In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Massmart faces indefinite Saccawu strike from Friday, as well as a boycott of stores from 22 November BL Premium reports that the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu), which claims about 20,000 of retail giant Massmart’s 45,000-strong workforce, said it would embark on an indefinite strike from Friday over wage increases and looming retrenchments. The union also called for a boycott of Massmart stores from 22 November. The retailer, owned by Walmart, has been struggling to shake off the effects of Covid-19 and the associated lockdown restrictions that saw it lose billions due to government-imposed bans on alcohol sales. The July unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng brought more setbacks for the group when two of its warehouses were looted and one burnt to the ground, with 43 stores damaged. The planned strike will come as most shoppers and retailers look forward to the annual shopping bonanza of Black Friday, which falls on the fourth Friday of November. Saccawu’s Sithembele Tshwete said on Tuesday that the union had received three certificates of non-resolution from the CCMA relating to a retrenchment process at Massmart’s Game stores affecting about 400 workers, as well as issues around wages and a unilateral change to conditions of employment. On wages, Tshwete said the union had been demanding a R500 increase across the board and had rejected Massmart’s proposal of R320. “The company is also unilaterally changing the conditions of employment of the group’s customer relations officers. They are taking away the car allowance and have not given any reasons why they are doing all of this,” claimed Tshwete. Massmart’s Brian Leroni said in a statement that the rationale for the strike was not clear. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Saccawu to start indefinite strike at Walmart-owned firm Massmart, at Engineering News. And also, Tensions heighten as Saccawu pegs Black Friday as start of Massmart strike, at Fin24 As CCMA budget keeps shrinking, union threatens wage strike over offer of 1.5% BL Premium reports on a breakdown in negotiations between the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation & Arbitration (CCMA) and its employees over wage increases. Members of the Commission Staff Association (CSA), an in-house trade union that claims membership of 90% of the employees of the CCMA, have threatened to go on strike over an offer to increase wages by just 1.5%, way below the inflation rate and that projected by the Reserve Bank over the next two years. The commission has been hurt by crippling budget cuts from the Treasury, which are set to reach about R500m in the medium term. In a letter dated 12 November, CSA general secretary Nkosinathi Mkhwanazi told members that salary negotiations had failed after six months. He pointed out that the initial demand of a 10% increase, since lowered to 6%, was based on an increased workload over the past two years. If the threatened strike goes ahead, operations could grind to a halt at an organisation that is already beset with huge delays and backlogs. Mkhwanazi stated in his letter that the parties failed to reach an agreement on Friday and the union “decided to declare a deadlock when the CCMA blatantly refused to table a reasonable offer” or move from its initial offer of a 1.5% increase. CCMA director Cameron Morajane said the declaration of a dispute merely meant “that the parties must further engage on an urgent basis to attempt to resolve the impasse”. He said that it was only when this “urgent engagement fails that the CSA may refer a dispute for conciliation” and that engagements were continuing. “No pending industrial action has been instituted,” Morajane indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Violence keeps SA workers fearful and absent from work — survey TimesLIVE reports that a new survey has revealed that half of South African employees see violence as the greatest risk they have to face in their daily lives, with at least 53% having personally felt the effect of violence close to home. The latest annual Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) violence survey, which was conducted among workers from crime hotspots in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, also found that the majority, or 80%, of respondents felt unsafe in their neighbourhoods — a major increase from the 61% last year. The study, commissioned by banking group BNP Paribas and its consumer finance arm, revealed the effect of violence in gang-ridden and high-violence communities on corporate SA, with the organisations surveyed reporting an average of 20% of absenteeism as a result of violence. The inaugural 2020 survey found that 81% of respondents had been late to work as a result of violence or crime, while 72% missed work altogether. Almost 40% of corporates surveyed and 75 of the youth peacemaker network (WPDI) sample believed that community violence was a major contributor to absenteeism. The survey found that the effect of violence on livelihoods and wellbeing has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, with 76% of respondents convinced that violence had increased in their community — an increase of 12% compared to last year. More than 70% blamed the perceived increase in violence on unemployment and retrenchments. At least 58% of women had experienced gender-based violence (GBV). About 41% said they experienced GBV monthly. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipokazi Fokazi at TimesLIVE Ambulance crews ‘need protection’, says Hospersa The Star reports that the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa) advised last week that nearly 100 ambulance crews had been shot at, robbed or assaulted this year after they responded to emergencies. Raising the alarm, Hospersa – a union of more than 60,000 health workers from both the public and private health sectors – said the attacks were mostly in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Hospersa warned that the situation could get worse if the government failed to intervene. The union said it had called on the government to strengthen its efforts in providing a safe working environment for its EMS members. The most recent attack took place on Monday morning when an ambulance was attacked in Vredenburg in the Western Cape. Two EMS personnel sustained serious injuries resulting in one of them being hospitalised. Last month, a KwaZulu-Natal EMS medic lost her life while another was critically injured when two gunmen ambushed their ambulance. In the same month in Gauteng, a rock was hurled at a moving ambulance transporting a patient from a car accident scene. “The state, as the employer, has a legal obligation to prioritise the safety of our EMS members during the execution of their essential medical service,” Hospersa said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard on page 4 of The Star of 16 November 2021
Members of suspected syndicate in Kempton Park court for alleged gold smuggling, money laundering involving R1bn News24 reports that five people appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court on Friday in connection with gold smuggling and money laundering allegations involving more than R1 billion. They are accused alongside three companies. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said: "Gregory Kevin Fourie, Daniel Kalmon Dabush, Michelle Fourie, Clifford Craig Fourie, Andrew Mbongeni Sithole, together with Hybrid Diamonds and Gold Pty (Ltd), Cham Bridging Pty (Ltd) and Michelle's Second Chances are facing around 1,409 charges, ranging from theft and the illegal dealing and possession in unwrought gold, as well as money laundering of over R1 billion. The value of the illegal gold transactions is valued at R275 million" The illegal transactions allegedly took place from March 2018 to November 2019 at a warehouse on the East Rand. Mjonondwane indicated: “Illegal unwrought gold was delivered to [Fourie] at the warehouse. The companies played an integral part in the money laundering that followed.” The accused were released on bail of R50,000 to R150,000. Mbongeni remained in custody with his bail application set down for Wednesday. The case was postponed to 31 March 2022 for further investigation. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24 Postings on mining charter / transformation
Trade union Solidarity threatens legal action if petrol and diesel prices aren’t deregulated Business Tech Africa reports that the government must urgently deregulate petrol and diesel prices in South Africa, or it could face legal action. This is the call from trade union Solidarity, which has warned that the surging fuel price threatens economic growth and that current price controls are not benefitting motorists. The union has written letters to the finance and energy ministers in which it laid down its case for deregulation and asked National Treasury to reduce the fuel levy. Solidarity’s move comes as petrol and diesel prices in SA have reached record levels due to a weakening rand and a global increase in the Brent crude oil price. The latter is expected to continue its climb as demand for fuel increases with more Covid-19 lockdowns being lifted around the world. According to the AA, the inland price of petrol is expected to breach R20 in December. Solidarity economic researcher, Theuns du Buisson, said deregulation of fuel prices was in the public interest. “Today, our country counts among a minority of countries whose governments are exercising the current degree of artificial price manipulation. To exacerbate matters, our government insists on keeping the price of certain fuels artificially high while almost all other governments are intervening to keep the price of fuel lower,” Du Buisson noted. Solidarity wants wholesale and retail prices of petrol and diesel to be deregulated, allowing sellers to determine prices. Du Buisson said Solidarity firmly believed that the continuation of price regulation came down to “irrational and unfair conduct” by the ministers. “Should the ministers decide not to offer relief to citizens, legal action challenging it in court cannot be ruled out,” he warned. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tebogo Nkabinde at Business Tech Africa. Read Solidarity’s press statement on this matter at Solidarity News
Government may allow more private participation in SOEs, deputy finance minister tells MPs BL Premium reports that deputy finance minister David Masondo told MPs on Tuesday that the “tough love” approach that Treasury has adopted towards state-owned entities (SOEs) might involve the introduction of more private-sector participation. Treasury sees SOes as a major risk to the fiscal framework and has already introduced a strategic equity partner into SAA, enabled private generation of electricity and is planning private participation in the freight rail sector to increase competition, boost efficiency and reliability and reduce costs for customers. Nevertheless, Masondo’s comments are likely to trigger intense opposition by those in support of a developmental state backed up by a strong state-owned sector. Finance minister Enoch Godongwana introduced the “tough love” policy regarding SOEs — including no further bailouts — last Thursday before his medium term budget policy statement (MTBPS). Masondo said discussions were needed on where the private sector should be allowed and where the state was needed to act as an entrepreneur where the private sector was not present or not performing optimally. These decisions should be based on empirical evidence rather than ideology, he said. Finance committee chair Joe Maswanganyi was adamant that the meaning of tough love needed to be fleshed out. He raised concern about the demise of the developmental state if SOEs were relinquished and what this meant for the affordability of services. Any such policy would have to align with the policies of the ruling ANC, he indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Denel ordered to pay staff within 10 days The Star reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has welcomed the decision by the North Gauteng High Court ordering parastatal Denel to pay Numsa members salaries owed to them. The state’s weapons manufacturing company has been struggling to pay workers for months, with some reportedly having lost their houses while others have encountered mental health problems because of the uncertainty at the company. At least 800 Numsa members at Denel Dynamics, Denel Land systems, Denel Metal Pressing Pretoria, Denel Aeronautics, and Denel Vehicle Systems have not been paid their salaries in full, from May 2020 to date. Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said workers at Denel have been struggling for months and were facing uncertainty regarding their salaries. “Each division has been paid a portion of their salaries and this is depending on how much revenue the division makes. Sometimes they get 50% or 20% – or nothing at all – but they are all expected to go to work daily,” Jim said. He also stated that there were unproven claims that Denel executives were still getting their salaries in full. The union said Denel was back on contract and that was why the union had approached the court. The court heard the matter on 10 November and ruled in favour of the workers. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Itumeleng Mafisa on page 2 of The Star of 16 November 2021. Read too, State arms manufacturer Denel ordered to pay staff, at Business Report Other internet posting(s) in this news category
British High Commission plans partnerships to develop youth technical skills Engineering News reports that the British government is to invest up to £75-million of official development assistance, globally, for skills development across nine fast-growing economies, with the SA portion being dedicated to addressing the skills gaps, skills mismatch and quality training for unemployed youth and youth in post-school education and training. Undertaking the local portion of assistance, the British High Commission in SA plans to work with local partners to train unemployed youth in technical skills through trade apprenticeships. In partnership with Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator and implementation partners – the Institute of Plumbing of SA (IOPSA), the National Business Initiative (NBI), and BluLever Education – the programme will aim to skill 200 marginalised young people for income-earning opportunities using technical skills. In addition, a further 100 underemployed young people will be assisted in gaining a formal qualification, which will improve their earnings and career prospects. The British High Commission’s innovative apprenticeship approach to setting young work-seekers up for success starts with Harambee selecting candidates through the SA Youth mobile platform based on the attitudes and aptitudes most valued in trade work. SA Youth is a zero-rated, data-free network that matches work-seekers to earning and learning opportunities. This new approach to sourcing and the transformative training these young people will receive – which will critically include a focus on work-readiness components in addition to technical skills – will set them up to succeed in high-demand jobs. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News
Bargaining council finds ex-top cop Jeremy Vearey's dismissal over social media posts 'substantively fair' News24 reports that Safety and Security Sectoral Bargaining Council (SSSBC) arbitrator Imthiaz Sirkhot ruled on Tuesday that former top policeman Major-General Jeremy Vearey's dismissal had been "substantively fair" and was the only sanction that could have been imposed, given the circumstances. "The trust relationship between the applicant (Vearey) and the respondent (SA Police Service) has broken down irretrievably. It would be intolerable for the applicant to remain in the service of the respondent. The only sanction that can be imposed is one of dismissal," Sirkhof indicated. Vearey was fired after an "expeditious" disciplinary process held between April and May found that he had brought the police into disrepute via his posts on Facebook. The police, at the time, said some of his posts were directed at national police commissioner Khehla Sitole and "contained words that were considered derogatory, offensive, insulting, and disrespectful … these actions were considered a misconduct and therefore warranted a departmental action". Sirkhot found that Vearey's intention was to degrade the leadership of the police service and to disrespect Sitole's authority. At the hearing, Vearey was represented by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru). Popcru spokesperson Charlton Johnson said they would be referring the matter to the Labour Court as there were ‘glaring errors’ in the decision. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24
Samsa appoints forensic investigators to probe misconduct allegations against three suspended execuitves News24 reports that the SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) has appointed forensic investigators to probe allegations of misconduct, six months after three executives were placed on precautionary suspension. The Samsa board placed chief operations officer Sobantu Tilayi, company secretary Moyahabo Raphadu, and chief human capital officer Lesego Mashishi on precautionary suspension with pay, as of 26 April, amid allegations of misconduct received from external and internal stakeholders. In a statement, Samsa said the board resolved to launch a thorough investigations of critical aspects of its business and the conduct of management. The statement indicated: “Owing to the seriousness of the allegations as well as to facilitate the investigation, and to minimise any potential prejudice that might otherwise be occasioned to both the suspended executives and the entity, the Samsa board was prompted to place on precautionary suspension its chief operations officer, company secretary and chief human capital officer. Samsa wishes to emphasise its commitment to zero-tolerance where misconduct is concerned and remains determined to continue to protect the public interest in accordance with its regulatory mandate." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24 Popcru adamant cops' lives were in danger in shooting incident at Muldersdrift hotel that left man in coma News24 reports that the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has come out in support of a police officer who shot a man at a Muldersdrift hotel over the weekend after the latter disarmed another officer. In a video that has since gone viral on social media, the man is seen putting on his underwear as police officers stand around him at the entrance of a room. One police officer is heard saying "now you are playing dangerous", as the man approaches with a gun after reportedly cocking it. Moments later, the man grabs a gun from a female officer and is subsequently shot in the head by another officer. Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said the officers had found their lives were in danger "and acted accordingly, which must be deemed as justifiable. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is investigating the incident. According to IPID, an argument ensued at the lodge and the manager requested that the man, identified as Len Cloete, should leave the premises and that he would be refunded. However, he allegedly refused and the police were called. Cloete was rushed to hospital after the shooting and is said to be in a coma. Mamabolo said the union found the incident regrettable and added: “As a union, we stand firmly against any form of brutality, be it against civilians or law enforcement agencies". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lwandile Bhengu at News24
Three more, including two former municipal officials, arrested in connection with VBS Bank scandal IOL reports that three more people have been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the VBS Bank scandal. A 57-year-old former municipal manager of Fetakgomo-Greater Tubatse Municipality, a 39-year-old former chief financial officer and the 41-year-old owner of a private business were arrested on Tuesday at their Pretoria residences. “The allegations in this matter were reported and opened for the contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003, for investing municipal funds with VBS Mutual Bank,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo. She reported that the investigation revealed that Fetakgomo-Greater Tubatse Local Municipality had invested an amount of R230 million which was paid in five tranches from November 2016 to February 2018. According to the SAPS, the whole amount invested was never paid back to the municipality. The three will appear at Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday on charges of contravening the Municipal Finance Management Act, corruption and money laundering. So far, at least 14 people have been arrested. They face more than 100 charges. In August, it was reported that about 14 municipalities in Limpopo, North West and Gauteng, lost nearly R1.6 billion after illegally investing with the bank. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Se-Anne Rall at IOL
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