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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In state of the nation address, Ramaphosa may announce reservation of jobs in some sectors for SA citizens BL Premium reports that in a bid to reverse high unemployment and increasing inequality, President Cyril Ramaphosa may announce in his state of the nation address this week that jobs in some sectors of the economy will soon be reserved for SA citizens. This is one of the proposals on which the cabinet is expected to decide this week, ahead of the address, which Ramaphosa will present to parliament on Thursday evening. The ANC and its Cosatu and SA Communist Party partners in the tripartite alliance discussed excluding foreign nationals from some local markets at the ANC’s recent lekgotla. While it remains unclear which sectors of the economy might be reserved, investors could respond negatively to such a signal, which could be seen as xenophobia at a time when the address is being looked to for signs that the government is ready to focus on kick-starting economic growth and speeding up implementation on its long-promised structural reform programme. Investors will also be closely watching the state of the nation address for clarity on whether the government intends to implement a basic income grant (BIG). But while the cabinet is expected to discuss this, a source close to the president indicated that no decision had yet been taken because financing a BIG was likely to require an increase in VAT. “Given the rising cost of living, it is still unclear if the BIG is possible. Firm direction is being sought from Treasury,” the source indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Hajra Omarjee at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, ANC cornered to tackle foreigners employment quota, at The Citizen (subscriber access only) Tourism sector hopeful Ramaphosa will end state of disaster in Sona speech on Thursday The Citizen reports that with only three days left till the State of the Nation Address (Sona) and the tourism and hospitality industry urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to consider the economy, there have been growing calls for the national state of disaster to be scrapped. National chair of the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa), Rosemary Anderson, said they were hoping announcements at Sona would make it more conducive for the tourism and hospitality sector to prosper and create jobs. In her view, this could be accomplished if the announcement included aspects such as visa waivers, which had not yet been developed for international tourism markets, so that it was easier to visit SA. “Currently huge tourism markets like China and India find it very difficult to visit South Africa, since in order to do so, they have to present themselves in person at an embassy before they can access a visa to SA,” Anderson pointed out. She said they also hoped for an end to the national state of disaster. National coordinator of SA Township and Village Tourism, Thato Mothopeng, also said the national state of disaster needed to end. “The challenge now is we are in an economic crisis,” he warned. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lunga Simelane at The Citizen
Staff evacuated on Monday from burning rubber factory in Ladysmith, KZN The Witness reports that Alfred Duma Municipal fire department rushed out to Sumitomo Rubber factory along the Helpmekaar Road in Ladysmith after a fire broke out there on Monday. The details of the incident are still unknown, except that everyone was evacuated. Billowing black smoke and flames could be seen coming from one of the buildings within the premises. All emergence services officials were on scene. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Claudine Senekal and view a video clip at News24 Truck driver critical after shooting in Vanderbijlpark on Sunday Truck and Freight reports that a truck driver is in a critical condition in hospital following a shooting incident on Sunday afternoon in Vanderbijlpark. Reports indicate that the driver of a truck transporting liquor had stopped in Delfos Boulevard to pick up stock that had fallen from the trailer when he was ambushed by a number of assailants. When medics arrived on the scene, they found that the patient, an adult male in his late twenties, had sustained critical injuries after being shot in the chest. The man was treated on scene by an emergency care practitioner and once stabilised was flown by Netcare 911 helicopter to a specialist facility. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Truck and Freight. Lees ook, Trokdrywer kritiek ná skietery in Vanderbijlpark, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Study shows slight decline in levels of vaccine hesitancy in SA News24 reports that according to a new survey, levels of Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy across the country are declining. Round five of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) Covid-19 Democracy Survey conducted between 22 October and 17 November 2021 found that 36% of adults aged 18 years and older were fully vaccinated, or partially vaccinated, at the time of the survey. A further 38% indicated that they were favourable towards taking the vaccine, while 25% were hesitant. This meant that the level of vaccine hesitancy had declined slightly, from 28% recorded in round four of the survey last winter. According to the writers of the report, the results indicate that the adult population that is vaccine hesitant is largely stable. The report added: “While overall the level of vaccine hesitancy is stable, there have been some important positive shifts in vaccine hesitancy. The level of vaccine hesitancy among those aged 18-24 years has declined by 16 percentage points and by 9 percentage points among 25-34-year-olds. It has, however, remained stable in older age groups.” Last week, Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla announced that 41.61% of the adult population had been fully vaccinated. He said those aged 60 and older continued to lead as the most vaccinated age group, while the 18-34 age group had the lowest vaccination rate at only 33%. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tebogo Monama at News24. Lees ook, Ál minder huiwerig oor Covid-19-entstof, at Maroela Media Investec asks SA staff to get vaccinated or pay for weekly tests Bloomberg reports that as Investec staff return to office, the bank has asked its employees in SA to get vaccinated against Covid-19 or subject themselves to weekly tests. Investec will require its employees to work at least three days a week from office. If workers aren’t vaccinated they will have to get tested – at their own expense – every week to access the workplace, events and client meetings. “We believe, at this time, that the vaccine is the best mitigation against the virus, and that it ensures a safe environment for all,” Head of People for Investec SA, Lesley-Anne Gatter said in a statement. Many companies in SA are mandating workers to get vaccinated to return to office. The South Africa-based MTN Group, the continent’s largest wireless carrier, last month said that it was prepared to fire employees who did not comply. Less than half of the nation’s adult population is fully inoculated. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Moneyweb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Wage deal in sight as Solidarity urges its members to accept revised Sibanye-Stillwater gold offer Miningmx reports that trade union Solidarity has recommended that its members employed at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold division accept an improved offer tabled by the company. It was earlier reported that Sibanye-Stillwater had revised its wage offer to four mining unions, including Solidarity, after proposing annual increases of nearly R1,000 in an effort to head off industrial action. “Solidarity cannot speak on behalf of other trade unions but will encourage its members to consider the new offer favourably,” said Solidarity general secretary Gideon du Plessis. Sibanye-Stillwater revised its offer of increases of R570 to R670 for the lowest-paid employees to R800 for each of the three years, the reports indicated. According to the new proposal, so-called ‘miners, artisans and officials’ would receive salary increases of 5% for each of the three years. “It would appear as if an agreement may now be within reach with Sibanye-Stillwater after a marathon negotiation session last Friday,” said Du Plessis. Wage negotiations between the unions, which also included the National Union of Mineworkers, the Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union and Uasa, have been underway for about seven months. The unions, which had grouped together, had recently been granted a strike certificate by the CCMA. The unions will present the revised offer to their members, and, after finalisation of gold agreements, wage negotiations for Sibanye’s platinum mines will start. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by David McKay at Miningmx. Read too, Solidarity to urge members to accept Sibanye’s revised gold wage offer, at Mining Weekly. Read Solidarity’s press statement at Solidarity News Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Other general posting(s) relating to mining
PwC report reveals that board chairpersons in top JSE companies earn 300 times more than a minimum wage worker Fin24 reports that a chairperson in one of the top-ten "super cap" JSE-listed companies can earn more than 300 times the amount that a worker on the minimum wage in SA earns. According to the latest PwC non-executive directors report, the fee earned by a chairperson in some of the biggest companies in the JSE can go as high as R13.8 million on average. These are people leading boards of "super cap" companies that make up more than two-thirds of the JSE's total market capitalisation, such as Prosus and Anheuser-Busch InBev. Non-executive directors in those companies earned R4 million, on average, in the year to 31 October 2021. On the other hand, the national minimum wage in SA is currently R21.69 per hour. A person working eight hours on that wage for five days a week earns R3,470 a month or lass than R42,000 a year. The PwC report indicates that the "war for talent" is becoming the new gasoline to the unabated runaway executive pay in SA. Activist groups, asset managers and other shareholders have been pulling all stops to quell high executive pay globally and narrow the gap between what the lowest-paid worker and CEOs take home in unequal societies like SA. But the PwC report shows that the Great Resignation movement has left companies scrambling to retain the critical talent. Even though workers aren’t leaving their employers in droves in SA, PwC says the local economy is also facing "notable challenges" with finding the right skills needed by firms because of increased emigration and other pressures. "Creative retention arrangements, which are more sophisticated than cash alone, are becoming an increasingly important weapon in the talent war," says PwC's Leila Ebrahimi. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Londiwe Buthelezi at Fin24
Fishing group Oceana suspends CFO Hajra Karrim on a precautionary basis pending a “further process” BL Premium reports that fishing group Oceana has suspended its CFO Hajra Karrim on a “precautionary basis pending a further process”. The group did not go into details in a statement on Monday, but has delayed the release of financial results for 2021 after instituting a probe into the accounting treatment of matters pertaining to Daybrook, a US subsidiary of the group, after a whistle-blower raised concerns. Oceana appointed ENSafrica to undertake a comprehensive independent investigation and a review process of all concerns raised by the whistle-blower. In January, Oceana said that the investigation had been concluded. No evidence of “fraud, misappropriation or loss of funds or management override of controls arising from any of the matters raised” had been found. The probe had, however, flagged conflicts of interest arising from relationships within the workplace, as well as matters that “relate to management style, culture and the governance over reporting and managing conflicts in certain areas within the organisation”. Oceana added at the time: “Other matters, that were not within the original scope of the investigation, came to the board’s attention during the course of the investigation and may potentially lead to further remedial action and possible reportable irregularities relating to conduct and behavioural breaches of key personnel.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Karl Gernetzky at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Trial of former top Prasa official accused of stealing 42 kilometres railway line postponed yet again GroundUp reports that the theft and fraud case against Mthuthuzeli Swartz and Nadhir Syed Mohiudeen was adjourned to Tuesday in the Port Elizabeth’s Specialised Commercial Crime Court Centre. The case has been postponed on several occasions. Swartz is a former acting CEO of the Rail Division of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), while Mohiudeen is a businessman based in Cape Town. Both are accused of colluding to sell nearly 42 kilometres of railway line running between Sterkstroom and Maclear in the Eastern Cape. They allegedly received R1.5 million for the sale. Magistrate Nolitha Bara said she needed more time to consider a request by Mohiudeen’s lawyer, who wanted the case postponed “to have further documents and particulars”. However, Swartz’s lawyer Advocate Mzwamadoda Mnyani said his client was ready for trial. Mnyani indicated: “My client vehemently opposes any postponement of the case. The matter is old and dates back many years; as a result he seeks for a separation of trial. He will be severely prejudiced if the case is further postponed. He holds an MBA and is not employed. Each time he goes for job interviews he is asked whether he has any outstanding court case.” Public prosecutor Gerrit Van der Merwe said the state was ready to proceed to trial and it was opposed to a separation of the trial. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Joseph Chirume at GroundUp Six former police officers among those arrested in connection with R1.9m PPE corruption at SAPS IOL reports that fifteen suspects were arrested on Monday in connection with corruption at the SA Police Service (SAPS) relating to the acquisition of personal protective equipment valued at R1.9 million. Six of the accused are former police officers, two are currently serving as police officers and one is an administrative clerk. The rest of the accused are civilians linked to the supplier. The accused were arrested in the early hours of Monday in Gauteng and Limpopo. National police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said they had been charged with fraud, theft, corruption and forgery arising from a scheme to unlawfully benefit a third-party supplier of latex gloves for the SAPS nationally in April 2020. “The arrests flow from a wide-ranging investigation into procurement and supply chain management at SAPS. The investigation has uncovered the award of numerous contracts for the benefit of third-party front companies, which in turn facilitate kickbacks to senior SAPS officials,” Mathe indicated. More arrests emanating from police corruption can be expected. All 15 suspects are expected appear at the Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes Court on Tuesday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Brenda Masilela at IOL. Read too, Abuse of police funds and ANC infighting a boon for private security firms, at Mail & Guardian Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Man shot dead on Monday while robbing Golden Arrow bus passengers in Cape Town News24 reports that a man was shot and killed while allegedly robbing passengers on a Golden Arrow bus on Monday afternoon. The bus company's spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said the incident took place on the corner of Sheffield and Eisleben roads in Cape Town. "The shooting happened at approximately 14:00, and I can confirm that a suspect was shot and killed," she indicated. Police spokesperson Andrè Traut confirmed the incident. Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) spokesperson Grace Langa reported that one of the suspects had pointed a firearm towards SAPS members. "Police shot at him and he died on the crime scene, the other two suspects got away," Langa said. She added that two handbags and a cell phone were found in the possession of the deceased and he was also in possession of a firearm. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisalee Solomons at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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