Today's Labour News

MINING LABOUR RELATIONS

Amcu says wage deal agreed in principle with Anglo American Platinum

Bloomberg reports that according to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has agreed to a new five-year wage deal. The pivotal deal with the subsidiary of Anglo American Plc could be signed this week and would be effective from July, said Jeff Mphahlele, Amcu general secretary. “The agreement has been reached in principle and we are about to sign the offer with Anglo. We are just dealing with the final wording of the agreement itself,” Mphahlele indicated. Amplats was making “good progress with this year’s wage negotiations,” spokeswoman Nomonde Ndwalaza said. According to Mphahlele, Amplats has agreed to give its workers a monthly increase of R1,100 in the first year of the deal, rising to R1,500 in the fifth year.   Amcu has been holding joint negotiations with its former rival, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).   Impala Platinum Holdings has also proposed a five-year wage deal and an agreement might be reached soon, Mphahlele said. Negotiations with Sibanye Stillwater’s South African platinum mines will start on 1 June, Mphahlele added.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Felix Njini at Moneyweb

Strike-hit Sibanye calls in CCMA to help, says it will honour outcome of process

BL Premium reports that in the latest attempt to end the strike that has brought Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations to a grinding halt and has shone a harsh spotlight on his pay, CEO Neal Froneman said the company had asked the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to step in.

About 25,000 gold miners led by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) downed tools on 9 March, demanding a pay increase of as much as 9.8% after rejecting Sibanye’s offer for an increase in basic wages of as much as 7.8% for the first year.   The industrial action has halted operations at Sibanye’s gold operations, which make up a small portion of its portfolio. It has also left striking workers R1bn out of pocket and prompted Minerals & Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe to threaten to revoke the company’s mining licence. Speaking during an annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday, Froneman indicated that Sibanye had conducted its own polls and was “very sure that our employees want to go back to work”, with the majority of the employees ready and willing to accept the company’s current proposal. He said the company made a section 150 application at the CCMA on Monday to “conciliate what the majority of workers want through an independently led process of verification”. Froneman went on to comment: “In our view, that is the way to get a responsible outcome instead of resorting to, let’s say, demands that are unsustainable. I believe that and we will certainly honour what comes out of that process, which will start on 30 May.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane & Katharine Child at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

INDUSTRIAL ACTION / STRIKES

SARS workers picket for salary increases ahead of nationwide strike planned for Wednesday

GroundUp reports that more than 50 SA Revenue Service (SARS) workers and supporters braved the cold and rain to picket outside the tax collector’s offices in Cape Town on Tuesday. The workers, affiliated to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and the Public Servants Association (PSA), were demanding an across the board wage increase of 7%. The picket was a buildup to a planned nationwide strike on Wednesday and came as negotiations, which started in January, between union representatives and SARS deadlocked this week. SARS initially tabled no increase, while workers demanded 12%.   According to Nehawu and PSA, SARS has since offered a 1.4% increase while the workers’ demand has dropped to 7%.   But, according to one PSA official, “1.4% is not going to cut it". On Sunday, SARS said it had met Nehawu and PSA representatives on how to allocate available funding towards financial relief for employees and to resolve the dispute. According to SARS, its funding allocation from the National Treasury made no provision for salary increases and it would be forced to use funds from its savings to meet workers’ demands. In response to other demands raised by the unions, SARS said it was continuing to negotiate with representatives "and has made an offer, which is still under their consideration". SARS said it will only report in detail once the labour discussions have been resolved.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marecia Damons at Fin24

SARS strike to go ahead on Wednesday after employees reject R500m revised offer

BL Premium reports that SA Revenue Service (SARS) employees have rejected a last-ditch R500m revised offer tabled by the tax agency in a bid to derail a wage strike starting on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the workers said the revised offer would translate to a wage increase only of 1.3% and a R3,000 one-off cash gratuity.   The Public Servants Association (PSA) and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) are demanding increases of 11.5% and 12%, respectively. They previously turned down the employer’s initial offer of 0%. The PSA’s Reuben Maleka indicated on Tuesday that the union’s membership had rejected the R500m offer to break the wage deadlock. Nehawu spokesperson Lwazi Nkolonzi said the union was engaging its membership on the revised offer, but stressed they would join the strike on Wednesday. “We are going to have two national marches, one in Tshwane where our members will march to the National Treasury and to the SARS headquarters. Another march will be held in Cape Town, where workers will march to the SARS offices there,” Nkolonzi advised. Claiming that the agency had not received a funding allocation for salary increases from the National Treasury, SARS spokesperson Sobantu Ndlangalavu said the revised offer “serves as a full and final settlement of the dispute relating to the salary increase demand of the 2022/2023 substantive wage negotiations”.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

ArcelorMittal refuses to accept memo from striking staff over concerns of violence and intimidation

The Citizen reports that ArcelorMittal SA (AMSA) has accused the National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) of failing to address numerous acts of violence and intimidation against its non-striking workers. To ensure the safety of employees and the security of its business premises, the company refused to accept a memorandum from demonstrators who marched to its offices in Vanderbijlpark on Tuesday. AMSA’s Tami Didiza indicated: “ArcelorMittal South Africa did not permit a march to deliver a memorandum at the company’s offices. This is because the strike action initiated by Numsa has been marred by numerous acts of violence and intimidation of non-striking employees, despite the strike and picketing rules agreed between the company and the union.” The company said it addressed these concerns with the union, but, to date, there have been no real or tangible efforts to stop these acts. “These unlawful acts include the shooting of an employee, who is currently recovering in hospital, multiple cases of assault or attempted assault of non-striking employees,” said Didiza. The Labour Court has granted AMSA an urgent interdict prohibiting acts of violence and intimidation. On Friday, AMSA tabled two alternative final offers, subject to certain conditions, for union consideration. These comprised a 6% increase on all remuneration elements, including allowances, standby and medical aid, plus a R5,000 once off ex-gratia payment; or a 6.5% increase on all remuneration elements, but without any cash payment.   But both Numsa and Solidarity have indicated they would not move from their previous demands of a 7% increase with a R5,000 once-off cash payment.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Narissa Subramoney at The Citizen

COVID-19

Covid-19 deaths breach 101,000 as 4,200 new cases recorded on Tuesday

TimesLive reports that according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), 4,227 new Covid-19 cases had been identified in SA on Tuesday. This was significantly higher than the 1,662 cases recorded on Monday. The NICD said the new cases represented a 15.7% positivity rate and brought the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3,935,761. The NICD said the national health department had reported another 50 deaths, 14 of which had occurred in the past 24 to 48 hours. This brought the total fatalities to 101,002 to date. The NICD said the new cases were mainly from Gauteng (31%), followed by the Western Cape (22%), KwaZulu-Natal (16%), Eastern Cape (11%), Free State (6%), Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and North West (4% each) and Limpopo (1%). There were 139 new hospital admissions in the past 24 hours, bringing to 3,246 the number of people presently admitted to hospitals with Covid-19.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by TimesLive

Study finds that working together in an office doesn’t help employees’ sense of connection

Bloomberg reports that CEOs hellbent on getting workers back in the office after the Covid-19 restrictions claim that being physically together boosts connectivity, but it turns out that’s not the case. Only one in six people feels strongly connected at work, with on-site employees the least connected of all, according to a study released on Tuesday by consulting firm Accenture.   The study surveyed 1,100 C-level executives and 5,000 workers across skill levels globally in the middle of 2021. A total of 22% of fully remote workers said they felt “not connected,” while the share for those in the office was nearly double. “One might think a quick fix is simply to bring everyone back to work on-site and human connection will happen. It’s not that simple,” the report indicated. With the tightest labour market in America in decades, many people who have successfully worked remotely for more than two years are pushing back against a wholesale return to the office.   Workers at companies such as Apple have rebelled, arguing they’re just as productive and much happier at home.   Part of the reason so many workers, especially those who are in the office full-time, were so disconnected was because they felt ignored by senior management, said Accenture’s Ellyn Shook. Many executives greatly overestimate how connected their employees feel, she pointed out. “People want choice. I really believe that dialing up listening and acting on what you hear can really address that,” Shook said. Some employers are rethinking their RTO (return to office) plans altogether after two chaotic years of Covid-19’s twists and turns and a broad reckoning of work culture. Credit Suisse CEO Thomas Gottstein doesn’t think banks will ever return to working full-time from the office, and Airbnb said in April that its employees would be permanently able to work from anywhere.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jo Constantz at BusinessLive

HOME AFFAIRS

Motsoaledi unveils steps to end long queues at home affairs, including hiring more front-end staff

BL Premium reports that Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has announced a series of measures to deal with long queues at DHA offices, mainly caused by system downtime. He acknowledged the frustration and anger caused by this “unsavoury state of affairs” in his budget vote speech in parliament Tuesday, and said among the measures was securing the services eight IT specialists from a leading bank to help stabilise the department’s network.   “We believe that the partnerships with the banks will rapidly reduce the skills deficit and assist the department to improve and maintain system uptime,” he said. Motsoaledi also announced that the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) would spend R400m to revamp the DHA’s entire network, which would be concluded in the third quarter. The agency has also doubled the department’s internet capacity and introduced a backup system in Tshwane, Cape Town and eThekwini. New offices are being built and departmental offices will be set up in malls – starting in Pretoria, Johannesburg, eThekwini and Cape Town – from September to avoid queuing outside and to provide parking. The department will also hire an additional 764 employees, 517 of whom will be front-office staff and 288 will be immigration officers. An additional 12 members of staff including analysts, researchers and investigators were being added to the anti-corruption unit, Motsoaledi said. Digitisation of records is under way and that will also alleviate long queues.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

Five suspects in custody for paying South Africans for personal details used on fraudulent passports

News24 reports that five people have been arrested for allegedly fraudulently creating South African passports for foreign nationals.   The Hawks arrested Nhlanhla Mathebula, Mohamed Ali, Gabriel Samuel van der Merwe, Christopher Marillier and Sfiso Kheswa on Thursday in Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, and White River, Mpumalanga.   They appeared in the White River Magistrate's Court on Friday on charges of fraud, corruption and contravention of the Immigration Act, Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi advised. The case was postponed to Wednesday for a bail application. Allegedly headed up by Mathebula, a Home Affairs official, and with Ali as the alleged kingpin, the accused recruited South Africans to supply their personal details for fraudulent South African passports for foreign nationals. The details were allegedly supplied in exchange for payment. Sekgotod explained: “South African citizens would use their particulars and [fingerprints] to apply for the said passports, but when it comes to capturing of the photo, foreign nationals would be the ones captured. This was reportedly facilitated by Home Affairs officials after-hours. The SA citizens were allegedly paid R500 each for the utilisation of their particulars by the foreign nationals.” More arrests are expected as the investigation continues.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nicole McCain at News24. Read too, Passport fraud a risk of mistrust of SA documents abroad, at SowetanLive

Senior Home Affairs official dismissed for approving Bushiri residency applications

News24 reports that a senior Department of Home Affairs official has been dismissed for approving the permanent residency application of self-proclaimed prophet and fugitive Shepherd Bushiri. Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi indicated in a statement on Monday that chief director Ronney Marhule was found guilty of two counts of misconduct relating to dishonesty and negligence.   The disciplinary hearing lasted for almost a year. This was after Marhule tried in vain to stop the disciplinary process on at least three occasions at the Labour Court and at the Labour Appeal Court. Bushiri, his wife Mary, and three others are accused of fraud involving around R102 million. At the time of their bail hearing, Home Affairs officials suggested that the Bushiris should be considered a flight risk and refused bail. However, they were granted bail of R200,000 bail each. In 2020, the Bushiris fled to Malawi. During the Hawks' investigation into the Bushiris, it was found they had irregular identity documents and permits. In 2016, the Bushiris applied for a permanent residence permit, was granted without proper compliance. Marhule, who recommended that Bushiri and his family should be issued with permanent residence permits "which they did not deserve", was dismissed with immediate effect, Motsoaledi said. The second count against Marhule was in connection with a recommendation on the approval of the permanent residence permit applications of two other people, Mohamed Afzal Motiwala and Fatima Ebrahim.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24

ALLEGED CORRUPTION / FRAUD

State employee charged with corruption, accused of accepting bribe from Digital Vibes

News24 reports that a state agency employee has been charged with corruption in connection with a multimillion-rand contract that was awarded to communications company Digital Vibes in 2018. Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA) employee Lizeka Tonjeni was arrested on Tuesday morning and appeared in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court. She is accused of accepting a bribe of R160,000 from Digital Vibes to further the company's interests. MISA falls under the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and at the time, Zweli Mkhize was the Cogta minister. One of the indirect owners of Digital Vibes, Tahera Mather, was his spokesperson. According to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), Mather and Naadhira Mitha were the true owners of Digital Vibes, even though the company was registered in the name of a petrol station manager in Stanger, KwaZulu-Natal.   Digital Vibes has also been the subject of an investigation into a R150 million tender with the national Department of Health. The SIU found that the contract was irregular and unlawful and that Mkhize and his family benefitted from the tender. Tonjeni was granted R5,000 bail. It's unclear whether more people will be charged in the case.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24. Lees ook, Amptenaar gee haar oor ná betalings van Digital Vibes, by Maroela Media

Former North West health department head's R30m fraud case postponed due to ill health

News24 reports that on Monday, the North West High Court postponed the fraud case against the North West Department of Health's former head of department (HOD), Dr Andrew Lekalakala, to 3 October 2022, owing to his ill health. His attorney provided the court with a medical certificate. Lekalakala faces two charges of fraud relating to the alleged fraudulent awarding of a contract for mobile clinics to Mediosa Health in February 2017. The mobile clinics were meant to serve rural communities in North West. The awarding of the contract allegedly did not comply with Treasury regulations and the project was not budgeted for.   Mediosa Health, which is linked to the controversial Gupta family, allegedly received an upfront payment of R30 million. Lekalakala is alleged to have received gratification in the form of a trip to India, accompanied by his spouse and his associates. City Press previously reported that the money generated from the mobile clinic contracts was used to build a billion-dollar hospital for the rich in Dubai. The hospital and scheme were allegedly the brainchild of the Gupta family.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24

OTHER HEADLINES OF INTEREST

• Former acting judge to go on trial in August for allegedly sexually assaulting a younger advocate, at News24
• Two security guards shot and wounded after responding to robbery at Benoni guesthouse on Tuesday morning, at News24
• RGB aangevat oor ontbrekende sertifikate, by Maroela Media
• Arts Council’s secret golden handshake deal with former CEO, at The Citizen (subscriber access only)