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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Ramaphosa lines up trade-offs for his new social pact promised within 100 days of state of the nation address Fin24 reports President Cyril Ramaphosa took business and labour by surprise when he announced in his State of the Nation (SONA) address that he wanted a new social compact within 100 days. Excluding weekends, 42 days will have slipped away by Monday. Separate engagements between government and the social partners are starting to pinpoint the issues. However, with the clock running, the parties have yet to meet together in one forum. The issues up for discussion at talks on a social compact are taking shape as labour law reform, a basic income grant, investment targets for the private sector, and a debt-equity swap by government pension money for Eskom. Labour market regulation, which has not featured in social compact talks for over a decade, has returned to the agenda. While in the 1990s and 2000s business organisations pushed firmly for reforms of rigidities, such as the ease of hiring and firing, they drew a blank every time. Now, it seems that government wants it on the agenda, with a view to a labour market that works for everyone, not just the unionised. But, to extract concessions from organised labour will be no easier than in the past. Ending the arrangement that allows bargaining councils – made up of big labour and big business in specific sectors – to extend wage agreements to small employers is ajudge to probably be the best shot at reform. It will be more difficult to persuade labour to agree to other things, like exempting small businesses from labour laws, or making more concessions on exemptions to the minimum wage. Government also hopes to put wage moderation on the agenda. From labour’s side, a basic income grant and how to fund it are near the top of the list. Labour has not given up on its desire to see the Eskom debt problem mitigated by using government pension funds. From business, government wants to extract commitment to a higher rate of investment. Some in business, like Business Leadership CEO Busi Mavuso, have questioned if a new social compact is necessary, when existing commitments made in the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Programme a little less than a year ago have covered this ground. Read the full original of the insightful report in the above regard by Carol Paton at Fin24 (subscriber access only)
Prof Salim Abdool Karim on Covid-19 variant Pi and the fifth wave IOL reports that leading epidemiologist Professor Salim Abdool Karim has warned community members to remain vigilant regarding the Covid-19 pandemic as the next wave of infections is likely to set in around May, and be driven by a new variant, likely to be called Pi. “That fifth wave will need to be driven by the new variant. That new variant is likely to be Pi. The Pi is the next letter in the Greek alphabet, and it comes after Omicron. We now have to be ready for Pi. We have to anticipate that we are likely to see Pi probably in early May and we now have to make sure we have the tools to deal with it when it comes along,” Karim told journalists. He added that indications were that Pi would not only spread faster, but would infect more people quicker. Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the end of the National State of Disaster. Karim welcomed the decision, and added that this was the “best time” to ease restrictions because of the current low infection rate. “This is the time to do many of the things you wanted to do. Come May, especially the middle of May, we are likely to see the likelihood of cases starting to rise,” he said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jonisayi Maromo at IOL. Lees ook, Nuwe Omikron-variant in Botswana gevind, by Maroela Media Western Cape health department seeing slow decline in Covid-19 cases EWN reports that the Western Cape Heath Department (WCHD) on Wednesday said that it was seeing a slow decline in the number of daily new Covid-19 cases, with on average 300 new diagnoses per day. The test positivity rate is approximately 14%, which is higher than previous inter-wave periods. On 4 April, President Cyril Ramaphosa scrapped the national state of disaster, noting that there had been a considerable drop in Covid-19 cases. The WCHD said there had been an overall decrease of 10% in cases in the Cape metro over the past week and a drop of 16% in rural areas. New admissions also decreased to about 19 admissions per day. Covid-19 cases currently make up only 1% of all available acute general hospital capacity in both the metro and rural areas. The Brackengate Hospital of Hope is currently the only Covid-19 intermediate care facility with patients. It currently has 11 patients. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Kaylynn Palm at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Numsa kicked off its national bargaining conference on Monday EWN reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) kicked off a national bargaining conference on Monday. The union and all bargaining officials in various sectors met to prepare and consolidate demands as part of preparations for wage talks. Numsa president Andrew Chirwa observed that organised labour was not as militant as it used to be and employers might see this as an opportunity to collapse collective bargaining. "Perhaps they are reading weakness in the trade union movement itself. They want to collapse collective bargaining through whatever means possible so that each and every individual or a group of workers can negotiate for themselves, and then you can have many rates of pay, some can get 5% and others will get 7%. If you are a good blue-eyed boy of management, you are likely to quickly get some from 10% t0 15% and nobody must question that," Chirwa opined. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Masechaba Sefularo at EWN Automotive industry calls for cool heads in anticipation of Numsa wage talks BL Premium reports that on Monday Andrew Kirby, president of the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA (Naamsa), addressed delegates attending the national bargaining conference of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa). He said that all stakeholders needed to act in a manner that is “good for the industry” to ensure its sustainability. The three-day conference by Numsa is aimed at preparing and consolidating wage demands in various economic sectors including automotive, aviation, bus, tyre, motor, Eskom, Road Accident Fund, and infrastructure, among others. Kirby, who is also president and CEO of Toyota SA, told the conference that the automotive industry had a “mountain to climb”, which he said could be overcome, if parties worked together. “We are in a high-risk environment at the moment, the danger signs are present [as we] emerge from the long shadow of the pandemic. But there are some solid opportunities for growth and development,” Kirby stated. He indicated that the industry experienced one of the “most disruptive periods in our history” due to instability in global supply-chain processes. These pertained to a global shortage of semiconductors. The challenges the automotive sector faced in the country, said Kirby, included logistics, infrastructure, reliable energy supply, and civil unrest. The SA outlook, however, was better than expected. “The market is stronger than it was in 2019. It has recovered from the impact of Covid-19. We are forecasting moderate growth over the next three years,” Kirby indicated. Numsa is expected to present its consolidated wage demands in the affected sectors on Tuesday. Numsa president Andrew Chirwa commented: “We are not here to prepare for a strike, but for collective bargaining. But if we reach a point where bosses refuse to make an offer to address the plight of workers, we will have no other choice but to mobilise and take bosses on.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Vodacom’s wearable track-and-trace device set to boost mineworker safety Mining Weekly reports that innovative applications of smart technologies are an integral part of the solution to reducing the number of fatalities in SA’s mining sector. Telecommunications giant Vodacom is introducing a connected, track-and-trace wearable device for mineworkers that could help meet the industry’s zero-harm ambitions. In mid-2021, the first successful trial of the Connected Worker solution by Vodacom Business was introduced to an undisclosed global mining company with various operations across the country. “The solution centres on a connected, track-and-trace wearable device for mineworkers, with a linked data-insights dashboard that gives real-time feedback to health and safety officers,” said Thando Sibindi of Vodacom Mining Resources and Manufacturing. During the trial, Vodacom deployed 8 000 devices which enabled better oversight and management of worker safety, team productivity and the resource scheduling of contractors. The easy-to-wear smart device, which is based on NarrowBand Internet of Things (IoT) technology, resembles a smartwatch that can be hooked onto a mineworker’s personal protective equipment. Its features include a device-battery status and GPS location, hazardous-gas sensors, fall and no-motion detection and a panic button. “This means the device will log an alert in real-time if the worker presses the panic button, falls or is injured and is not moving, enabling a rapid emergency response that could save a life,” Sibindi explained. Should a worker enter a hazardous or restricted area – these are geofenced on a digitised map by the company ahead of device deployment – it will trigger a notification so they can move back to safety. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Blade Nzimande to quit as general secretary of SACP TimesLive reports that after 23 years at the helm of the SA Communist Party (SACP), general secretary Blade Nzimande will not contest for another term at the July 2022 national congress. Nzimande made the disclosure during a press briefing at Cosatu House in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. He said he felt he had overstayed his welcome in the position he has occupied since 1998. However, he will remain a dedicated member and veteran of the party in its mission to “build socialism now”. Nzimande said: “I will no longer be general secretary [after July] so you will deal with the new general secretary. I am not quitting the SACP, but I am not standing. It is too long to have one person occupying that position.” His decision not to avail himself in July opens the door for long-time SACP deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila to occupy the hot seat. It is not known at this stage whether Mapaila will face a challenger or be unopposed. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Mawande Amashabalala at BusinessLive
Cyril Ramaphosa says crime is the problem in SA’s townships, not immigrants BL Premium reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for an end to vigilantism in SA’s townships, saying crime was the common enemy that must be defeated, not immigrants. In his weekly letter on Monday he said that while the government had a responsibility to confront illegal foreign nationals, attacking migrants was “not an act of patriotism” and would lead to xenophobia. “It is immoral, racist and criminal,” Ramaphosa stated. His newsletter came amid increased attention on the problem of xenophobia in the wake of incidents last week in Diepsloot, a densely populated township in Gauteng. Ramaphosa on Monday described the deaths of the seven people who were killed in Diepsloot as a tragedy. He criticised those who stopped people on the street asking them to prove their legal migration status and political leaders “making unscientific statements” about immigrants for political gain, saying it was the government’s responsibility to enforce migration legislation. However, Ramaphosa also said illegal migration posed a risk to SA’s security, stability and economic progress. He said that measures being laid out to solve the problem included deploying 12,000 extra police officers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nico Gous at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Border Management Authority which was promised last year, still not ready to be launched The Citizen reports that Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi is not ready to officially launch the Border Management Authority (BMA), nor deploy the promised 200 “border guards”, who are supposed to monitor illegal cross-border activity. The initial announcements were made late last year. Motsoaledi referred to the border guards this past weekend, following the gruesome murder of Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyathi in Diepsloot last week. The government said it would recruit, interview and appoint 200 people as border guards, buy 15 vehicles, and get logos, emblems and uniforms designed. However, Motsoaledi said the unit was not yet ready to be launched. “The truth is that there are results yet because it’s a new structure,” he said during a community briefing in Diepsloot on Friday. According to political analyst Dr Levy Ndou, while the government had a legal obligation to ensure the country’s borders were secured, it had failed in its responsibility. He commented that the biggest challenge and question would be whether the government would actually ensure that borders were safe “because the government is not very clear in terms of its position about illegal immigrants. In Ndou’s view, that was why some citizens were taking the law into their own hands. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Reitumetse Makwea on page 3 of The Citizen of 11 April 2022 or at The Citizen (subscriber access only)
As Greyhound returns from the dead, transport union demands that the bus service must reverse job losses Fin24 reports that the Democratised Transport Logistics and Allied Workers Union (Detawu) wants answers from the new, as yet unnamed, owners of long haul passenger bus service Greyhound about hundreds of job losses. This as the business returns to operation just over a year after shutting down. The closure of Greyhound last year, owing to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the national lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the virus, resulted in the loss of 700 jobs. Greyhound announced that it would be back in operation this Wednesday. The return comes just in time for the Easter weekend and an expected further relaxation of the Covid-19 national lockdown regulations, as the National State of Disaster is expected to lapse in mid-May. However, Detawu secretary-general Vusi Ntshangase was not impressed, saying in a statement that employees of the bus service who lost their jobs were told by then-Greyhound owner KAP Industries that the business could not bounce back from the lockdown. "Some 700 jobs were lost when the business shut down last year. Now the new owners say they will be employing 200 people. However, there is no attempt to absorb the workers who lost their jobs during the shutdown. Those workers will remain unemployed as the company they gave years of their lives to takes to the road once again," Ntshangase observed. He said Detawu planned on following up on its Labour Court challenge against the dismissal of workers last year "on both a substantive and procedural basis". He advised that this matter was still pending. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24
Scrap the free plane tickets for former MPs and their spouses, Cosatu tells parliament EWN reports that Cosatu on Monday called on parliament to totally scrap the number of free plane tickets for former members of parliament (MPs) and their spouses. The labour federation said these provisions in parliament’s new travel policy should not just be reduced but completely done away with. Last week, parliament published the new policy, limiting limits flights to 12 per year for all former MPs, members of the Cabinet, and their spouses. The benefit expires after five years of leaving Parliament. Cosatu said that while this was a move in the right direction, it was not enough and parliament must scrap all benefits, including free plane tickets for all former MPs and their spouses. Cosatu's Mathew Parks said flights were tools of trade and were no different from cell phone and car allowances that were provided to MPs while in office, but these were not lifelong benefits. He said entertaining spouses and flying them around the country was the responsibility of the persons who married them and not the taxpayer. Parliament indicated that the new policy was to mainly address “unjustifiable costs” driven by travel benefits. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Babalo Ndenze at EWN
Former finance clerk who stole R170,000 from State Security Agency given six-year jail sentence News24 reports that a former State Security Agency (SSA) finance clerk has been sentenced to six years in prison for stealing R170,000 from the agency. On Monday, Kgaogelo Bopape, 53, was sentenced in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Bopape was employed in the domestic currency division of the SSA at the time that she stole the money. On 7 April 2020, she had withdrawn R500,000 under false pretenses and claimed the funds would be made available to the members of the SSA operations. The SSA financial manager of the division later discovered that some R500,000 was missing. An amount of R330 000 was found inside Bopape's office. Upon interrogation, she eventually admitted to stealing R170,000 and the matter was then reported to the police. Bopape was arrested on 26 January and pleaded guilty to a charge of theft on 17 February. The National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA’s) Lumka Mahanjana welcomed the sentence: The NPA hopes the sentence would send a strong message that such crimes of theft, corruption and fraud will not be tolerated." Read the original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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