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 Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Government's current strategies not at a sufficient scale to address unemployment and poverty, Ramaphosa tells Cosatu Fin24 reports that addressing labour federation Cosatu's seventh central committee on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa underlined the extent of the fiscal crisis the government was facing. Current interventions were not enough, he stressed. "Unemployment is beyond a crisis level, and it is clear that much more needs to be done. Our current strategies are not sufficient scale to address the extent of the problem," the president stated. While government had unlocked a stimulus package equal to 10% of the country's GDP, it was time for SA to follow in the footsteps of other countries and rethink its economic approach, Ramaphosa advised. Job creation was a top priority, he added. But extending social support similar to the social relief of distress grant should also be considered. Ramaphosa explained as follows: "Subject to long-term affordability, serious consideration should be given to extending further support to the unemployed, and those who are structurally marginalised, possibly in the form of an extension of the Covid-19 social relief of distress grant, targeted food-poverty-line support. This necessarily requires better alignment and linkages between social security policies and labour market policies so that beneficiaries of social support can move more readily into employment." Ramaphosa added that infrastructure development was the flywheel of economic growth and had to be upscaled to meet the needs of the economy through renewable energy, mining, water, human settlements, health, education, transport and digital infrastructure. But corruption would have to be tackled, he warned. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Ramaphosa tells Cosatu that right to bodily integrity must be balanced with right to safe working environment TimesLIVE reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has indicated that, while the government respects workers' right to bodily integrity when it comes to Covid-19 vaccinations, a balance has to be found between those rights and others' right to work in a safe environment. Addressing the first day of labour federation Cosatu's central committee four-day meeting on Monday, Ramaphosa said: “Workers can rest assured that we respect the right to bodily integrity and all other constitutional rights with regard to vaccinations. This is our stance about respecting the bodily rights of everyone in SA. However, this must be balanced against the right to a safe working environment, and it is correct to take measures to ensure the economy can reopen in a safe manner that protects all workers. We urge the federation to step up efforts to convince, educate and persuade workers and indeed all South Africans about vaccinations and that they should be vaccinated.” Ramaphosa said defeating the Covid-19 pandemic remained a priority and ensuring that sufficient numbers of people were vaccinated was the only way to prevent new, potentially more infectious variants from emerging. Earlier, Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi warned the same meeting that mandatory vaccinations would not work and might distract from the work of convincing every person of the need to vaccinate. “We cannot afford scandals of people selling vaccine certificates,” she said. Losi indicated that the labour federation supported the call for every person to vaccinate. This, she said, should be done through education, engagement and persuasion. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Andisiwe Makinana at TimesLIVE UK red listing blow to SA tourism could cause lasting damage, President Ramaphosa called on to intervene BL Premium reports that the government and the tourism sector have reacted with dismay after the UK decided to maintain tough restrictions on travel between the two countries, despite easing them on others such as Kenya and Pakistan. They warned of possible long-term damage to both countries. SA’s tourism sector, which before the outbreak of Covid-19 was a rare outperformer in an economy that failed to grow, has been devastated by lockdowns and travel bans. Being on the UK red list means British travellers to SA would on their return need to spend 10 days in a quarantine hotel at a cost of about £2,000 (R40,000), making visiting SA too expensive for most Britons. The SA government, which has drawn criticism for being largely passive and silent on the bans that have led to the tourism industry losing close to 500,000 jobs, said it would intensify efforts to get SA off the list. "There is no reasonable basis for keeping SA on the red list and I am very disappointed," international relations & co-operation minister Naledi Pandor said on Sunday, citing SA’s declining infection rate and a vaccination programme that was gathering pace. The UK is traditionally among the most important tourism markets for SA, with 430,000 people having visited in 2019, the year before the pandemic brought the industry to a standstill. Britain started restricting travel from SA late in 2020 after local scientists discovered the Beta variant, which was then referred to internationally as the "SA variant". Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of the Tourism Business Council of SA, called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Andries Mahlangu at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, ‘Western Cape tourism recovery dealt a blow by UK red list,’ says MEC David Maynier, at Independent Media. And also, Steep drop in tourism accommodation income as July unrest further batters sector, at Fin24 US to lift travel restrictions on South Africans vaccinated against Covid-19 Fin24 reports that by November, the US will allow entry to South African travellers as long as they’re fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The US government has had a travel ban imposed on most countries for more than 18 months. The measures, announced on Monday by the White House, will ease restrictions on the UK and the 26 Schengen countries in Europe, as well as Ireland, China, Iran, Brazil, South Africa and India. Travellers must prove that they are fully vaccinated before boarding a flight and must have a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of departure. They will not be required to quarantine upon arrival in the US. The new policy will take effect in "early November", according to the White House, though the precise date isn’t yet clear. "We know vaccines are effective, including against the delta variant, and vaccines are the best line of defence against [Covid-19], so this vaccination requirement deploys the best tool we have in our arsenal to keep people safe and prevent the spread of the virus," White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients indicated on Monday. Germany also eased travel restrictions on South Africans on Monday, while the UK kept SA on its red list. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Patient arrested after stabbing two doctors and another patient at Kimberley hospital News24 reports that a patient has been arrested for allegedly stabbing two female doctors and a patient at the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital in Kimberley, Northern Cape. The incident occurred at the hospital's casualty unit. A police spokesperson said the three were stabbed on Friday at around 20.30. The patient was later arrested and will soon appear in the Kimberley Magistrate's Court on three charges of attempted murder. The acting Head of Department of Health in the Northern Cape Riaan Strydom visited the hospital on Sunday night to meet the staff on duty. According to a preliminary report, a known male patient prone to substance abuse had an epileptic fit, whilst being treated at the Casualty section. The patient became verbally aggressive towards the staff, resulting in the stabbing of the two female doctors and a patient. Security officers suppressed the aggressive patient and doctors administered sedation. The two medical doctors are reportedly recovering well. The department said it would conduct safety and security assessments at all health facilities and would install additional metal detectors at 24-hour health facilities admitting high risk aggressive patients. The SA Medical Association (SAMA) condemned the stabbing, saying it was yet another example of where public hospitals in the country were “failing to adequately protect staff”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jeanette Chabalala at News24. Lees ook, Pasiënt dam dokters, pasiënt met mes, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Banking glitch triggers health workers’ strike on Friday in Eastern Cape GroundUp reports that thousands of Eastern Cape health workers at various facilities went on an unprotected strike on Friday because the provincial Department of Health had failed to pay them a cash allowance. They claimed that other Eastern Cape government employees and also health workers in other provinces had been paid, but not Eastern Cape health workers. At Frere Hospital in East London, nurses, administration staff and cleaners blocked the entrance and turned away ambulances at midday on Friday. Protesting workers said the department already owed them for overtime and night duty. Eastern Cape Head of Health Department Dr Rolene Wagner reacted: “Whilst I understand the anger and frustration of our workers, we cannot allow unprotected [strike] action, especially where it affects the services we provide to our communities.” She explained that ABSA bank had experienced a technical problem when processing the payments. “When it was brought to our attention yesterday [Thursday] that employees had not received their payments, we immediately engaged with ABSA and our provincial Treasury. The first payment batches have gone through successfully. ABSA has confirmed that our employees can expect their salary adjustments to be reflected in their bank accounts from 1:30pm onwards (on Friday) if they bank with ABSA and from 6pm if the accounts lie with other bank accounts,” said Wagner. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Johnnie Isaac at GroundUp
Zama zamas spread their wings from traditional strongholds into other provinces The Citizen reports that illegal mining is spreading from traditional strongholds of Gauteng and North West into other provinces, which experts have blamed on corruption, politically connected kingpins and the incapacity of law-enforcement agencies. The miners, also known as zama zamas, are increasingly tightening their grip on small Mpumalanga mining towns such as Dientjie, Sabie and Pilgrim’s Rest. Of grave concern is the level of violent crime that comes with illegal mining operations, with fears that this will not only kill the province’s vibrant tourism industry, but also pose a danger to communities. “We have gradually seen a lot of these criminal networks or illegal mining syndicates moving into smaller mining towns due to the ease in getting into these abandoned mines and getting the illegal gold,” said Institute for Security Studies (ISS) researcher Richard Chelin. He said criminal syndicates were capitalising on corruption and the inability of law enforcement agencies, saying the impact of crime was massive where there were illegal mining operations. Chelin said illegal mining syndicates were organised and took advantage of the high level of corruption, as well as the lack of will to address the scourge, to facilitate their operations. “Usually what we have seen with law enforcement is that they target the illegal miners. You arrest 100 and you have done the job, without going up the ladder, getting the key players and targeting them,” he indicated. Theodore Petrus from Free State University was doubtful that the department of mineral resources and energy’s plans to establish an artisanal mining sector to curb illegal mining would be effective. The Minerals Council SA said it was working with mining companies, which had heightened their security measures and were working with police to address illegal mining. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipho Mabena on page 14 of The Citizen of 17 September 2021 Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Cosatu president urges members to support ANC at local government polls BL Premium reports that Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi has urged members to campaign for the governing party in the local government election in spite of the legal battles the trade union federation is fighting with the ANC-led government over wages. In her opening address at Cosatu’s central committee meeting on Monday, Losi warned that if elected to govern, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) would scrap all progressive labour laws enacted by the ANC. Relations between the two allies have been strained of late with the federation taking the ANC-led government to court over its unwillingness to implement the final leg of a three-year wage agreement signed at the bargaining council in 2018. On 24 August its public sector unions approached the Constitutional Court to challenge the 2020 ruling by the Labour Appeal Court that upheld a Treasury decision not to conclude the public sector deal due to a lack of money. “We are all disappointed with the behaviour of many of our comrades in government. But let us not delude ourselves into thinking that workers will be better off with the ANC defeated. The DA will scrap all our progressive labour laws, including the national minimum wage that has improved the wages of 6-million workers,” Losi said. The ANC has always depended on Cosatu’s grassroots structures to win national elections. Losi, a key ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa, called on Cosatu to “force” municipalities to deliver on their mandates to provide basic services to communities, tackle corruption and the outsourcing of services, and pay workers on time. The DA’s shadow minister of employment and labour, Michael Cardo, said it was extraordinary that Cosatu should continue to support the ANC given the party’s failures in government. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Cosatu to back ANC in municipal polls but opposed to mandatory vaccination, at Independent Media
State targets disclosure of wage differentials between executives and workers BL Premium reports that the government’s push to compel companies to disclose the wage differentials between executives and workers is a step closer to becoming law after the cabinet approved the publication of the Companies Amendment Bill for public comment. In a statement on Monday after its meeting, the cabinet said the proposed legislation sought to amend the Companies Act to reduce the regulatory regime on businesses; tighten anti-money laundering gaps; strengthen the disclosure requirements; and enhance the shareholder powers in a company. The bill containing all the proposed amendments will be published in the government gazette in the coming days. In his budget vote speech in May, department of trade, industry and competition minister Ebrahim Patel said the proposed amendments would aim “to tackle the gross injustice of excessive pay”. In line with international trends, the legislation will also require disclosure of what top executives earned, including CEOs and CFOs. SA is widely considered one of the most unequal societies in the world, but moves to enforce the disclosure of executive pay is likely to be frowned upon by business. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bekezela Phakathi at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Pension fund legislation expected to take centre stage in Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement in November Business Report writes that pension fund legislation is expected to take the centre stage in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), which will be tabled on 4 November. The MTBPS will set out the policy framework for the February Budget, update National Treasury's economic forecasts, and adjust the budgets of government departments. Alexander Forbes chief economist Isaah Mhlanga on Friday said that over and above the realities of the constrained fiscus over the medium term, “we expect a clarification of the social security and pension fund reforms, which the National Treasury has been championing for many years”. The Treasury has already rejected a number of proposals in the Pension Fund Amendment Bill of 2020, which proposed to allow workers to access a portion of their retirement savings immediately. Treasury has so far preferred an arrangement that would allow people to make withdrawals from pension funds with a limit of a third, or up to 20 percent, under certain conditions, in three to five years. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwane is set to announce the pension reforms after the Treasury proposed a “two pot” system that would allow small withdrawals while having preservations. “The two-pot system, which was suggested just before the now withdrawn Green Paper from the Department of Social Development is a sensible one that can increase savings, preservations while providing access to a portion of savings to deal with short-term economic shocks such as Covid-19,” Mhlanga commented. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphelele Dludla at Personal Finance
Man arrested for allegedly authorising forged official documents outside Home Affairs in Centurion News24 reports that a 35-year-old Zimbabwean national has been arrested after he was caught allegedly authorising official Department of Home Affairs (DHA) documents, including asylum documents. On Friday, Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) officers responded to a complaint about a man illegally authorising documents outside the Department of Home Affairs in Centurion. "The officers apprehended the suspect, and he was searched. They found him with a Department of Home Affairs stamp and forged documents," a statement by TMPD indicated. Following questioning by metro officers, the suspect took them to premises that he described as his offices. He apparently said this was where he would print the documents found on his person. During a search of the premises, the officers found two more official DHA stamps, forged asylum documents, passports for different countries, temporary South African documents and forged pay slips. They also found a Dell laptop and two Canon printers. The suspect is due to appear in court soon on charges of fraud and forgery. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24
Axing of Pretoria school principal who tried to kiss personal assistant stands The Star reports that a principal who hugged and tried to kiss his personal assistant (PA) by force claimed he was just joking with his victim when confronted via WhatsApp. Nyiko Baloyi, who was a principal at Thornridge Secondary School in Pretoria, further blamed stress for his act of sexual harassment. He was confronted by the PA’s mother, who observed his action through a half-closed window. The sexual attack happened at Baloyi’s office. The victim testified in arbitration that Baloyi asked her to hug him and squeezed her so tightly she felt his erection. He also tried to kiss her by force. Later in the day, the PA’s mother confronted Baloyi via WhatsApp. Baloyi replied that he was just joking: “I was just joking with her, sorry my sister, I apologise. Think you will find a place in your heart to forgive me. Sometimes when you are stressed you end-up acting funny. Will talk tomorrow Please (sic).” The texts were deposed in arbitration, which was commissioned at Baloyi’s behest in a bid to overturn the Gauteng Education Department's 2020 decision to fire him. Baloyi denied that he was referring to the sex pest allegations in his text and maintained that he was apologising for keeping the PA long after her knock-off time. Baloyi also denied asking for a hug, saying the PA initiated it. Arbitrator Themba Manganyi found that Baloyi sought to mislead him about the context of his WhatsApp text. “Having made a determination that the (department’s) witnesses were credible and reliable and having found that their version was the most probable, I find that Baloyi was guilty as charged,” said Manganyi. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bongani Nkosi at The Star Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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