In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Angry mineworkers indicate broader level of discontent, says Cyril Ramaphosa BL Premium reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa believes the grievances of the workers at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium who booed and stormed the stage when he spoke on Workers’ Day run deeper than a salary dispute. In his assessment, they stem from a “broader level of discontent”, which reflects a weakening trust between workers and labour unions, federations, political leaders and public institutions. Ramaphosa addressed a Cosatu rally in Rustenburg in the North West on Sunday, but he was forced to abandon his address by disgruntled workers and was whisked away as they demanded he leave. Workers at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold mines have been on strike for three months and are demanding a R1,000 monthly salary increase. The disgruntled workers said they could not allow Ramaphosa to address them until he dealt with their salary concerns. He said their demand had been heard and would be addressed, but the workers would hear none of it. Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly newsletter on Tuesday that he believed the government needed the help of labour, business and society to improve the lives and working conditions of workers, grow and transform the economy and unlock long-term opportunities. “However, the workers that gathered at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium and millions of other people across our country cannot wait for the impact of these reforms to be realised,” wrote Ramaphosa. The government wants to improve the competitiveness and contribution of energy, water, telecommunications and transport industries to the economy and increase more in infrastructure, hoping it will create a “virtuous cycle” in which the economy grows and jobs are created. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nico Gous at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, South Africa must acknowledge working class and poor are suffering, says Ramaphosa, at Engineering News. En ook, ‘Werkers het gepraat, ons moet luister’, by Maroela Media Gwede Mantashe meets with Sibanye-Stillwater, unions after workers boo Ramaphosa off stage on Worker's Day Fin24 reports that Sibanye-Stillwater and striking unions at the company’s gold mines met with Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe on Monday after President Cyril Ramaphosa was heckled and forced to abandon attempts at addressing a Worker's Day rally in Rustenburg on Sunday. Another meeting between Sibanye and the striking unions, namely the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), is set to take place on Thursday. As the strike over wages at Sibanye's gold mines in Gauteng and the Free State entered its eighth week, there was no sign of an agreement in sight. Sibanye’s James Wellsted confirmed that the parties met with Mantashe, where he urged them to continue engaging until they reached a settlement. The meeting was prompted after Ramaphosa's address at a Cosatu rally at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Sunday was reportedly disrupted by aggrieved Sibanye employees who refused to allow him to speak. Against a demand for an R1,000 increase in each year of a three-year wage agreement, Sibanye has recently adjusted its offer for Category 4 to 8 employees upwards to propose annual increases of R800 plus an R50 increase in the living-out allowance each year. The striking unions could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, but on Twitter the NUM, which is a Cosatu affiliate, commented on how the Worker's Day rally unfolded, saying that it was "very unfortunate" that proceedings were "disrupted by workers at their own event". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at Fin24. Read too, Rally organisers ‘must account’ for Cyril’s retreat, says ANC Veterans’ League, at SowetanLive Unions and Sibanye-Stillwater to meet on Thursday in bid to end gold strike BL Premium reports that unions and Sibanye-Stillwater are set to meet on Thursday in a bid to end a strike at the company’s gold mining operations that as of Tuesday was in its 56th day. Workers affiliated to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) downed tools on 9 March after the company rejected their demands for a R1,000 increase in monthly pay, a R100 increase in the living-out allowance, and a 6% increase for miners, artisans and officials. The demand for an increase of R1,000 a month amounts to a 9.8% rise in year one, 8.8% in year two and 8.2% in year three for entry-level workers, including surface and underground miners. The two unions, which jointly represent about 25,000 of the 31,000 workers at Sibanye’s gold operations, have rejected the company’s revised offer of an R800 wage increase, a R50 increase in the living out allowance and a 5% increase for miners, artisans and officials. In rejecting the company's revised wage offer, the strikers said it was “disingenuous” of Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman to tell striking workers that the company could not meet their wage demands, while he had earned R300m in 2021 due to the global commodity price boom. “The strike continues. There is a meeting on Thursday for further engagement between parties,” NUM general secretary William Mabapa indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Striking miners talk about their struggle to stave off hunger, at SowetanLive Amcu’s Marikana PGM members demand pay hikes of up to 40% from Sibanye-Stillwater According to a document obtained by Business Maverick, members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Marikana platinum mine are demanding wage hikes of up to almost 40%. A decade after the murdered Marikana strikers demanded a basic wage of R12,500 a month, the rallying cry is now R20,000 a month. Amcu’s Marikana demands were sent on 28 March to Sibanye, which has said it does not plan to officially start wage talks before June — in line with normal timing. But they give a clear indication of what Amcu is targeting at a time when it is united with its former arch-rival, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), in a combined strike at Sibanye’s SA gold operations that began almost two months ago. The united front posed by Amcu and NUM suggests that NUM’s own demands from Sibanye’s platinum group metals (PGM) division will be in a similar vein. The key demands outlined in the Amcu document are as follows: “The entry-level minimum for all underground workers to be R20,000.00 [Categories 4 – 9]”, while for more skilled workers such as artisans the demand is for a “15% increase on the basic rate of pay.” The basic pay component at Sibanye for PGM miners is currently around R14,500 a month, so R20,000 would represent an almost 40% increase on that. The demands appear to only be for one year. It is not clear at this stage what demands will be delivered to Sibanye’s other PGM operations. Meanwhile, other PGM producers such as Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) have already started wage talks. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ed Stoddard at Daily Maverick. See too, Amcu to demand 40% wage hike of PGM miners following year of high-flying metal prices, at Miningmx Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Intercape CEO says bus attackers are demanding millions of rands to stop violence Fin24 reports that bus company Intercape claims it is being targeted by suspected members of the taxi industry and says they are demanding millions of rands to protect its buses from attacks. One of the company's drivers was murdered last week. This after the local long-haul bus industry suffered 150 violent attacks on their vehicles in the past 13 months. The attacks were mainly in key towns and routes in the Eastern Cape, but have now spilled over to the Cape Metropole and Gauteng. Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira says he believes the company became a target after he took a stand against demands he labelled as "extortion". He indicated: "What made Intercape the current target is that I said I have had enough of attempts at extortion. I decided not to remain silent anymore, because their demands would mean I have to close the business. They want me to pay millions of rand to protect our buses from stone throwing. It is a very sensitive matter which the police are investigating." Intercape has safety measures in place, but Ferreira fears these could be angering the attackers even further. While Intercape believes the attacks are coming from perpetrators in the taxi industry, the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) has distanced itself from the violence. An industry insider described the dilemma faced by bus drivers: "Bus drivers are very scared. They are between a rock and a hard place. If they do not go to work, they will lose their job, and if they go to work, they run the risk of being shot. They do not know what to do and are frustrated, but they have to put bread on the table." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carin Smith at Fin24 (subscriber access only). Read too, Intercape urges government intervention as attacks from taxi industry grow, at Engineering News Musician Chicco Twala released on R2,000 bail after alleged attack on two City Power officials TimesLive reports that Sello “Chicco” Twala appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where he was granted bail of R2,000. The musician was arrested on Monday after he allegedly attacked City Power officials on Sunday. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane indicated: “The alleged incident took place in Bloubosrand on May 1 2022 when two City Power technicians attended to a call about a power outage in the area. On arrival the technicians had to switch off the power, and that is when Twala allegedly charged at one of them, strangled him and pointed at him with something resembling a firearm.” Twala was arrested and charged for “pointing something that resembles a firearm” and common assault. Gauteng police confirmed two toy guns were confiscated during Twala’s arrest. His case is scheduled to return to court on 26 August. Twala’s son Longwe Twala was one of the people who were present when celebrated footballer Meyiwa was gunned down in Vosloorus in October 2014 at the home of the mother of his girlfriend Kelly Khumalo. Longwe, Khumalo and all the other people present at the time claimed Meyiwa was killed in a botched robbery. After nearly eight years, the trial against five men who were implicated in Meyiwa’s killing started in the High Court in Pretoria last month. The five have pleaded not guilty to the crime. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
As Covid numbers spike expert warns against complacency The Citizen writes that, with winter knocking on the door and the fifth wave of Covid infections looming, some maskless citizens blame seasonal flu for the infection rate spike and remain sceptical of wearing masks. But, Professor Ian Sanne from the department infectious diseases at Wits University commented that with the escalation of Covid cases, the average person needed to consider their risk when going out into the public or to work. “I recommend to everyone that you vaccinate, boost your vaccination and take your own precautions to wear a mask when leaving your home,” he advised. Pauline Kempster-Britz from Randburg said she still wore her mask religiously, despite the relaxation around the regulations of wearing a mask. “I also still sanitise everywhere I enter, as nothing has changed. I am not willing to take any risks,” Kempster-Britz said, adding that she had been watching the number of infections climbing over the past few weeks. According to Kempster-Britz, people have quickly forgot the bad times of total isolation and the full impact of regulations and restrictions. But, Erica Eybers said we ought to throw the masks away. “Covid is Covid, whether you wear a mask or not, because I know many vaccinated people who were diagnosed with Covid,” Eybers claimed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marizka Coetzer at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Treasury wants new uniform management salary structure to rein in public sector wage bill BL Premium reports that the National Treasury is pushing for new legislation to create a uniform compensation structure for all managers across the public sector as it battles to cut or freeze the wage bill. The public servants’ salary bill is one of the biggest threats to SA’s finances, and slashing it is vital for the country to claw back fiscal stability and demonstrate its commitment to ratings agencies to keep spending in check. While there is already a structure in place that guides government salary levels, compensation levels are still largely at the discretion of the different spheres of the state. The Treasury wants a much tighter and more centralised approach to determining compensation. “Our view is that we need to come up with single legislation that will govern the issues of remuneration, especially as it relates to public entities. We can exclude the state-owned companies in that legislation because they need to run like businesses and compete with other big players in the industry,” Marumo Maake, a Treasury official responsible for remuneration analysis, told MPs on Tuesday. “With regards to entities that solely rely on government transfers, they should align themselves with the public service remuneration strategy,” he said. Maake explained that each sphere of government had its own remuneration approach, which was unsustainable. The Treasury’s push for the legislation could appease union leaders, who have raised the widening pay gap between senior public officials and rank-and-file public servants in their pursuit for higher wages. “We took a decision with the [department of public service & administration], after engagement with the labour unions, that we will embark on a process to review remuneration policies across all public sector institutions with the view of making recommendations to cabinet on a fair remuneration policy that can be adopted in the public sector,” Maake said, while also emphasising the need to contain the wage bill across the board. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bekezela Phakathi at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
City of Joburg wins court case over conversion of workers’ employment contracts News24 reports that the City of Johannesburg has won another case in its battle with a group of workers over the "legality" of their employment contract conversion. On Tuesday, the Labour Court ruled against the group of workers, who were represented by the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu). Judge Andre van Niekerk struck the application off the roll, saying that the Labour Court had no jurisdiction to provide the workers the relief requested. The 130 Joburg staffers served their last day as employees of the City on Friday last week as their contracts officially ended on 30 April. The group had initially been hired as contract workers, employed as support staff for political appointees. The ANC, in February 2021, months before losing power in the City, converted the contracts to permanent by way of a motion through the mayoral committee. The DA-led coalition government said this process had been unlawful and in February 2022 a motion reversed the contract conversions. Last week, Samwu asked the Labour Court to consider the unlawfulness of the City in reversing the conversions. It pleaded for an order that the previous ANC resolution to convert the contracts was legal. Van Niekerk said the union had failed to prove, in terms of the Labour Relations Act, on what basis the court could rule on unlawfulness. He said the workers were seeking relief on matters "that are not regulated in the LRA or any legislation that confers jurisdiction of this court". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zintle Mahlati at News24
CCMA offices reopen for walk-ins nearly two years after being suspended due to Covid-19 outbreak News24 reports that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) announced on Sunday that it had reopened its offices for walk-ins. This came nearly two years after the dispute resolution body issued a directive to suspend walk-ins due to the Covid-19 pandemic. "The decision to temporarily suspend user walk-ins, particularly for case referral and advisory, was a difficult pronouncement to make, given that a significant percentage of case referrals come through our front desks. However, of importance at the time was the preservation of life, health, and safety of our employees and users,” CCMA director, Cameron Morajane said. The CCMA indicated that the temporary suspension of walk-ins had allowed it to introduce new streams of digital offerings for case referrals, such as the e-referral platform and the CCMA mobile application (CCMAConnect). The body stated that it was time to embrace the "new normal" following the lifting of the national state of disaster in April. While it anticipated an influx of users opting for in-person interactions, the CCMA said it would continue with its current hybrid operating model. "I encourage those who can utilise digital platforms for referrals and hearing cases to continue [to] do so," Morajane said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Canny Maphanga at News24
Small drop in May petrol price, but diesel and illuminating paraffin hikes will hit people hard, says AA BusinessLive reports that while the adjusted fuel prices for May show a decrease in the cost of both grades of petrol, the Automobile Association (AA) says the significant increases in the prices of diesel and illuminating paraffin will have a substantial effect on the cost of living. On Tuesday, mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe announced a 12c/l decrease in the prices of both grades of petrol, but increases of between 92c/l and 98c/l for diesel inland, between 88c/l and 94c/l for diesel at the coast, and between 79c/l and 82c/l for illuminating paraffin. The adjustments came into effect at midnight. According to the department, the average international product prices of petrol decreased, while those of diesel and illuminating paraffin increased. “Naturally, the decreases to petrol are welcome. They will offer some relief in the short-term. Of concern, however, are the high increases in diesel and illuminating paraffin which will, undoubtedly, put extra financial pressure on millions of South Africans already struggling to make ends meet. The price of illuminating paraffin is particularly worrying as this fuel is used for cooking, heating and lighting and comes as SA enters winter,” the AA noted. The association said the relief offered in February of a reduction of the General Fuel Levy (GFL) by R1.50 was cushioning the blow of the increases, but a more permanent solution had to be found before month-end. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dennis Droppa at BusinessLive. Read too, Diesel price to rise on Wednesday, but petrol price to decrease, at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Government Employees Pension Fund finally gives PIC a mandate to manage its unlisted investments again Fin24 reports that after more than a year, the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) have finally agreed on a new mandate for unlisted investments. When the PIC's mandate to oversee R70 billion of the GEPF's unlisted investment fund lapsed in March 2021, the pension fund did not renew it. The GEPF first introduced the unlisted developmental investment mandate in 1997, for an entity called the Isibaya Fund. The mandate was renewed without problems over the years, until the Mpati Commission of Inquiry highlighted governance shortcomings and alleged corruption at the PIC. The PIC announced on Tuesday that the two institutions had signed a new mandate. The PIC emphasised that the developmental investment funds falling under this newly negotiated mandate were crucial for generating financial and socioeconomic benefits for SA's economy and the money would be used to helps fund developmental projects in SA and the rest of Africa. The PIC did not specify if it would still manage R70 billion under the Isibaya Fund as before, or whether the GEPF had reduced this. But the pension fund had previously indicated that it expected to reduce the amount of money it allocated to the Isibaya Fund under a new mandate. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Londiwe Buthelezi at Fin24. Read too, GEPF, PIC sign new development investment mandate, at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Security guard arrested for hijacking after allegedly using his gun to hold up motorist in Katlehong News24 reports that Gauteng police have arrested a security guard after he allegedly hijacked a man in Katlehong. Police were carrying out routine patrols on Monday at around 01:00 when they were stopped by a man who had been hijacked. He had been held at gunpoint, while four men made off with his Audi A4 from his house in Ramokonopi East. The police took him to the police station to open a case, but en route the man spotted one of the alleged hijackers. Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili advised: "Police quickly stopped and searched the man. A silver pistol was seized from the 38-year-old suspect, who stays at Buyafuthi hostel. The hijacked victim positively identified him as the one who hijacked him earlier." Police established that the firearm was licensed and registered in the alleged hijacker's name. According to Muridili, he is employed as a security guard. Police are still searching for the hijacked vehicle, and three hijackers are still at large. Muridili said the arrested suspect would appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court soon on a charge of car hijacking. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24
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