In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Government gears up for new Covid-19 variant as cases accelerate in Gauteng BusinessLive reports that the government will be convening a series of high-level meetings at the weekend to discuss how to respond to the detection of a swiftly spreading new coronavirus variant dubbed B.1.1.529, which appears to be driving Gauteng’s rapid increase in cases. It was too soon to say whether the government would tighten lockdown restrictions or whether the emergence of B.1.1.529 would lead to travel restrictions, but these issues would be discussed by the national coronavirus command council, cabinet and the president’s co-ordinating council, health minister Joe Phaahla indicated on Thursday. SA has experienced three waves of coronavirus infections, each more severe than the last. The latest variant was first identified in Botswana on 11 November. It has been confirmed in about 100 samples collected in SA, but hundreds more are being analysed and the figure is expected to rise. The variant has fuelled a resurgence of cases in Gauteng in the past fortnight and is likely to be circulating in other provinces too. “We can see it spreading very fast, and we do expect unfortunately to start seeing pressure on the health system in the next few days and weeks,” said Stellenbosch University bioinformaticist Tulio de Oliveira. Koleka Mlisana, co-chair of the ministerial advisory committee on Covid-19, urged people who are not yet vaccinated to get inoculated as soon as possible. A high proportion of the cases recently identified in Gauteng were among younger adults, and work was under way to determine whether they were vaccinated or not, said Mlisana. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive. Lees ook, Nuwe variant dalk al in meeste provinsies, by Maroela Media SA back on UK’s travel red list over new Covid-19 variant that poses ‘a potentially significant threat to the vaccine programme’ Reuters reports that the UK will be placing SA temporarily back under red list travel restrictions after scientists raised the alarm over a new Covid-19 variant. The newly identified coronavirus variant that has spread in SA is the most concerning that British health officials have yet seen as it has double the number of mutations of the Delta variant, including some associated with evading immune response. Britain announced it was temporarily banning flights from SA and five other countries from midday on Friday and returning British travellers from those destinations would have to quarantine. The UK Health Security Agency said that the variant — called B.1.1.529 — has a spike protein that was dramatically different to the one in the original coronavirus that Covid-19 vaccines were based on. Earlier on Thursday, South African scientists said they had detected the new Covid-19 variant in small numbers and were working to understand its potential implications. The variant has also been found in Botswana and Hong Kong. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Anirudh Saligrama at BusinessLive Limpopo Health MEC warns of fourth wave as Exxarro Mine records 57 Covid-19 cases in just four days News24 reports that Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba has expressed alarm about the Covid-19 cluster outbreak at Exxaro Mine in Lephalale, where 57 new cases were recorded within four days this week. Of the 57 cases, 18 of them were recorded on Wednesday. The cluster outbreak at the mine comes at a time when the fourth wave of infections is being expected to hit in the coming weeks. Ramathuba pointed out that the majority of those infected at the mine had not been vaccinated and were showing severe symptoms. She strongly urged members of the public to get vaccinated, warning that the pandemic was not over yet. Ramathuba said: "Covid-19 is still very much present. We are equally worried that our people are behaving as if the virus has been wiped away." A team of health workers has been dispatched to the mine to screen and test the mineworkers and all other staff. Limpopo experienced cluster outbreaks during the third wave of the pandemic, especially at mines and old age homes. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Russel Molefe at News24 Old Mutual becomes latest company to implement mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations for employees The Citizen reports that insurance giant Old Mutual is implementing a mandatory vaccination policy for all its employees, at all its subsidiaries, and employees have until 1 January 2022 to get at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. They have to be fully vaccinated by March 2022 and must also declare and submit proof of their vaccination status via a CoronaFighter app declaration process within the deadline. Employees who don’t want to get the vaccine must apply for “vaccination exemption”, which will be considered for “specific medical, religious or constitutional grounds”. If the employee’s exemption is granted, there will be additional measures in place, including temporary or permanent alternative placement, weekly Covid-19 PCR testing, wearing additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and an N95 mask. “If we can’t reasonably accommodate you, our HR process will begin, which could result in termination,” reads the internal staff memo. If the exemption is denied, the employee has five days to get the jab, failing which, they will be fired. Old Mutual said it would provide counselling on its mandatory vaccine policy. Staff will be allowed to consult with a trade union representative, worker representative or health and safety representative. Old Mutual will also provide access to a virtual consultation with a medical professional to answer questions about vaccines. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Narissa Subramoney at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Cosatu CEC gives its backing to Saccawu’s wage strike at Massmart BL Premium reports that Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali addressed journalists on Thursday after the labour federation’s central executive committee (CEC) meeting held from Monday to Wednesday. The indefinite strike by the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) at struggling retail giant Massmart received the backing of Cosatu. Saccawu, which claims to have about 20,000 of Massmart’s 45,000-strong workforce, rejected management’s proposal of R320 and embarked on an indefinite strike from last Friday in support of its demand for a R500 increase across the board. The union, which has also called for a consumer boycott of the group’s 413 stores, is disputing alleged unilateral restructuring and changes to terms and conditions of employment affecting the group’s customer relation officers. Ntshalintshali said: “We don’t believe Massmart is broke. Massmart has never said they are broke. We think Massmart can afford the union’s demands.” He pointed out that the Massmart employees worked very hard during the hard coronavirus lockdown, even risking contracting the disease. According to Massmart, there has been low support for the strike among its workers. Massmart, owned by Walmart, has been struggling to shake off the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown restrictions that resulted in it losing billions due to government-imposed bans on alcohol sales. The July unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng brought more setbacks for the group — which is in the middle of a turnaround attempt to fix years of underperformance — when two of its warehouses were looted and one razed, with 43 stores damaged. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane by scrolling down at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Labour Court sets aside Joseph Mathunjwa's election in 2019 as Amcu president Business Maverick reports that Joseph Mathunjwa’s 2019 election as president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union has been declared ‘unlawful’ and set aside by the Labour Court in Johannesburg. The case was launched by Nkosikho Joni, Amcu’s suspended deputy president. The verdict – which Mathunjwa may appeal – is likely to have a profound impact on SA’s labour scene if it holds. At the heart of the matter is that Mathunjwa has not been employed by a company since 2013 and that his “stay as president after (2013)… was no longer in compliance with the Constitution. Therefore, he automatically was not eligible to stand and or be elected as the President of Amcu.” The judgment concludes that Mathunjwa’s election as president in September 2019 was “unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid, and is set aside”. The invalidity is from the date of the order, not from the date of the election, which means that any actions Mathunjwa has taken since the election are not automatically invalid. If Mathunjwa appeals, he can remain president pending the outcome. The charismatic Mathunjwa has been a force to be reckoned with since Amcu dislodged the National Union of Mineworkers as the dominant union on the platinum belt almost a decade ago. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ed Stoddard at Daily Maverick Coalition of unions mulls strike after rejecting Sibanye-Stillwater’s revised gold wage offer BL Premium reports that a coalition of mining unions is drafting picketing rules after wage talks with Sibanye-Stillwater deadlocked when workers this week rejected a wage hike deal from the gold producer. The coalition comprises the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), Solidarity and Uasa. The revised proposal by Sibanye-Stillwater made to unions on 18 November would have seen the lowest-paid ‘category 4 to 8’ employees at Sibanye’s gold operations getting increases of R570, R640 and R670 over three years. So-called miners, artisans and officials would have received increases of 4.5%, 4.9% and 4.9% during the three-year term. However, on Tuesday workers rejected the proposed deal and stuck to their demand for a wage hike of R1,000 each year for three years. “We are busy with picketing rules, we aim to finalise them by December 13. A strike certificate will be requested if the matter is unresolved. We keep on talking to each other, but we are so far apart,” Solidarity general secretary Gideon du Plessis indicated on Thursday. He said it was up to the company to table an acceptable offer. “Senior management got 6% increases and huge bonuses earlier this year; now they are offering lower-level staff a lot less,” Du Plessis claimed. After the deal was rejected by workers on Tuesday, the company reverted to the offer offered to unions on 19 October. If a certificate of non-resolution is issued, unions will have to provide 48 hours’ notice before embarking on a strike. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Sibanye-Stillwater faces prospect of crippling strike at gold mines after unions reject wage offer, at Miningmx Mining industry recommits to ‘zero harm’ BL Premium reports that the mining industry has renewed its commitment to eliminating injuries and fatalities at all operations even as the number of deaths continues to decline. Representatives of the Minerals Council SA (previously called the Chamber of Mines), CEOs of mining companies, mine managers, trade unions and the Department of Mineral Resources & Energy (DMRE) met at the MineSafe conference on Thursday to discuss health and safety and to commit to the “zero-harm” objective. Inspector of mines David Msiza said fatalities had declined from 90 in 2017 to 81 in 2018, 51 in 2019, 60 in 2020 and 58 as at 15 November 2021. There were 2,664 injuries in 2017, 2,447 in 2018, 2,406 in 2019, 1,747 in 2020 and 1,824 so far in 2021. Msiza said that while fatalities were a downward trend, the department was concerned that the situation had reached a plateau. “We are also mindful that the mining industry last year was not working at 100% [because of Covid-19 lockdowns]. However we are deeply concerned that these accidents are happening,” he stated. DMRE Minister Gwede Mantashe said government’s position was that the loss of life in the mining sector was unacceptable. “No stone must be left unturned towards ensuring the occupational health and safety of workers,” he said. Ground collapses remain the largest accident category and the predominant cause of fatalities, followed by general and transportation accidents. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Stakeholders identify measures to address fatalities in mining industry, at Mining Weekly Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Cosatu calls for alliance summit after ANC’s poor performance in local government elections BL Premium reports that Cosatu, which campaigned relentlessly for the ANC ahead of the recent municipal elections, has called for an urgent tripartite alliance summit to discuss what went wrong after the governing party’s support fell below the 50% mark for the first time. The labour federation, together with the SA Communist Party (SACP) are alliance partners of the ANC. Cosatu also wants the summit to review the coalition talks that resulted in some major metros and local councils falling into opposition hands. Addressing journalists on Thursday after its central executive committee (CEC) meeting from Monday to Wednesday, Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said the election results were “deeply disappointing”. “The federation plans to convene a political commission to do a comprehensive analysis of the local government elections outcome and their impact on the national democratic revolution and the alliance. We also intend to push for an urgent alliance summit to do a thorough and honest post-mortem analysis of the elections and outcome of the coalition talks,” he said. Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi said ANC needed a “decisive victory” during the national election in 2024 “so that we can have a government that we can hold accountable, based on the contract it has with the people of SA”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Government ends Zimbabwean Special Dispensation Permits, but allows 12-month grace period BL Premium reports that Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele advised on Thursday that the government would no longer issue extensions to the Zimbabwean Special Exemption Permit (ZEP), which is set to end on 31 December this year. The special visas were introduced in 2009 to allow Zimbabweans working in SA to gain legal status. Almost 200,000 people were granted the visas for an initial five-year period, which was extended twice. “Following its deliberations, cabinet decided to no longer issue extensions to the Zimbabwean special dispensations. However, it decided on a 12-month grace period [until the end of 2022] at the expiry of the current [permits],” Gungubele indicated. During this period, the holders of the permits should apply for other visas appropriate to their particular status or situation. “At the expiry of this 12-month period, those who are not successful will have to leave South Africa or be deported,” Gungubele advised. He added that cabinet had noted and denounced the rising xenophobia against foreign nationals in parts of the country. Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit Holders Association says that more than 250,000 Zimbabweans have asked the courts to declare them permanent SA residents, following the expiry of their ZEPs. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bekezela Phakathi at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Zimbabweans given lifeline despite Cabinet’s decision not to renew special permit, at The Citizen
SAPS to recruit 10,000 new police officers in new financial year IOL reports that the SA Police Service (SAPS) is planning to recruit 10,000 new recruits in the financial year starting in April 2022 to bolster the force. This was revealed by Police Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale in Parliament on Wednesday. He said although there was limited capacity to accommodate the new recruits within the SAPS training facilities, there were discussions taking place with Defence Minister Thandi Modise on the possibility of utilising the soldier’s facilities. Mathale made the statement when he was responding to DA MP Andrew Whitfield, who had asked why the budget for the VIP police could not be slashed to ensure there were more police on the front line. Whitfield had noted that budget cuts had gutted the visible policing programme, which was about crime prevention, while the VIP budget had increased over the years. He had also indicated that the fixed SAPS personnel had decreased from 194,000 to 182,000, with at least 32,000 officers lost since 2016/17. His projection was that numbers would plummet to 163,000 in 2023/24. Mathale noted that the SAPS had been unable to take in a new intake in the 2020/21. He acknowledged that there was a shortage and that there was a need to increase the police personnel. “We are to face this problem face on and with the support from National Treasury we will be able to take an intake of 10 000 in the next financial year,” he promised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mayibongwe Maqhina at IOL
DBE reminds teachers of ethics code after report reveals 443 misconduct complaints Eyewitness News reports that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has reminded educators of the code of professional ethics that governs their field. The South African Council of Educators received at least 443 complaints of misconduct against educators in respect of the 2020/21 financial year. A least 11 teachers were fired for unethical misconduct and then removed from the register of educators. Of the 11 teachers that were axed, five of the cases were for sexual misconduct and two were for severe assault of pupils. "The most compelling point is the fact that the report was tabled by the organisation that certifies teacher, the organisation that gives teachers certificates to work in our schools, the same organisation that binds teachers to sign the code of ethics, which binds to the highest professional standards, but it seems when they get to schools, they forget all that," DBE spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at EWN. Lees ook, ‘Sekspes-onnies hoort op nasionale register’ – DA, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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