In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Ramaphosa takes the plunge and ends state of disaster from midnight on Monday BusinessLive reports that in a widely anticipated move to deflect mounting legal pressure and boost business confidence, the government has ended the national state of disaster, which was brought into effect two years ago to manage the coronavirus pandemic. The government has drawn heavy criticism from civil liberty groups for using the wide-ranging powers accorded to it by the Disaster Management Act to impose sweeping regulations that were not subject to public consultation or parliamentary oversight. Trade union Solidarity and civil rights group AfriForum launched legal action challenging the continued state of disaster, and the DA threatened last month to follow suit. In a televised address to the nation on Monday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the restrictions had been necessary to slow infections and limit the strain on the health system, but conceded they came at a price. SA has now entered a new phase in the pandemic and it was time for the state to step back and for individuals to take greater responsibility for protecting themselves against Covid-19, he said, urging more people to get vaccinated. “While the pandemic is not over, and while the virus remains among us, these conditions no longer require us to remain in a national state of disaster,” said Ramaphosa. The cabinet had agreed to lift the state of disaster with effect from midnight on Monday and repeal all the regulations brought into effect with the Disaster Management Act, with the exception of a few transitional measures that will lapse after 30 days. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive. Lees ook, Ramaphosa: Ramptoestand opgehef, by Maroela Media State of disaster finally over, but these rules remain for 30 days The Citizen reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that, while the National State of Disaster has been terminated, SA will still have “transitional measures”. He indicated during his address to the nation on Monday night that Cabinet has decided to end the country’s State of Disaster with effect from midnight. However, the President said that there would be measures, which would lapse after 30 days, to allow for a smooth transition. “What this means is that all regulations and directions made in terms of the Disaster Management Act following the declaration of the national State of Disaster in response to Covid-19 are repealed with effect from midnight tonight, with the exception of a few transitional measures,” Ramaphosa advised. The transitional regulations include: masks will be required for indoor gatherings only; social distancing in gatherings (1 metre) except for schools; restrictions on gatherings – 1,000 people indoors and 2,000 outdoors – will continue; both indoor and outdoor venues can take up to 50% of their capacity without any maximum limit, provided that proof of vaccination or a Covid-19 test not older than 72 hours is presented for entrance to the venue; in the absence of proof of vaccination or a PCR test, the number of people to be accommodated in a venue should be 1,000 indoors and 2,000 outdoors; the special R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant will remain in place. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Molefe Seeletsa at The Citizen. Read too, Ramaphosa ends national state of disaster - but you will still have to wear a mask indoors, at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Attacks on Western Cape paramedics will derail service delivery if left unchecked Cape Argus reports that the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness’s Emergency Medical Services (WCDHW EMS) have again condemned attacks on their staff. This after EMS officials were accosted and hijacked at gunpoint in Eisleben Road in Philippi at the weekend. Detailing the incident, WCDHW spokesperson Deanna February said emergency medical personnel were driving a service vehicle when they were stopped in the middle of the road by four unknown persons who threatened them with a firearm and demanded the car. February said: “One of our female officials was hit on her back with a firearm. The vehicle was stolen and there has been no trace of it.” She added that this was not the only incident that took place last week: “Just the day before, one of our ambulance crews was travelling in Eerste River when unknown individuals began stoning it. The vehicle was damaged but, fortunately, there were no serious physical injuries. However, our officials were severely traumatised following the senseless attack.” There have been six attacks on EMS officials since the beginning of the year. The department noted the worrying increase in attacks on its staff, which it said impacted service delivery to local communities and people in need. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nomalanga Tshuma at Cape Argus Durban worker crushed after large packaging trolley fell off truck Truck and Freight reports that on Monday morning, Netcare 911 responded to a crush injury at a shopping centre in Winklespruit, South of Durban. Reports indicate that a large packaging trolley fell off a truck loading platform, crushing a worker underneath. When medics from Netcare 911 and Emer-G-Med arrived on scene, they found that the patient had sustained serious injuries. The patient was treated on scene by emergency care practitioners. Once stabilised, the patient was flown by Netcare 911 helicopter ambulance to a specialised medical facility for the care he required. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Truck and Freight. Lees ook, Werker by winkelsentrum vergruis, by Maroela Media
Angry patients at Laetitia Bam Day Hospital in Kariega shout at striking health workers GroundUp reports that dozens of patients, fed up with being ignored by protesting staff, carried chairs into Laetitia Bam Day Hospital in KwaNobuhle, Kariega, on Monday afternoon and shouted down the corridors. “We will die inside this clinic, because of these stupid nurses. Give us our medication and then continue to strike alone,” a protester shouted. “This is the second week of protest by the staff. They ignore us … every time we come here to fetch our treatment,” claimed a patient. Meanwhile, singing staff members held a sit-in. At issue are contracts that ended on 31 March for community health workers and Covid contract workers. They are demanding to be absorbed by the health department. Nehawu organiser Thembisa Witbooi said that without contract workers, health facilities across the province were short-staffed. “Permanent nurses are doing admin work and other non-clinical jobs that they were not employed to do,” she claimed. Eastern Cape health department spokesperson Yonela Dekeda said Covid contract workers had been covered by disaster management funding, and the department was unable to extend the contracts of more than 8,000 workers. She indicated: “We explained to union leadership that we don’t have money any longer … The Department is committed to filling vacancies within the available budget.” Read the original of the report in the above regard by Thamsanqa Mbovane at GroundUp
With Numsa now demanding 10% wage increase, bus strike looms just prior to Easter weekend The Citizen reports that according to the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), a nationwide strike in the bus sector ahead of the Easter holiday is looming as employers are refusing to meet workers’ demands. Passengers at bus companies such as Putco, Golden Arrows, Autopax, Greyhound, Mega Bus and Coach, Gauteng Coaches, Great North Transport and many others could be left stranded ahead of Good Friday. Wage talks between employers and five unions collapsed at the SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBC) in February. Numsa is the biggest union among the five that include Satawu. Numsa’s spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola on Monday accused the SA Bus Employers Association (SABEA) and the Commuter Bus Employer Association (COBEA) of refusing to “negotiate in good faith” by disclosing their income from government subsidies. She said: “There are exactly ten days left before the cooling off period ends on the 13th of April, which is two days before Good Friday weekend. In terms of the law, we will have the right to give a 48 hours-notice for a national strike. It is likely that the strike will begin just before the Easter long weekend.” Numsa has made a wide range of demands, including that workers earning R7,800 per month be moved up to R12,000. However, employers said the demands were unaffordable and offered only a 2.5% increment for those employed before March 2022. A new wage demand of 10% across the board was now on the table, said Hlubi-Majola, who clarified that that was approximately a R780 increase for the lowest paid. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Getrude Makhafola at The Citizen
Assmang’s Black Rock manganese mine achieves record ten-million fatality free shifts after 13 years Mining Weekly reports that Assmang’s Black Rock mine, near Hotazel in the Northern Cape, has achieved ten-million fatality-free shifts, a record that has taken 13 years to achieve. Assmang is a joint partnership between Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Minerals and Desmond Sacco’s Assore. The last fatality at the underground manganese mine, which employs 6,000 people, made up of 4,400 permanent employees and 1 600 contractors, was on 23 April 2009. Adding to the milestone was that it was achieved during the ramping up of the operation’s run-of-mine ore production from 3.6-million tons in 2011, to 5.1-million tons forecast for 2022. At a function attended by 3,500 employees and contractors, Black Rock mine senior GM Wilhemina Ngcobo cautioned against complacency and reminded that safety could be compared with sweeping water uphill – it required constant work and focus. Among those who added messages were the National Union of Mineworkers’ Rachlel Phete, Solidarity’s Joe Bruwer and the Inspector of Mines’ Tumelo Mateta. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly
Fuel tax ‘holiday’ limits Wednesday’s fuel price hikes BusinessLive reports that more fuel price hikes await motorists this week with diesel rising by up to R1.69 a litre and petrol by as much as 36c a litre. However, the fuel shocks would have been much worse without the temporary R1.50/l fuel levy reduction on petrol and diesel announced last week by the ministers of finance and mineral resources and energy. The fuel levy in the price structure of petrol and diesel was reduced to 244c/l and 230c/l respectively, while the Road Accident Fund levy will remain at 218c/l. The more than 40% cut in the fuel levy, which applies until 31 May, is part of a R6bn package to ease the burden on motorists. Without this temporary fuel tax “holiday”, diesel was set to rise by over R3/l and petrol by about R2/l due to higher international prices for petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin, even though the rand appreciated against the US dollar during the review period. In Gauteng from Wednesday, retail prices of 93 ULP and 95 ULP will be R21.63 and R21.96 respectively, while the wholesale prices of diesel will be R21.01 for 0.05% sulphur and R21.24 for 0.005% sulphur. At the coast, 95 ULP petrol will rise to R21.24 while diesel will be R20.40 for 0.05% sulphur. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Denis Droppa at BusinessLive. Read too, Fuel price to increase by at least 28c on Wednesday, at IOL. And also, Two-month fuel price relief is widely welcomed, at Business Report
Mango’s business rescue practitioner threatens court action to get balance of government funding Fin24 reports that budget airline Mango's business rescue practitioner has had to resort to a threat of legal action against the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) and Treasury in an attempt to get outstanding government funding that the low-cost SA Airways (SAA) subsidiary is still waiting for. The rescue practitioner, Sipho Sono, has been trying to get a final payment of R399-million from the DPE since the beginning of December 2021 and still had not received it by Monday. SAA has in the meantime indicated that it received the money from the DPE on 31 March. Sono is now engaging with SAA to access the funds as a matter of urgency. The DPE confirmed on Monday that the money had been transferred to SAA. But according to the DPE, it has to verify that funds previously transferred to Mango had indeed been "utilised for intended purposes" before transferring the next tranche. The evaluation of binding offers from bidders interested in buying buy Mango will start on 8 April and a preferred bidder selected on 21 April. Thirteen expressions of interest were originally received, but initially none could provide an "acceptable form of proof of funding". They were then given more time to comply. Six made it through to the next round of the process, namely the submission of a binding offer. If no suitable offers are received, Sono will have to wind down the airline. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carin Smith at Fin24
Ramaphosa appoints Nxesi as acting Public Service and Administration Minister as Dlodlo heads to World Bank News24 reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi to temporarily fill the vacancy left by Public Service and Administration Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, who has been appointed as an executive director on the board of the World Bank in Washington, United States. Ramaphosa thanked Dlodlo, who has served the government and the nation in various leadership roles. Since 2017, Dlodlo has held four ministerial portfolios, namely Communications, Home Affairs, State Security and Public Service and Administration. Dlodlo will be one of three board members representing the interests of 25 African member states. Ramaphosa wished Nxesi well in providing continuity in the functioning and impact of the public service and administration department. It is not known when Ramaphosa will make an announcement on Dlodlo's permanent replacement. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24. Read too, Nxesi holds the fort as Dlodlo leaves public service and administration for World Bank job, at TimesLive BMF joins PIC in criticising Absa board for not appointing a black CEO Moneyweb reports that in a statement released on Sunday, the Black Management Forum (BMF) voiced its dissatisfaction with Arrie Rautenbach’s appointment as Absa CEO, saying Rautenbach’s appointment maintained ‘white male power’ in the bank. “Both the CEO and the financial director roles have been filled with white males and the bank only has one African on its Exco,” BMF noted. As was the case with the Public Investment Corporations (PIC), the forum expressed transformation concerns around Rautenbach’s appointment. According to the BMF, Rautenbach’s appointment was symbolic of corporate South Africa’s apathy towards transformation: “The transformation trajectory of corporate SA is in reverse gear and existing power paradigms are being maintained. These appointments highlight the existing biases and untransformed organisational culture, which is dominant at the senior and top management levels.” The BMF also criticised Absa’s predominantly black board for appointing Rautenbach and not ensuring that a black CEO be appointed instead. Absa, which announced Rautenbach’s appointment last Tuesday, cited the new CEO’s extensive experience in the banking sector as well as his track record in business performance as some of the reasons qualifying his appointment. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Akhona Matshoba at Moneyweb. Lees ook, Klagte oor OBK se ‘rassistiese’ reaksie op Absa-hoof, by Maroela Media. As well as, SAHRC complaint filed against PIC by DA, at Politicsweb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Second unionist lecturer at TVET college axed for ‘inducing fear in colleague’ by intimidating her to attend a workers’ meeting The Star reports that TD Matlala has become the second lecturer and unionist at Westcol TVET College, Randfontein, to be axed over a strike incident that some staffers complained was tantamount to intimidation. Stanley Ngoako Moshobane, who belonged to the Health and Allied Workers’ Union, received his marching orders in October after being found to have intimidated a colleague, Chantal Labuschagne. Last week Matlala, a shop steward for the Public Servants Association, learnt her fate at the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC). Matlala and Moshobane both faced sanctions over the same strike action on 16 August 2018. ELRC commissioner Nzwisisai Dandadzi found Matlala guilty of intimidating Joanna Christina Coetzee, her colleague who had lectured at Westcol since 1987, by banging on her classroom door and table. Coetzee testified that Matlala also shouted at her when instructing her to attend a workers’ meeting. The matter came before Dandadzi as a result of Matlala’s application to overturn the October 2020 decision of the Department of Higher Education and Training to axe her. The department had found her guilty of charges that included improper conduct, disruption of teaching and learning, as well as intimidation. Dandadzi found that Coetzee had been intimidated by Matlala. “Intimidation is a very serious issue in the workplace, and a sanction of dismissal for acts of intimidation is not in my view a harsh sanction,” she ruled. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bongani Nkosi at The Star
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