In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Security guard gunned down and another injured during attempted cash-in-transit heist in Pinetown, KZN News24 reports that a G4S security guard was shot and killed during an attempted cash-in-transit heist in in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), on Monday. He was killed during a shootout between the robbers and security guards. The robbers did not get away with any money. Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Netshiunda advised: "The reports indicate that two cash-in-transit guards were walking towards the ATM when they were accosted by a group of suspects who were carrying high-calibre firearms. It is also reported that a shootout ensued between the suspects and the guards. One guard was fatally wounded whilst the other was airlifted to hospital with gunshot wounds." Netshiunda added the robbers also shot at police who were in the vicinity. They apparently came across a police vehicle on patrol with two officers at the corner of Shepstone and Otto Volek in New Germany. The suspects opened fire at the officers, but the latter took cover and survived the shooting unscathed. The suspects got away in two vehicles. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lwandile Bhengu at News24 G4S calls for national meeting following murder of cash-in-transit guard Engineering News reports that security services company G4S has called on Police Minister Bheki Cele to convene an urgent meeting with all stakeholders to address the continuing escalation of violence in cash-in-transit (CIT) attacks. This followed the death of a G4S employee and the serious injury of another during a CIT attack on Monday. During a cross-pavement CIT attack in Durban, four perpetrators opened fire on three G4S officers, resulting in one sustaining fatal injuries and another sustaining serious injury before being airlifted to a nearby private hospital where he remains in critical condition. G4S Southern Africa’s Renso Smit reacted by saying: “These are not ordinary criminals. They are well-organised, cold-blooded murderers whose indiscriminate use of weapons continue to take lives and destroy families. The country and the entire private security industry cannot afford to lose more guards to these brutal attacks and we are, therefore, calling on the Police Minister to take urgent action.” Smit went on to say: “To tackle CIT attacks, we believe it is essential that this sort of crime is prioritised; that the CIT task team under the South African Police Service (SAPS) be reconstituted and bolstered as a matter of urgency; and that the sector works closely with law enforcement and government to tackle this scourge together.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Covid-19 hospital admissions on the rise TimesLive reports that the number of people being hospitalised for Covid-19 is on the rise. In its report released on Tuesday night, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases announced that 83 admissions had been reported between Monday and Tuesday nights. This brought the total number of people in hospital for Covid-19 treatment to 1,900 with 996 being in public facilities and 904 in public facilities. The number of Covid-19 infections is also on a steady increase. The institute reported 5,062 new Covid-19 infections in the 24-hour cycle concerned — bringing the positivity rate to 18.4%. Gauteng accounted for the most cases (46%), followed by KwaZulu- Natal with 29% and Western Cape with 11%. “Due to the ongoing audit exercise by the national department of health, there may be a backlog of Covid-19 mortality cases reported. Today, the NDoH reports 15 deaths and of these, six occurred in the past 24-48 hours. This brings the total fatalities to 100,348 to date,” the institute indicated. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Passenger bus sector averts strike with 6% wage agreement BL Premium reports that a strike has been averted in the passenger bus sector after operators and unions reached a 6% wage agreement. The deal, which will see the sector’s minimum wage rise from R40.43 to R42.85 an hour, was reached on Tuesday evening at the SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council (Sarpbac). In a statement on Wednesday, Sarpbac’s general secretary Gary Wilson said the agreement was effective from 1 April and would be in force until March 2023. The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) and the Transport and Allied Workers Union went back to their members for a mandate after employers, who had previously said they would give 2.5%, tabled a revised wage offer of 4.5% on 12 April. The unions initially sought 11%. After further engagement among the parties, the employer organisations — namely the SA Bus Employers Association and the Commuter Bus Employers Organisation — revised their wage offer from 4.5% to 5.3% and finally settled at 6%. Wilson said allowances such as those for night shift, subsistence and travel, cross-border work, double driver trips and tools would all go up by 6% as part of the agreement. The increase in allowances had been one of the sticking points as unions had pointed out that they had remained unchanged in the previous two years due to financial challenges wrought by Covid-19 on bus companies Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
‘Angry’ Amcu and NUM members at gold mines reject Sibanye’s final settlement offer BL Premium reports that striking employees at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations on Tuesday rejected the producer’s final settlement offer of R850 each year for three years, saying the “whopping” R300m CEO Neal Froneman earned in 2021 strengthened their resolve to push ahead with their demand for above-inflation wage increases. The protracted strike action by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) entered its seventh week on Wednesday. Sibanye on Friday said the final settlement offer, which includes an annual increase of R50 in the living-out allowance, would translate to an increase of 7.8% in basic wages in year one, 7.2% in year two and 6.8% in year three. The two unions are demanding an increase of R1,000 a month, which amounts to a 9.8% rise in year one, 8.8% in year two and 8.2% in year three for entry-level workers. They took the final settlement offer to their members for a mandate at the weekend. Amcu’s Jimmy Gama responded: “Workers can’t go on strike, lose this amount of money in wages, and go back to work with nothing. That’s the position they have taken. They are saying they want a R1,000 increase. They have become very angry after learning that Froneman earned R300m in 2021.” Gama went on to say that mineworkers risked their lives every day and that they deserved a share when the company made profit. “Harmony Gold afforded to give workers a R1,000 increase. Sibanye is bigger than Harmony Gold, so what’s stopping Sibanye from giving us the same increase,” he asked. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) In face of pending takeover, RBPlat keeps retiring CEO and COO on for a year to maintain stability BL Premium reports that with the tug of war to take over Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) intensifying, the mining house has signed one-year contracts with its outgoing CEO and COO as a way to maintain stability. RBPlat said it had entered into an agreement with Steve Phiri, who was set to retire in early April, to retain his services as CEO and an executive director for 12 months, or “until certainty is attained with regard to the final outcome of the current corporate action”. The company has also entered into a similar contract with COO Neil Carr, who had also been set to retire in April, to ensure that “the operational strategies and structures remain relevant while transitioning the business to its new form based on the outcome of the corporate action”. RBPlat has become the subject of a bidding war between its bigger counterparts after Impala Platinum (Implats) started talks to take it over. Northam, however, had concluded its own deal with Royal Bafokeng Holdings (RBH), a majority shareholder in RBPlat, and by 3 April Northam had 34.68% of the smaller group. The tug-of-war for RBPlat is said to underline the determination of Implats and Northam to add an asset atop a shallow high-grade resource in a global economy that is increasingly embracing platinum group metals (PGMs) as one of the alternative energy sources in a cleaner, environmentally friendly world. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mudiwa Gavaza at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Retired RBPlat CEO, COO agree to stay on under contract, at Fin24 Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Eastern Cape police on high alert after protesters torch farmhouse, petrol-bomb cars in Kirkwood over wages News24 reports that Eastern Cape police advised on Wednesday that a farmhouse had been torched and several cars stoned and petrol bombed in Kirkwood. Violence erupted in the town after hundreds of disgruntled farmworkers took to the streets to voice their anger about wage increases. On Monday, three people were injured, including a police officer. It was subsequently reported that the community member who had been admitted to the hospital later died. "The situation continued to be tense today [Wednesday]. Young people in the locations were throwing stones at motorists, whilst petrol bombs were also used on Tuesday," police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana reported. He said protesters had torched a farmhouse in Habata, but no injuries had been reported. "Police deployment has been beefed up and about 38 cases have been registered. Cases range from public violence, malicious injury to properties [sic], assault, and one murder case. Only one person has been arrested so far. Other arrests are possible as the investigations unfold. We continue to monitor the situation,” Kinana said. Freedom Front Plus MP and provincial leader Piet Mey said the party had visited the community on Wednesday and was shocked by the "serious and senseless destruction and vandalism". He added that the protesters did not seem to realise that they were destroying the very businesses on which they depended for a future income and their families' survival. Mey said it was clear that emotions were still running high and that the situation remained volatile. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at News24. Lees ook, Miljoene se skade toe trekkers in Kirkwood brand, by Maroela Media. En verder, Kirkwood-onrus: Boere én gemeenskap ly onder geweldpeging, by Maroela Media Activists warn that thousands of farm workers face eviction with the end of the National State of Disaster GroundUp reports that over 100 farm women marched to the Paarl Magistrates Court and Drakenstein Municipality on Tuesday to draw attention to a looming surge in evictions from farms in the Western Cape. In its memorandum, the organiser of the march, Women on Farms Project (WFP), said farm evictions were likely to increase now that the State of Disaster had been lifted. “When eviction cases already on the court rolls are effected, thousands of farm workers and their families face homelessness or living in overcrowded informal settlements,” the memo indicated. WFP called for an urgent meeting facilitated by the Human Rights Commission of magistrates and the police in the Cape Winelands and for President Cyril Ramaphosa to implement a moratorium on farm evictions until adequate housing was available for evicted farm dwellers. The memo was addressed to the Chief Magistrate at Paarl Magistrates Court, Drakenstein Municipality Mayor Conrad Poole, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, Minister of Police Bheki Cele, and the Human Rights Commission. Neither the senior magistrate nor the mayor came out to receive the memo. According to Carmen Louw of WFP, farm dwellers were not adequately protected and farmers who evicted farm dwellers illegally were rarely prosecuted or held accountable. She said WFP had seen evictions of farm dwellers without court orders, as well as “constructive evictions” where the farmer switched off the electricity or water to force farm dwellers to move out. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Liezl Human at GroundUp
Numsa threatens Vavi with legal action over suspensions of four Saftu national office bearers SowetanLive reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has written to SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi demanding that he should immediately call a special central committee meeting over the suspensions of four of the federation’s national office bearers. Numsa, which is the biggest union within Saftu in terms of membership, has also threated legal action if the meeting is not called or the suspensions of the office bearers are not lifted. Last month, Saftu suspended its president, Mac Chavalala, second deputy president Thabo Matsose, deputy general secretary Moleko Phakedi and national treasurer Motshwari Lecogo, accusing them of bringing the federation into disrepute. Saftu’s national executive committee (NEC) said the four had orchestrated Vavi’s suspension earlier last month over accusations of abusing the federation’s credit card, among other things. In its letter, Numsa labelled the suspensions “patently unlawful and unfair” and demanded that Vavi call a special central committee meeting or lift the suspensions by 5pm on Friday or face a legal action. Vavi confirmed receiving Numsa’s letter, saying he would respond to it. Numsa, the SA Policing Union, the Municipal and Allied Trade Union of SA and the SA Industrial Commercial and Allied Workers Union are the unions pushing against the suspension decision taken by the federation’s NEC. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Isaac Mahlangu at SowetanLive
Alec Moemi’s appointment as acting director-general was done by the book, claims Patricia de Lille TimesLive reports that Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) Minister Patricia de Lille has poured cold water on speculation that she appointed an acting director-general through the back door. Alec Moemi was appointed acting director-general two weeks ago, replacing suspended director-general Sam Vukela. The appointment took place a day after the public service sector bargaining council found that Vukela had been unfairly suspended and ordered his immediate return to work. In a letter to UDM leader Bantu Holomisa, who claimed flaws in Moemi’s appointment, De Lille denied any wrongdoing. Holomisa had alleged the appointment had been done with the view of fast-tracking his appointment as director-general via the back door. Responding to the allegation, De Lille said: “The process (of appointing an acting director-general) was already unfolding when the news broke regarding the Vukela case.” She went on to assert that the suspended DG’s case had nothing to do with what was transpiring at the department and that, despite being suspended, Vukela was still the incumbent in the director-general position and his position was not being advertised or filled. The Minister also denied that Moemi, who served as director-general in the transport department until October last year, had changed positions within her department three times. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nonkululeko Njilo at TimesLive
Solidarity warns government over 2022 NHI implementation On Tuesday, Solidarity warned the Deputy Director General of the Department of Health, Dr Nicholas Crisp, to provide clarity on his remarks that the first phase of National Health Insurance (NHI) would be implemented by the end of 2022. “It is alarming that although a public participation process is currently in progress, government officials believe their plans would be implemented without resistance. Moreover, I struggle to see how Dr Crisp can justify his words in the light of a constitutional mandate that protects our public participation processes. In addition, it should also be pointed out that the Department merely refuses to provide us with the information requested in previous correspondence about what the department’s own Deputy Director General had uttered in a public forum,” Connie Mulder, Head of the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), said. The trade union indicated that an application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) had been submitted to obtain this information. According to Solidarity, it has been forced to take these steps and to consider further legal action should the Department not comply with this PAIA application. Dr Crisp indicated in correspondence with Solidarity that his department could not make announcements about implementation of the NHI before completion of the current parliamentary processes, but perturbingly then went on to make public statements about implementation. “What the government is currently doing is undermining the public participation process and it is not adhering to its mandate of transparency. This proves once again that the government does not intend to comply with the wishes of its citizens or to act in their best interests,” Mulder stated. Read Solidarity’s press statement in regard to this matter at Solidarity News
New twists in saga over Prasa CEO, who was axed, then reinstated and now axed again Fin24 reports that axed and then reinstated Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) CEO Zolani Matthews is set to challenge the state-owned entity's latest attempt to terminate his employment, this time over an allegedly unsatisfactory performance during his probation period. Matthews was suspended and summarily dismissed by Prasa in November last year over an issue with his security clearance. The entity said Matthews carried United Kingdom citizenship which had not been disclosed. Earlier this month, arbitration proceedings found in Matthews' favour and ordered his immediate reinstatement at Prasa with backpay. But, Prasa plans to approach the Labour Court to have the arbitration award set aside. Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda said the board believed that Judge Robert Nugent, who made the arbitration ruling, "erred" in his determination. A letter to Matthews from Prasa chair Leonard Ramatlakane last week indicated that his probation had not been resolved during the board's meeting in November last year. "Your employment contract is hereby terminated. The reason for termination is that your probation was not confirmed due to unsatisfactory performance," Ramatlakane wrote. Matthews' lawyer Peter Harris said the latest termination of Matthews' employment was unlawful and would be challenged. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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