kroukamps until the government would finally turn away from its obsession with race above all else,” Van der Bijl noted. Read the full original of the report in the above regard in Afrikaans at Maroela Media
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