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 Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
|
New workplace harassment code issued: No more eye rolls, bullying, violence or harassment The Citizen reports that the Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the Workplace became effective on 18 March 2022. The new workplace harassment code outlaws eye rolls, bullying, violence and harassment. According to law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, it creates a greater obligation on employers to counteract the devastating effects of violence and harassment in the workplace. Concomitantly, the Amended Code of Good Practice on the Handling of Sexual Harassment Cases in the Workplace has been repealed. The new code provides guidelines for employers and employees on the prevention and elimination of all forms of harassment as a form of unfair discrimination in the workplace and for developing human resources policies, procedures and practices related to harassment. The code applies to all employers and employees, as well as applicants for employment. It recognises that perpetrators and victims of harassment are not necessarily employers, but also employees and applicants for employment such as owners, clients, customers, suppliers, contractors, volunteers, persons in training including interns, apprentices and learnership students. Even other people who have dealings with the employer’s business are included and the code applies to any situation where the employee is working or which is related to work. The code highlights four main forms of violence and harassment, namely, sexual violence and harassment; racial, ethnic and social origin violence and harassment; violence and harassment on account of a protected disclosure or whistleblowing; and workplace bullying. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ina Opperman at The Citizen. Read too, New code of practice aims to end workplace bullying and harassment in SA, at EWN
Uber, Bolt drivers' strike ends, normal operations expected on Friday IOL reports that after three days of a nationwide strike in protest over working conditions and exploitation, e-hailing drivers from Bolt and Uber called off their strike. They are now waiting for a full report from the government and cars will operate as normal from Friday. In a statement on Thursday, Unity in Diversity, which has been representing drivers, informed drivers and operators that there was on-going communication with all the departments to which memorandums had been submitted. Among the demands set out in the memorandums, the community said it wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa to show leadership and political will to regulate the e-hailing industry. They also want Ramaphosa to compel Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to engage with them, adding that he “has no appetite to resolve industry problems”. Drivers have expressed concerns about the low profit margins in the industry. App operators reportedly earn 25% of each trip. Following the commencement of the protests on Tuesday, there were some scenes of violence caught on video. One driver who was caught working during the protest had four wheels of his car slashed, another car was seen with broken windows. There were also reports that a police officer was assaulted after running into a group of protesters who mistook him for a driver. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Brenda Masilela at IOL
Protesting against high impounding fees and long waits for permits, taxis bring Cape Town city centre to a standstill on Thursday GroundUp reports that hundreds of taxi drivers and owners brought Cape Town’s city centre to a standstill on Thursday as they marched and drove in convoy along the N2 to the Western Cape Legislature. Meanwhile, many commuters were left stranded. Members of the Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association (CODETA) and the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (CATA) marched to the office of Premier Alan Winde. The associations accused the Western Cape government of refusing to process and issue permits timeously, but being quick to impound vehicles operating without permits. According to CATA’s general secretary Mandla Hermanus, around 2,000 taxi operators participated in the march, which he adamantly claimed had been peaceful and without incident. But earlier on Thursday morning, at least three Golden Arrow buses were set alight, others were stoned and four people were injured. Several other vehicles were also damaged during the protest. Golden Arrow’s Browne Dyke-Beyek said the incidents appear to be linked to the taxi protest. She said buses were attacked in Nyanga, Philippi East and Kraaifontein. Police said incidents of violence were being investigated, but arrests had yet to be made. The taxi associations threatened to take the Western Cape government to court if their demands, which were handed over to Premier Alan Winde’s office, were not addressed within seven days. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik at GroundUp. Read too, Two protesters thrown from taxi during Cape taxi strike, at IOL. En ook, Voertuie brand in Kaapstad oor taxi’s, by Maroela Media Farm women demand that Distell should act against suppliers that violate workers’ rights GroundUp reports that about 150 women who live and work on farms marched to the offices of Distell in Stellenbosch on Wednesday, demanding that the company should take action against its suppliers that disregarded human and labour rights. According to the Women on Farms Project (WFP), which coordinated the march, many workers on farms across the Western Cape regularly experienced labour rights violations, as well as a lack of sanitation, forceful evictions, and food insecurity. Distell produces many well-known alcoholic drinks like Savanna cider, Amarula, Klipdrift brandy and a range of wines. According to their memo, the farm women demanded that Distell prevent and mitigate labour rights violations and housing rights violations; provide WFP with a list of all its supplying farms; for the company to publicly commit to the redistribution of farmland to women farmworkers; and commit to meeting with the WFP to discuss their grievances in detail. A Distell representative accepted and signed the memo. Distell spokesperson Dennis Matsane advised that the conditions and pay at all Distell-owned farms “far exceed the prescribed standards”. Matsane added that dialogue and engagement were key to finding solutions to transform the wine industry. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Liezl Human at GroundUp
Northam reports production dip amid mine fatalities, Covid-19-related medical absences and community unrest BL Premium reports that platinum group metals (PGMs) producer Northam Platinum says community unrest, mining accidents and Covid-19-related medical absences all weighed on its production in its half-year to end-December, but it continued to cash in on elevated prices. The group said its Zondereinde and Booysendal mines experienced particularly difficult operational conditions, with Zondereinde suffering two mining-related fatalities, together with increased medical absences due to Covid-19. Furthermore, regional community unrest resulted in various production stoppages at Booysendal. Core profit, however, increased 19.1% to R6.4bn, with the group benefiting from a 22.5% increase in the average dollar basket price of its metals. Northam said although conditions had been challenging, it had made progress in developing its assets, reinitiating growth projects that had been curtailed by Covid-19, including its new shaft at Zondereinde. Northam indicated on Thursday that there remained a risk of regional community unrest on the eastern limb of the Bushveld. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Karl Gernetzky at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Solidarity threatens Hyundai and Yes4Youth with legal action over employment programme made available only to young blacks Trade union Solidarity has given Hyundai and Yes4Youth until Friday to respond to a lawyer’s letter about their employment programme that has been made available only to young black persons. Connie Mulder, head of the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), noted: “One of the requirements of the Yes4Youth programme is that one must be currently unemployed. Another requirement, however, is that one must be black. In other words, apart from skin colour, there is no difference in the circumstances of the white unemployed person and the black unemployed person. To call something “redress” that is linked to racial preference, is absurd. What this means is that these organisations are kicking people who are already down, and this for no reason other than the colour of their skin.” According to Solidarity, the situation is exacerbated by the fact that the absurdity of giving aid to the unemployed on the basis of race has already been pointed out to Yes4Youth in the past. Following that, Yes4Youth’s legal team made written promises to Solidarity that the programme would be accessible to all young people. “It is completely outrageous that Yes4Youth would lie so blatantly despite the promises it has made to us in writing. The youth unemployment crisis surpasses race. To still argue that a specific race’s young unemployed have greater value than the young belonging to another race group, is morally indefensible,” Mulder stated. Read Solidarity’s press statement in regard to the above matter at Solidarity News. Lees ook, Regstappe dreig oor werk vir ‘slegs’ jong swartes, by Maroela Media
Thulas Nxesi denies Labour Migration Policy is apartheid-style job reservation Fin24 reports that according to Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister Thulas Nxesi, the government's Labour Migration Policy (LMP) cannot be compared to apartheid-era job reservation as the proposed migration policy is "not racial". At the beginning of March, the draft national LMP was put forward. It includes quotas for how many foreign nationals can be hired in certain sectors and suggests fines of up to R100,000 for employers that disregard the quotas. The policy document will be out for public comment for 90 days, after which it will be referred back to Cabinet and then to Parliament for consideration. Responding to a question from DA MP Michael Cordo on who helped the DEL put the policy together, Nxesi said multiple government departments, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and academics assisted. Cardo charged that the LMP was similar to the apartheid government's job reservation policy, which prevented South Africans who were not white from accessing jobs in certain sectors. Nxesi denied Cardo's charge, saying: "It might sound so but it's not. The apartheid policy was racial. This is not racial. This is about preserving the interests of South Africans. You are coming up with this because the employers in the sectors who want to exploit cheap labour want that to continue." EFF MP Khosi Mkhonto asked Nxesi if the policy was a kneejerk response to pressure caused by xenophobic violence and hostilities toward foreign nationals from South Africans. Nxesi said the government had to "respond to the employment expectations of the South African people". He stated that while the Constitution guaranteed foreign nationals could not be banned from the job market, the government was committed to regulating their participation to prevent "distortion" of the job market. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24
Performance agreements: 'No minister has been made to answer for his or her progress', claims DA News24 reports that nearly two years after Cabinet ministers signed performance agreements, none of them has been made to answer for their progress and there is also no sign of the "regular evaluations" which were meant to take place. This is according to Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen, who slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa's Cabinet for failing to meet the requirements of their performance agreements. In his 2020 State of the Nation Address (SONA), Ramaphosa announced that each minister would be expected to sign a ministerial performance agreement. The performance agreements Ramaphosa signed with each minister requires them to give effect to the seven priority areas he outlined in his SONA in June 2019. Steenhuisen commented: "No minister has been made to answer for his or her progress, and there is no sign whatsoever of the 'regular evaluations' that were meant to take place. We are now past halfway through the term of this administration, and it has become clear that these performance agreements were nothing but a box-ticking exercise to create the illusion of accountability." Steenhuisen went on to claim: "There was never any intention to use these agreements as a real tool to enforce accountability. After the initial media coverage of the ministers and the president signing the agreements, they were simply left to gather dust." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24
With ILO to elect new director-general on Friday, SA’s Mthunzi Mdwaba confident of appointment BL Premium reports that SA businessperson Mthunzi Mdwaba is confident of becoming the next boss of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) when the global labour agency elects its new director-general for a five-year term on Friday. The ILO is a tripartite multilateral agency in the UN family made up of trade unions, businesses/employers, and governments. Mdwaba is former vice-president of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE). Mdwaba, who has served the ILO in senior positions for more than a decade, was upbeat, saying due to his concerted eight-month campaign, victory was certain. He commented on Thursday: “We have run a good race and having come this far is something we are extremely proud of. I am confident that the years and the last few months of investment in this campaign will yield the desired results.” His race has not been without controversy. Last year the SA government withdrew its support for his candidacy but declined to give reasons. This was after the state initially endorsed and approved R8m for his campaign but later withdrew support before any money was spent. Mdwaba is up against four candidates: Gilbert Houngbo of Togo, Kang Kyung-wha of the Republic of Korea, Muriel Pénicaud of France and Greg Vines of Australia. If Mdwaba is elected, he will become the first African at the helm of the ILO since its inception in 1919 and will assume office on 1 October 2022. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Census field workers up in arms over lack of payment by Stats SA for services IOL reports that census field workers in Ekurhuleni have threatened to withdraw their services over lack of payment. This comes as Statistics SA has allegedly failed to pay salaries to recruited staff members. Apparently, between 25 and 35 field workers have not been remunerated for February. On Thursday, some field workers descended on Stats SA’s offices in Pretoria to deliver a memorandum of demands. Recruit Basetsana Phora, from Brakpan in Ekurhuleni, said that in her area up to 25 to 30 members, including fieldworkers, five supervisors and one field operator, had not been paid and no communication had been forthcoming from authorities. "We have bulletins where we were promised advances. Imagine an advance but you already worked a full month. Even the advance is missing in action," she indicated. Phora added that apart from Ekurhuleni, field workers in Tshwane, Sedibeng and the City of Joburg faced the same dilemma of non-payment. Census campaign regional supervisor Thandeka Nkabinde, from Duduza, said they were experiencing the same problem of non-payment of salaries from Stats SA. Nkanbinde claimed that the matter was national, because even in Limpopo and some parts of Kwazulu-Natal there was the same problem of non-payments. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kamogelo Moichela at IOL
Death threats against Mamusa municipal CFO who uncovered shady dealings Moneyweb reports that the chief financial officer and acting municipal manager at Mamusa Local Municipality in North West province, Mercy Phetla, has received death threats after she uncovered corruption and irregular payments within weeks of taking up the CFO position in April 2021. There was an attempt to suspend her in December 2021 on charges of fraud and corruption, but she continues working away at her job – without pay, and having been removed as a signatory to the municipal bank account. Phetla maintains these charges are designed to deflect from the graft she unearthed, which has become the norm at Mamusa – the administrative centre of which is in Schweizer-Reneke – for the better part of a decade. “I have received death threats and have been warned numerous times to leave the area, but I am staying right here. I have sent my daughter back to my family home in Mpumalanga because of the threats, but I will not be intimidated. I have to stay and help clean up this mess,” said Phetla. A forensic report commissioned by Phetla and completed in January 2022 found direct acts of fraud valued at R40 million, with cumulative irregular expenditure for the current financial year standing at a staggering R564 million. For a municipality of Mamusa’s modest size, “this is a huge loss and clearly translated into poor service delivery throughout the municipality,” the report indicates. But, Phetla’s supposed replacement as municipal manager, Gaboroni Mothibi, says Phetla was suspended over allegations of fraud and corruption – the same accusations she has levelled at councillors and officials within the municipality – specifically relating to the commission of the forensic report. Read the full original of the detailed report in the above regard by Ciaran Ryan at Moneyweb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Western Cape social development ready to hand over Early Childhood Development to basic education department Cape Argus reports that the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) is ready for a smooth transition of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) function from its fold to the Department of Basic Education (WCED) come 1 April. The shift of responsibility follows the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation address in 2019 that the ECD function would be moving from the DSD to the DBE. In announcing that it was ready for the move, the DSD advised that it had implemented relevant procedures to ensure that the function shift took place as smoothly as possible. In a statement, the DSD said that it had so far facilitated the transfer of contacts and memoranda of understanding and handed over overall business architecture (Standard Operating Procedures), databases and required documentation, among other processes. While all ECD services will move over to WCED, partial care services will remain with the provincial DSD. The DSD will also continue to render child care protection and support to families within the broader area of ECD. “No significant major changes will be made to the operational aspects and service delivery model for ECD in the first two years to ensure a smooth transition,” DSD spokesperson Joshua Chigome said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nomalanga Tshuma at Cape Argus
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page