In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 29 April 2022.
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Angry mineworkers force Ramaphosa to abandon address at Cosatu Workers’ Day rally in Rustenburg TimesLive reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa was forced to abandon his Workers' Day address after mining workers booed him and stormed the stage. He was scheduled to give a keynote address at a Cosatu rally in Rustenburg, North West, but had to be whisked away as angry workers staged a protest and demanded that he should leave. Among their chief concerns was a demand for a R1,000 annual salary increase for Sibanye-Stillwater gold mine workers. The workers at the gold producer have been on a three-month-long strike after the group rejected their demand and instead offered an R800 annual increase, which has been rejected. The disgruntled workers said they could not allow Ramaphosa to address them until he dealt with their salary concerns, which they said he knew about. The Cosatu rally was delayed by more than five hours as the labour federation struggled to fill seats at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. It was not until the protesting workers arrived that the programme began but it soon turned chaotic as Ramaphosa was preparing to take the stage. Ramaphosa and Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi tried to address the crowd, but their attempts proved futile as workers would hear none of it. Ramaphosa was whisked away and taken to a police nyala, which then drove away. Immediately after this, workers descended on the stage and started singing and dancing. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kgothatso Madisa at BusinessLive. Read too, Ramaphosa booed, forced to abandon May Day rally, at IOL. En ook, Ramaphosa uitgejou deur mynwerkers, by Maroela Media Cosatu says Ramaphosa being chased away from its rally 'unacceptable', but a warning to ANC News24 reports that Cosatu said in a statement on Monday that President Cyril Ramaphosa being chased away from the labour federation’s Worker's Day rally was "regrettable" and "unacceptable", but the incident should also serve as a warning to the ANC. Ramaphosa was due to address ANC alliance partner Cosatu's main Worker's Day rally in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Phokeng, North West, on Sunday. However, after failing to get striking workers from Sibanye Stillwater's gold operations to calm down, Ramaphosa had to swiftly make his way to a police Nyala and left the stadium with his speech undelivered. The striking workers are unhappy with Cosatu, the ANC, and the government's response to their plight, as they have been striking for months. Cosatu’s Sizwe Pamla said the incident “will receive adequate attention in our upcoming Central Executive Committee meeting at the end of this month." He commented that some of what transpired reflected workers' growing frustration and that they had reason to be livid when 2.2 million people have lost their jobs in the last two years. "We hope that the Rustenburg disruptions will jolt the ANC and its government into action. This threatens the coherence and the legitimacy of the Alliance in the eyes of the working class. There is an urgent need to address and revive the worker's confidence in the sixth administration. This administration needs to prove that it possesses the capacity to deliver on the 2019 ANC Elections Manifesto commitments," Cosatu’s statement indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Gerber at News24 Saftu lauds mineworkers for heckling Ramaphosa, saying ‘it was a justifiable act’ EWN reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has lauded the heckling of African National Congress (ANC) president Cyril Ramaphosa on May Day, saying it was justified. On Sunday, Ramaphosa was prevented from addressing the workers' rally in Rustenburg and had to be quickly taken away by the police after intense booing from protesting Sibanye-Stillwater gold mine workers. The workers wanted him to address their issues first. They are demanding a R1,000 increase, but the employer is only offering R850. Saftu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi pointed out that the ANC government had presided over high unemployment rate, mass retrenchments and the diminishing workers’ rights. He said it was against this backdrop that the treatment of Ramaphosa by disgruntled Sibanye employees was warranted: “I think it was a justifiable act of anger; a statement that needed to be made against the leader of the government that is cutting expenditure on healthcare and education.” At the same time, Vavi called on the labour movement to put aside differences and unite so that events like May Day could return to their former glory of celebrating workers. He said it was an indictment on the labour movement as much it was that of the ANC government that only 23% of workers in South Africa belonged to trade unions. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Nkosikhona Duma at EWN Trade unions lament that Covid-19 pandemic has made exploitation the new normal EWN reports that according to trade unions in SA, the Covid-19 pandemic had made exploitation the new normal. Unions including labour federations Cosatu and Saftu, the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) commemorated Worker’s Day on Sunday against the backdrop of a growing unemployment rate. Numsa said that the Covid-19 pandemic had been devastating to the global economy and to the lives of ordinary people. While some industries managed to thrive during lockdown, the gains had not been seen at worker level, while the coronavirus pandemic had exacerbated an already volatile and scarce job sector, the union pointed out. Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said that this had led to massive restructuring and retrenchments as companies sought to secure profits. "Only a united working class can succeed in resisting the power of capital. We want a permanent end to the suffering of workers and their families. We want a South Africa-based equality for all, not just a wealthy few," she stated. Saying that some trade unions had failed their members, Numsa vowed to prioritise the fight against joblessness. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Veronica Mokhoali at EWN Labour economist Andrew Levy says future of unions in SA not looking good EWN reports that as the country observed May Day on Sunday, different labour unions advocated for better working environments for employees throughout SA. However, some experts argued that labour unions were faced with a crisis when it came to representing their members. Andrew Levy, a well-known labour economist, said the future of labour unions did not look good unless if they were able to reinvent themselves. “If we look worldwide, unionism is not the currency of the 21st century. Unions in the last century have consistently been in decline in every country in the world. If we look at the unions in South Africa, membership has dropped significantly over the last decade along with the jobs that have gone. Unless if they are able to reinvent themselves and become more relevant,” Levy commented. He opined that unions were however still important, but in order to “regain their relevance” their focus needed to change from “revolution” to finding ways to best meet the needs of workers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mihlali Ntsabo at EWN EFF wants to establish its own labour union News24 reports that the EFF has announced it intends to establish its own labour union. The political party’s leader Julius Malema addressed a May Day rally in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, on Sunday. Malema noted that the party's labour desk was often challenged when it intervened with employers as it was not a labour union. He explained that the EFF had a labour desk because it was preparing for a union. "That union will never sell out. That union will always be on the side of the workers. We are preparing to do a union, and not a Mickey Mouse union, who is in cahoots and in bed with the employer," Malema stated. He had a go at the ANC's alliance partner, Cosatu, and pledged that the EFF would overtake Cosatu. According to Malema, SA unions were taking the side of employers, thereby creating a vacuum for the workers which the EFF intended to fill. He did not provide a timeline for the establishment of the EFF's union. Malema also called on EFF members not to be friends of the mining companies, as the "EFF must always be on the side of workers". He said that they only cared whether the mining companies invested in their communities. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Gerber at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
CEO’s R300m pay packet a new flashpoint in wage strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold mines Business Times reports that Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman's R300m pay package in 2021 is expected to complicate wage negotiations with workers at the company’s Kloof, Driefontein and Beatrix gold mines, where a strike for higher wages is now in its second month. According to the company’s 2021 annual report, released last week, Froneman's pay included conditional share scheme proceeds of R264m, a R12.42m salary, R825,000 towards his pension, R5.19m accrual of forfeitable share award, a R7.7m cash accrued bonus during the year and R1.064m in other cash payments. National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) general secretary William Mabapa commented: “How can one person get R300m while his staff get next to nothing? This is capitalist barbarism and cruelty at its best. Mineworkers are further being pushed into poverty because of people of Froneman’s calibre.” Sibanye’s James Wellsted said Froneman’s pay had no bearing on gold operations but reflected the growth of the company due to platinum group metal prices. He said the gold mines needed to be viable as components of a standalone business because of the cyclical nature of mining. Wellsted explained that the salaries of Froneman and others in the company's management tier had increased 5% over the past five years and the big increase in 2021 was due to the accrual of the share scheme of 2018. In terms of the wage talks, last week the NUM and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) rejected Sibanye’s final offer to hike entry-level salaries by R850 a year, including a R50 living-out allowance, from the R700 offer in February. Amcu general secretary Jeff Mphahlele indicated: “We will have a secondary strike in all operations of this company and that will involve the platinum belt. We are busy with arrangements for the secondary strike in platinum. If Froneman does not want to budge we will intensify our strike further.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Intercape bus driver shot and killed as violent attacks on the company escalate News24 reports that a 35-year-old Intercape bus driver died in a Cape Town hospital on Thursday after having been shot and critically wounded outside the company's depot. Attacks on long-distance bus operators started on Thursday and Friday in Gauteng and have left another two people injured. In a statement released on Saturday, the company said days after Intercape went public about a violent campaign being waged against the industry by rogue taxi associations, three more of its buses came under attack. Intercape’s Johann Ferreira indicated: “We could no longer keep quiet about the extortion and violence directed at Intercape and the long-distance coach industry in this country. We made a public appeal to President Ramaphosa and the government, and this has since resulted in an escalation of attacks against Intercape coaches over these last two days.” Ferreira labelled the campaign of violence, which has included shootings, arson attacks and incidents of rock-throwing, as "business capture" or "industry cleansing". He called for support from the broader business sector, the labour movement, as well as civil society. The bus company said that in the past 13 months there have been more than 150 recorded violent incidents, a number of which have led to serious injuries to employees and passengers of bus operators in the long-distance coach industry. Ferreira said despite more than 60 cases having been opened with various police stations – the majority in the Eastern Cape – there had not been a single arrest to date. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisalee Solomons at News24. Lees ook, Intercape-busse opnuut geteiken, by Maroela Media
SA sitting on the cusp of a fifth Covid-19 wave, with downside risk to the economy Business Report writes that SA is on the cusp of entering a fifth wave of Covid-19 infections, with economists warning that although new formal lockdown restrictions were not expected, there was a downside risk to economic activity. Old Mutual Wealth Investment strategist Izal Odendaal noted that there was unlikely to be big risk to the broader economy from the fifth wave, but this was dependent on factors still unknown, such as possible further mutation of virus and the event of the government imposing tighter Covid restrictions, which appeared unlikely at this stage. Odendaal pointed out that so far there had been no big increase in hospitalisations or deaths through the current increase in infections, and the government was unlikely to consider new restrictions unless there was a marked increase in hospitalisations. Absa’s economic research team wrote in a note last week: “It is widely expected that it (the fifth wave) is just a matter of when, not if. We believe that rising Covid-19 cases are a downside risk to economic activity as they tend to hurt confidence, even in the absence of new formal lockdown restrictions.” Discovery Covid-19 Task Team head Dr Ronald Whelan confirmed the country was on the brink of a fifth wave. He pointed out that the government recognised a new wave of Covid when the rate of new infections reached a 30% level of the peak of the previous Covid-19 wave. “We are currently at around 4,500 on a daily basis, but the figure is increasing quickly as we could be in a fifth wave next week or the week thereafter,” he stated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Edward West at Business Report. Read too, Study finds Covid’s new Omicron sub-lineages can dodge immunity from past infection, at Moneyweb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
‘Just another one leaving', says industry insider about SAA interim chief's exit Fin24 reports that after about a year at the helm, interim SA Airways (SAA) CEO Thomas Kgokolo is leaving, thereby joining a long list of chief executives who have quit since 2010. For the most part, Industry insiders expressed disappointment after SAA on Thursday announced Kgokolo's plans to exit the airline. Kgokolo left SAA at the end of April, with airline chair John Lamola assuming the role of interim CEO with effect from 1 May. The airline has faced, among its other challenges, a lack of leadership stability. Since 2010, it has had three CEOs and five acting CEOs – one of whom did so twice. The airline said in its statement that Lamola would perform the dual roles of executive chair and CEO until SAA's strategic equity partner, the Takatso Consortium, takes a 51% stake in the airline "later this year". Aviation expert Guy Leitch suggested that anyone accepting the role of CEO at SAA would inevitably be subject to heavy opposition: "Kgokolo had a very measured and cautious approach to getting SAA back in the air. His measured response has been commendable, but the simple fact of the matter is, being the CEO of SAA is a hospital pass. It is a job you cannot win at due to government interference instead of leaving them to get on with the job. The other issue at SAA is the challenge created by the dual mandate of having to be developmental while at the same time meeting the bottom line of profitability." Kgokolo joined the long list of SAA CEOs as "just another one leaving", said another industry insider. Unions Sacca and Numsa were not flattering about Kgokolo, noting that he “blatantly refused to interact with labour.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carin Smith at Fin24 (subscriber access only)
Owner of college arrested for issuing 'fake' certificate to municipality's chief financial officer News24 reports that the Hawks last week arrested the owner of a Free State college for allegedly issuing a fake certificate to the chief financial officer (CFO) of one of the province's municipalities. Hawks spokesperson Captain Christopher Singo said the 57-year-old owner of Africa Corporate Training Institute was arrested on Thursday. This came after he allegedly issued a fake certificate to Xolani Malindi, 34, who was arrested in December last year for allegedly submitting a fake certificate in his application for a higher post at the Nketoana Local Municipality. Singo indicated: “It was discovered during the shortlisting process that the qualification which was attached to his application was fraudulent. The matter was then reported to the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation team based in Bloemfontein." The man was scheduled to appear in the Bethlehem Magistrate's Court on Friday on a charge of issuing fraudulent qualifications. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at News24
Pearl Modiadie’s sexual harassment case against former boss and SABC back in court on 16 May City Press reports that Pearl Modiadie’s R3.5m sexual harassment lawsuit against her former boss and Metro FM station manager Anthony Soglo will be heard in the Johannesburg High Court on 16 May. The contentious matter, which has been unfolding in the court since September, will be heard after the heads of arguments are filed by legal representatives of both the former Metro FM midday show presenter and the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The SABC) will apparently apply to have the matter removed from the roll on the basis that the allegations are vague or lack the necessary allegation to disclose a cause of action or defence. It was previously reported that Modiadie brought the claim by accusing Soglo of making inappropriate sexual overtones in an email that was addressed to her in November 2019. She also sought to hold the SABC vicariously liable for the incident by claiming that the public broadcaster failed to implement its sexual harassment policy framework when the matter was reported internally. Modiadie argued in her court papers that Soglo was acting in his scope as an employee of the SABC when he allegedly wrote the email in question. “By authoring and sending the email, the second defendant (Anthony Soglo) conducted himself in a manner, which led the plaintiff (Pearl Modiadie) to feel sexually offended, dehumanised, degraded, embarrassed, ashamed and publicly humiliated, and lowered her esteem. By the contents of the email, Soglo intended and/or deliberately meant to convey to the public about Modiadie that she is available on call for sex provided time for her to be available is properly arranged by her pimp (Tumza),” read her court papers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mduduzi Nonyane at City Press (subscriber access only)
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