In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Mpumalanga paramedics held hostage after responding to fake emergency, ambulance stripped of parts News24 reports that paramedics were held hostage in Mpumalanga on Sunday while the ambulance they were using was stripped of its engine, gearbox, battery and tyres. According to police, seven persons hatched a plan to pretend that a woman was in labour on a farm in Spitzkop Road, Belfast and that she needed medical care. An ambulance was dispatched in response to the call for help. Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala reported: "At around 21:30, it is said that a follow-up call was received by the paramedics, whereby the caller requested to meet with the medical staff at a certain spot for ... directions to the scene. Little did the medical staff know that this was an orchestrated robbery." When the ambulance arrived at the spot, two men wearing balaclavas emerged. "The suspects allegedly held them hostage and took their cellphones from them, before they tied them up with cable ties, but kept [them] inside the ambulance," Mohlala said. The ambulance was then driven to another place where there were five more suspects. The estimated value of the parts that were stolen is about R300,000. Surprisingly, the suspects gave the paramedics the cellphones taken earlier, before they left the scene Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zandile Khumalo at News24
Time running out for government to oppose court challenge to new regulations to manage Covid-19 EWN reports that time is running out for government to oppose a challenge to its new regulations for managing Covid-19. Following the ending of the National State of Disaster - and most of its regulations - government this month published new measures to deal with the pandemic. Civil rights organisation AfriForum and public participation platform DearSA then approached the Pretoria High Court to have the regulations declared unconditional and invalid. Government had until the end of Tuesday to indicate if it planned to oppose the application. As of the close of court on Monday, the organisations' legal teams had not received a response to the application. AfriForum’s Jacques Broodryk said it did not presently make sense to implement these regulations: "We see that countries around the world are busy dropping masks mandates and deregulating Covid-19 related regulations but now the South African government wants to go ahead and permanently lodge this into law, and it just doesn't make sense at all. We are also very suspicious of the process followed, we know the government published certain regulations for the public but went ahead one night and pushed for different regulations, so we also find that very suspicious and unnecessary". Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Bernadette Wicks at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Nehawu ready to go ahead with ‘full-blown’ wage strike at Sars from 25 May EWN reports that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) on Tuesday said it was ready to go ahead with plans to go on a full-blown strike at the SA Revenue Services (Sars). The union held a press briefing in Kibler Park, in the south of Johannesburg, on Tuesday to lay out its plans for the strike, which is planned to start on 25 May following a deadlock in wage negotiations. General secretary Zola Saphetha said they strongly believed Sars could meet workers' demand of a 12% increase and saw the employer’s 0% offer as an attack on workers amidst the dire economic situation. “We strongly believe that the employer can meet our demands as Sars managed to collect R1.56 trillion in revenue for the 2021/22 financial year, representing a 25% year-on-year increase on the R1.25 trillion collected in 2020/21,” Saphetha pointed out. He indicated that workers would begin with build-up activities from next Monday by staging lunch time pickets, adding that the aim of the demonstration was to disrupt all services. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Masechaba Sefularo at EWN. Read too, Sars mum on Nehawu strike after four months deadlock, experts predict wide ramifications, at The Citizen (subscriber access only)
No common ground yet, says Amcu as wage strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold ops goes into week 10 BusinessLive reports that the strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations, which has cost workers more than R1bn and deprived the company of the chance to take advantage of the boom in prices, will enter its tenth week on Wednesday after the latest attempt at talks failed. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) downed tools on 9 March, demanding an increase of R1,000 a month for three years, which amounts to a 9.8% rise in the first year, 8.8% in the second year and 8.2% in the third year for entry-level workers. Sibanye has tabled a final offer of R850, which includes an increase of R50 in the living-out allowance. The offer translates to an increase of 7.8% in basic wages in the first year, 7.2% in the second, followed by 6.8% in the third year. The parties met in Boksburg on Tuesday to try to resolve the impasse. Amcu general secretary Jeff Mphahlele reported that there was “no common ground that we can reach now”. NUM general secretary William Mabapa said: “For now we are still in discussions. Our mandate is a R1,000 increase [per month] for three years.” He said the employer was unwilling to make any compromises: “They are still tabling the same offer.” The two unions, which jointly represent about 25,000 of the 31,000 employees at Sibanye’s gold operations, have hit out at CEO Neal Froneman’s R300m pay in 2021. He has pointed to the company’s performance to justify it. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive NUM shocked at move by Reserve Bank to place Ubank under curatorship SowetanLive reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), one of Ubank's major shareholders, said it was shocked and surprised by the Reserve Bank’s move to put Ubank under curatorship. This happened despite the Ubank’s board commitment that it would raise the required R800m to save the bank from being placed under curatorship, said NUM's general secretary William Mabapa. “We were called last night [Sunday] by the Prudential Authority [PA] advising that we should raise R800m. Of course that money was successfully raised within 24 hours. We are wondering why the PA decided to advise the Reserve Bank to take such a drastic decision,” he stated. This action has also not gone down well with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu). Its president Joseph Mathunjwa said, while it embraced good corporate governance in the financial sector, it was concerned by the Reserve Bank’s move. “We see every financial institution that is run by blacks is being targeted. Numsa was put under the spotlight because their monies are run by black institutions. As Amcu we introduced Igula Provident Fund, Anglo American fought us not to move our members to a union-established provident fund because we were taking food out of Old Mutual. Today it is Ubank, run by blacks. What does it tell you? We are at that time in SA whereby anything that is run by a black person is looked down upon and positioned in the media as corrupt,” Mathunjwa said. Ubank largely operates in mining towns providing banking services to mineworkers and their families. Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago said placing Ubank under curatorship was a proactive step to prevent adverse consequences to Ubank’s depositors. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpho Sibanyoni and Penwell Dlamini at SowetanLive. See too, NUM questions decision to place Ubank under curatorship, at EWN Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Cosatu blasts Nathi Mthethwa's R22m flag project, calls for his axing from cabinet EWN reports that trade union federation Cosatu says that Nathi Mthethwa is the worst-performing minister in President Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet and he needs to go. The organisation has joined in the outrage expressed by many regarding plans by the Arts and Culture Minister to spend R22 million on a national monument flag project. His department plans to erect the 100-meter flag at the Freedom Park Heritage site in Pretoria as a symbol of unity and democracy. But Cosatu's Sizwe Pamla said this idea simply did not make sense: "By the number of people running with this idea, it was passed from one broker to the next. There was no person who said 'this is not going to work, you are wasting money'. South Africa has some serious problems." Pamla also had a message for Ramaphosa: "The only message we can say to the president of this country is you are surrounded by mediocre individuals and as a result, you're coming across as very mediocre yourself. Now the onus is on you. How do you want to navigate going forward because all of this, at the end of the day, is going to land on the president's door." Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Kgomotso Modise at EWN. Lees ook, Reusevlag van R22 miljoen ‘ongevoelig’, by Maroela Media. As well as, R22m flag idea slammed – Mthethwa told to focus on ‘starving artists’, sport development, at The Citizen (subscriber access only)
Group of 42 Denel employees win urgent court bid for R13.2m in unpaid wages Fin24 reports that the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has ordered state-owned arms manufacturer Denel to pay R13.2 million in outstanding salaries to 42 un-unionised current and former employees. The struggling company has been unable to pay its roughly 2,800 employees their full salaries since May 2020. Unions including Solidarity and Numsa have already secured court orders directing Denel to pay their members their full salaries. In the present instance, a group of employees who were not part of a union won their case in a private court action. On Tuesday, the court ruled that Denel must pay 42 current and former employees between R55,000 and R700,000 within 10 days of the ruling. The employees are owed a combined R13.2 million in unpaid wages for the period between May 2020 and April 2022. The group's legal representative, advocate Michael Matlapeng, said that while his clients were hopeful Denel would "find their senses and pay", they were ready to approach the court to enforce the order. But, it's unclear where the money will come from. Denel had been allocated around R3 billion by the national government to settle ballooning interest payments, but this money cannot be used to pay staff salaries as it has been ring-fenced for debt repayments. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Cronje at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Alleged human trafficker arrested after six undocumented workers found at Mpumalanga farm News24 reports that 40-year Edjuanida Teixeira appeared in the Bethal Magistrate's Court on Monday for alleged human trafficking and is to remain in custody until his bail application on 23 May. Teixeira was arrested by the Hawks on Saturday after they received a tip-off about young, undocumented Mozambicans being kept at a farm near Bethal in Mpumalanga. Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi reported that at the farm they found six undocumented Mozambicans who complained to the police that they had been recruited from Mozambique on the promise that someone in SA had jobs for them. The victims alleged that they were transported from Mozambique on 5 May 2022 and, before they reached the border gate from the Mozambique side, the driver stopped and told them to go and pass through the river while he passed through the border post. The victims did as they were instructed and met with the driver on the other side of the border in SA. The men were then transported to the farm and allegedly handed over to Teixeira. "The victims further told the police that the driver of the bakkie was paid R800 for each victim by the recruiter in Mozambique," said Sekgotodi. While at the farm, the victims were allegedly forced to cut grass and steal coal from nearby mines. They were paid R100 after stealing the coal, and were not paid for any other work. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nicole McCain at News24 Child labour an enemy of progress, Ramaphosa tells ILO conference The Citizen reports that according to President Cyril Ramaphosa, no country and economy can consider itself to be at the forefront of progress if its success and riches have been built on the backs of children. He was delivering an address at the Fifth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, held in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Durban on Sunday. The conference, which is being hosted for the first time on African soil, will take place for the rest of the week. It will look at why millions of children are victims of exploitative labour practices, why this persists in some countries but less in others and what decisive interventions are needed to end these practices. “Child labour is an enemy of children’s development and an enemy of progress. We are here because we recognise the urgent need to put an end to a situation where millions of children across the world are losing their formative years to the burden of unfair responsibility,” said Ramaphosa. According to the ILO and Unicef, substantial progress has been made in addressing the worst forms of child labour exploitation. Despite this, the ILO says the effect of worsening poverty means that a further 8.9 million children are expected to be engaged in child labour by the end of 2022. “This threatens our efforts to eliminate child labour by 2025 as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This means that we need to intensify our efforts and tackle the challenges we still face with renewed purpose,” Ramaphosa said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen. See too, SA lagging behind in ending child labour by 2023, says labour department, at EWN
Census workers angry over not being paid by Stats SA News24 reports that some field workers who were part of Census 2022 say they are suffering because they have not been paid. Thando Mvubu, 28, a field worker, said she tried numerous times to call Statistics SA (State SA), but she was placed on hold or told she was not on the system. "Stats SA has failed me, all I need is my money. They need to pay people. I am depressed right now and I can barely sleep. It is wrong what they are doing to the youth of South Africa," Mvubu stated. Some field workers shared on social media that they could not attend their graduation ceremonies because of the delayed payments. Another field worker Lehutso Mogoru, 23, said: "The Stats department is not organised. We did not sign the contracts before the first day of working and the contracts were sent a few days after, that is when people started to work. We worked hard for the entire three months. It is now tough because I can't buy even maize meal ... some people are depressed and hurt because we worked very hard and there's nothing to show." A spokesperson for Stats SA, Trevor Oosterwyk, advised that some employees had been paid. "The workers need to ensure that all their details are correct and, if they did, they should be receiving their payments. I can confirm that 90% of employees have been paid and there are a few outstanding payments," Oosterwyk said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alfonso Nqunjana at News24
Carletonville minibus taxi driver with full passenger load arrested for alleged drunk driving News24 reports that a minibus taxi driver was arrested on Monday in Carletonville, in the West Rand, for allegedly being under the influence of alcohol while transporting a full load of passengers. The 36-year-old was arrested and detained at the Carletonville police station after his breathalyser result showed he was three times over the legal limit. He had been pulled over by traffic police conducting a drunk driving operation. Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Sello Maremane indicated: "The alcohol breathalyser reading was recorded at 1.24 mg/100 ml which is three times over the prescribed legal limit of 0.24 mg/100." The driver was scheduled to appear at the Carletonville Magistrate's Court on Tuesday on charges of reckless and negligent driving, with an alternative charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. "In our concerted efforts to save the lives of road users, the Gauteng Traffic Police will also conduct a series of road safety activations in various hazardous locations as part of the road safety education programme," Maremane advised. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Alfonso Nqu at News24
Man who posed as JMPD officer to stop and rob vehicles arrested, linked to scores of cases News24 reports that a 39-year-old man, who allegedly posed as a Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officer in order to stop and rob vehicles in Gauteng, has been arrested. Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello said the man was arrested at his home in Protea Glen, Soweto, on Monday. He was found in possession of 14 JMPD reflector jackets and a stolen iPhone. "It is alleged the suspect used these reflector jackets to pose as a police official and stopped people on roads, with the intention to rob them," Sello indicated. Further investigations revealed the man, who is a driver of a courier company, was linked to 12 cases of robbery of which he claimed to be a victim. "He would supposedly get robbed of merchandise, which was to be delivered, at gunpoint by a Nissan Almera, using different number plates," Sello said. The cases were opened at different parts of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni. The man is expected to appear in court soon on charges of theft, perjury and possession of police uniform. Read the full original of the short report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at News24. Read too, Four arrested in Joburg CBD for impersonating cops, demanding passports from foreigners, at IOL High Court rules in favour of Old Mutual board in case brought by ex-CEO to have directors declared delinquent Moneyweb reports that the South Gauteng High Court on Monday dismissed, with costs, former Old Mutual CEO Peter Moyo’s application to have Old Mutual non-executive directors declared delinquent and in contempt of court. The decision was based on hearings that took place in November 2021. According to a statement issued by the insurer, the court concluded that the directors did not breach their duties to the company. “On the contrary, once the relationship between the board and Mr Moyo had broken down, the board was not only entitled but obliged to terminate his appointment,” Old Mutual pointed out. Meanwhile, the court found Moyo guilty of breaching his fiduciary duties to the insurance company. The court also found that Old Mutual did not defy an initial court order by preventing Moyo from resuming his position as CEO. It found that Moyo’s employment had been lawfully terminated the second time it took place. Old Mutual said it was “pleased to put this matter behind [it] after three years of contentious litigation and will be focusing on growing the business well into the future, with good governance at all times”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nondumiso Lehutso at Moneyweb
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