In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Sibanye-Stillwater to restart SA gold mines in a phased manner following prolonged strike Mining Weekly reports that Sibanye-Stillwater will restart its South African gold operations in a phased manner over the next two to three months, in order to ensure the safety of the operations and employees. The company said its lockout, which had been in place since 10 March, had been lifted. This followed after the precious metals producer and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) finally signed a three-year wage agreement at the weekend, ending a three-month strike at the gold operations. The agreement will also be extended to employees who are members of trade unions Solidarity and Uasa, who had previously accepted the miner’s wage offer. The strike was initiated by the NUM and AMCU on 8 March following eight months of negotiations. The final wage agreement involves a R1,000 or 7.7%, increase in year one, a R900 or 6.5% increase in year two, and a R750 or 5.2% increase in year three, for category four to eight employees. So-called ‘miners, artisans and officials’ will receive a 5% increase in year one, between a 5% and 5.5% increase in year two and a 5% increase in year three. The agreement is effective from 1 July 2021. Sibanye also agreed to pay a one-off hardship allowance of R3,000 to category four to eight employees as well as ‘miners, artisans and officials’. The hardship allowance comprises a R1,200 cash payment, and R1,800 in debt or loan reductions owing to the company. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly. Read too, Sibanye signs multi-term pay hike deal and lifts lockout at gold operations, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). And also, Sibanye-Stillwater lifts lockout as three month strike ends, at Fin24 NUM urges government to investigate incident at Modikwa platinum mine Mining Weekly reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has expressed shock over a health and safety incident at African Rainbow Minerals’ (ARM's) Modikwa platinum mine, in Limpopo, and has urged the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to investigate the incident. The union reports that on 10 June two employees working for a development contractor at the mine were injured when they were travelling underground. The NUM claims a wheel meant to be fitted on a load haul dump machine struck the female employees and caused severe injury. The union says one employee was killed instantly, while the other died later in hospital. However according to ARM, there was only one fatality. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Mining Weekly
Second fire at Steve Biko Hospital in two weeks, no casualties reported News24 reports that another fire has broken out at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria – the second in just two weeks. The blaze apparently started in a linen closet in a medical ward at 6:15pm on Sunday. It is believed that the fire could have been caused by cigarettes. Gauteng health department spokesperson Kwara Kekana indicated: “While the definite cause of the fire is unknown, the facility has confirmed that a number of fresh cigarette butts were found close to the area where the fire started. Patients were temporarily evacuated as a safety precaution. There were no casualties. The fire was quickly extinguished by staff in the facility and by 8:15pm, patients were returned to the ward.” City Press has been reliably informed that the hospital’s emergency unit was not operational following the fire, but Kekana insisted that it was business as usual. Hospital fires appear to be happening there more frequently. A fire broke out at the hospital on 30 May. The blaze started in a Wendy house used as a temporary storage unit for Covid-19 medical waste and also affected a special temporary isolation unit and a tent used for triage. Kekana said that the cause of that fire has not been determined. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Karabo Ledwaba at City Press Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Telehealth gets Covid-19 boost, with remote consultations higher than before the pandemic Saturday Citizen reports that with telemedicine on the rise, early research into virtual consultations is highlighting the benefits for users, as well as areas where progress needs to be made for patients and healthcare providers alike. This is according to Geraldine Bartlett, chief professional officer for Universal Healthcare, who was speaking at the 2022 Board of Healthcare Funders conference in Cape Town in May. Bartlett noted that recent international data indicated that virtual consultations have become well entrenched as part of the patient-provider exchange. While telemedicine, or telehealth as it is now referred to, has existed for some time via remote communication such as e-mail and text messages, Covid has precipitated the inevitable advancement of this type of technology. Bartlett noted that virtual platforms offered a more interactive telehealth experience where multiple elements of a real-time consultation could take place, including the sharing of information, recording of medical notes, sending electronic documents and the actual consultations itself. “At a local level, we are also seeing an uptick in the demand for remote consulting. It is early days and the data is changing constantly, but for now, learnings from the telehealth platform developed and operated by Universal Healthcare show that certain groups of patients in particular are searching for telehealth options, most notable parents of young children looking for lower-cost options,” said Bartlett. But, there are aspects of virtual consultations that require considerations, such as the correct privacy protocols as well as security of information. “It is important that users take care when selecting a virtual consulting room and that they make sure they opt for a reputable service that has the necessary security and privacy measures in place.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard on page 10 of Saturday Citizen of 11 June 2022 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Eskom offers employees wage increases of up to 5.3% BL Premium reports that Eskom, saddled with about R392bn in debt, has offered unions wage increases of 4%-5.3%, which is in line with the Reserve Bank’s inflation target range of 3%-6%, for its nearly 30,000 employees in the bargaining unit. In a document seen by Business Day on Monday, Eskom is offering a one-year pay hike deal with increases of 5.3%, 4.5% and 4% for its 28,374 employees in the bargaining unit. Employees in the bargaining unit are spread across different salary scales. The offer was made to the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Solidarity, during another round of talks for the 2022/2023 financial year at the bargaining forum last week. Numsa and NUM, which represent the majority of Eskom’s estimated 46,000 workers, had been demanding a one-year, 15% across-the-board wage hike. Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola gave the following update on Monday: “We have reduced our demand from 15% across the board down to 12% across the board. Our revised salary demand from 15% to 12% is a R425m reduction from our opening demand.” Solidarity is demanding a 5.5% across the board increase, according to its sector co-ordinator Tommy Wedderspoon. Hlubi-Majola claimed that after parties could not find each other during talks last week, Eskom attempted to collapse the negotiations by declaring a dispute. “We stopped them. We asked for another round of talks from June 21-22,” she indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Labour movements call for SA government to up struggling CCMA’s budget Business Report writes that labour movements have called for the immediate full reopening of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and an increase in its budget to meet its growing case load. The International Labour Research and Information Group (ILRIG) on Friday said that the CCMA must be fully reopened, including walk-in facilities and part-time commissioners hearing cases. This came as CCMA offices were practically opened last month, after suspending user walk-ins across all its offices in July 2020, particularly for case referral and advisory, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The temporary suspension of user walk-ins forced the CCMA to introduce new streams of digital offerings for case referral, such as the e-Referral platform and the CCMA mobile application (CCMAConnect). Between 30 July 2020 and 26 April 2022, the CCMA received 29,566 referrals through these digital platforms. During the same period, 6,269 cases were heard digitally. However, the ILRIG said the R600 million cut in the CCMA’s budget over a three-year period was being felt by non-unionised and casualised workers who were most dependent on the CCMA to uphold and protect their rights. ILRIG organiser Edgar Mokgola said the CCMA was in crisis, with the main problems being insufficient permanent commissioners and an over-reliance on part-time commissioners. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphelele Dludla at Business Report
Social Employment Fund to create 50,000 jobs in phase 1, claims Ramaphosa Engineering News reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that government would continue to champion programmes and initiatives that limited the impact of unemployment on young people until such time as the private sector started creating more jobs at scale. One of these initiatives is the Social Employment Fund, launched through the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which will create 50,000 new work opportunities in its first phase. Eighty-four per cent of participants in the programmes are youth and 62% are women. The Social Employment Fund will partner with non-governmental organisations to kick start a new approach to public employment in areas that include community safety, food kitchens, urban agriculture, early childhood development and gender-based violence. Ramaphosa said social employment saw people in communities as valuable resources for development. “We have many real problems to address – from improving waste collection to creating safe and beautiful public spaces – that require work, and many people who are eager to do it. Not only does social employment provide an income for participants by supporting locally-driven initiatives to fulfil local needs; social employment can also unlock creativity and agency, build local participation and strengthen mutual support systems in communities,” he stated. Meanwhile, the National Youth Service programme will create another 50 000 jobs for unemployed youth. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News. Read too, Maimane takes dig at Ramaphosa over jobs for youth promises, at The Mercury Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Cape Town teacher who sexually assaulted pupil in 2017 finally suspended after criminal court case Cape Argus reports that according to Western Cape Minister of Education David Maynier, a Cape Town teacher who sexually assaulted a pupil five years ago has finally been suspended and will face a disciplinary hearing. Teacher Ayanda Ntuthu continued teaching at the same school until last month, despite having been convicted on two counts of sexual assault in March this year at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court. Apparently, the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) had been unaware that Ntuthu had been prosecuted and found guilty until after the event. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said its responsibilities had not extended to informing the department about the prosecution. Maynier said: “I am obviously concerned about this matter, and for that reason I have instructed the department to undertake a review so that we can be sure that this does not happen again.” The review will consider, among other things, how such cases are monitored and how information is shared between the department and the NPA. In the meantime, Maynier said the child involved had received psycho-social support and Nthuthu had been instructed not to contact any student, member of staff, or member of the school governing body and not to enter the school premises at any time. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mwangi Githahu at Cape Argus Suspended with full pay: Over R12 million for six top government workers sitting at home News24 reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa's impending transfer of the human settlements department's director-general (DG), Mbulelo Tshangana, to a yet-to-be revealed portfolio highlights the volatility of the government's top echelons. Tshangana's move to a different department means yet another acting DG will have to be appointed at the department, adding to the growing list of acting DGs. A recent report, which was presented to the Public Service and Administration, Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, detailed the extended periods officials had to act as DGs and heads of department (HoDs). The report, compiled by the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, indicated: "If consequences management was properly applied to defaulters and poor performance, there could be improved compliance to prescripts and public service. The percentage of acting DGs/HoDs was 27% in 2019/20, dropped to 24% in 2020/21, and is currently 20%. This shows a gradual decrease on a yearly basis. However, it would be ideal if there are no long-term acting DGs/HoDs. The prescripts require public servants to act no longer than six months." Meanwhile, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele revealed in response to a parliamentary question that six top officials had been paid just over R12 million for sitting at home. He listed the six suspended officials (details in News24 report), of whom two were in Mpumalanga, two in the Free State, one in the Northern Cape and one in KwaZulu-Natal. During last year, several DGs were operating in an acting capacity due to contracts which came to an end or disputes with their ministers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24 (subscriber access only)
Senior police officer and seven businesspeople accused of SAPS corruption and theft released on bail TimesLive reports that a senior police officer and seven businesspeople arrested at the weekend in connection with four irregular contracts in the national police commissioner’s corporate services office were released on bail of R3,000 each on Monday. Brigadier Stephina Mahlangu and the seven others appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud, theft, corruption and forgery. The contracts, valued at R960,000 and awarded between 2014 and 2017, were for the procurement of toners, educational material and digital recording systems. Andrea Johnson, head of the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA’s) Investigating Directorate (ID), commended the consistent hard work of the joint ID/SAPS team and said the arrests linked to police contracts were a clear indication that no-one, including government departments, would be exempt where there was proof of criminality. The case was postponed until 29 June. Last week, 23 accused appeared in the same court on fraud, theft and corruption charges in connection with police service contracts for vehicle repairs. They were released on bail of R3,000 each. The ID said the accused in that case, including former police officers, police administrative clerks and various businesspeople, were charged with colluding to benefit Paroex Auto and Mechanical Holdings. The company allegedly received six fraudulent contracts to service and repair police vehicles in 2017. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLive Hawks on the hunt for home affairs official linked to passport fraud The Citizen reports that the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) are searching for an official from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for his involvement in fraud and corruption. Allegedly, 28-year-old Kagiso Ronny Maboa contravened the Immigration Act. Hawks spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi indicated: “He allegedly colluded with a Pakistani mastermind to facilitate that foreign nationals obtain South African passports fraudulently. This was made possible by using South African citizens’ identity details when processing the applications. A warrant for his arrest has been issued, hence he is sought.” Last month, a senior DHA official was dismissed after it emerged that he recommended the permanent stay of self-proclaimed prophet Shepherd Bushiri and his family in SA. The DHA reported that former chief director Ronney Marhule was found guilty of gross dishonesty, gross negligence and non-compliance with the Immigration Act when he recommended issuing the permits to Bushiri’s family, “which they did not deserve”. The department indicated that Marhule had also been charged regarding permanent residence permits issued to two other people, Mohamed Afzal Motiwala and Fatima Ebrahim. Marhule’s dismissal came after a year-long investigation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Faizel Patel at The Citizen. Read too, Home Affairs deports Lithuanian actress for ‘abusing’ SA’s immigration laws, at IOL Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Public Interest SA calls on Public Protector to probe ‘controversial’ IT tender at Office of the Chief Justice Sunday Times Daily reports that public benefit organisation Public Interest SA has written to the Public Protector (PP) requesting an independent probe to establish whether public procurement prescripts were breached during the procurement of IT services by the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ). This came after the Sunday Times revealed that three former top officials from the OCJ, who were crucial in arranging a R225m IT tender to multinational media and technology organisation Thomson Reuters, benefited from the deal. The three were named as former CFO Casper Coetzer, former spokesperson Nathi Mncube and former case management director Yvonne van Niekerk. The three are alleged to have started ZA Square, which is subcontracted to Thomson Reuters. Through their subcontract, they are set to earn 30% of the value of the deal, or at least R67.5m. It is unclear what work they have to perform on the contract. The OCJ issued a statement on Sunday saying it was “gathering all relevant information relating to the matter and seeking legal advice.” It added the following: “At the appropriate time, the OCJ will inform the public on the matter. We can assure the public that the state funds relating to this matter are safe.” However, Public Interest SA said this was not enough. In a letter addressed to the PP, the organisation said the OCJ had failed to commit to anything. It also said that an independent investigation by the PP would not only help further strengthen trust in public institutions, but also vindicate and safeguard inherent public interests in the matter. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Belinda Pheto at Sunday Times Daily. Lees ook, Ondersoek geëis na ‘korruptes’ in hoofregter se kantoor, by Maroela Media
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