In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Security guards killed annually in South Africa could total as many as 600 The Citizen reports that security guards, the first line of defence for many South Africans, have come under increasing attack, with up to 300 security guards apparently killed in the line of duty annually. But, the Association of Private Security Owners of SA (Taptosa) is convinced the number could be as high as 600, as many additional cases are not recorded as deaths on duty. Industry role players have also lamented that though the private security industry was the biggest after mining, there was scant regard to the industry, which has seen the mushrooming of exploitative and unscrupulous companies. According to Taptosa, the industry regulator, namely the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA), relied on private security companies for information on employees killed while on duty, but said this data was first sanitised to conceal non-compliance. Incidents of non-compliance include hiring foreign nationals and arming guards with firearms without competency certificates. Lebo Nare, Taptosa deputy president, said despite being the biggest industry after mining, the private security industry was probably also the most unscrupulous and exploitative, due to the lack of focus on the industry. He said the industry was twice the size of the SA National Defence Force and the SA Police Service combined, with government being the biggest consumer of private security services, but said it was the most overlooked. SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union shop steward Hamilton Ntonga said companies would go to any length to protect themselves from taking responsibility, sacrificing their own employees. “The security industry is rotten to the core and nobody cares. For instance, there is a grueling twelve hour shift, and it takes you about two hours to get to work, with paltry monthly salary of R5 500. Many do not even have guardrooms,” Ntonga claimed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipho Mabena at The Citizen (subscriber access only) ‘Armed’ with coffee and blankets, Khayelitsha residents guard Eskom employees doing repair work TimesLive reports that last Thursday, Khayelitsha Site B residents came out in numbers to guard Eskom employees who were repairing a transformer after it exploded that morning. Eskom employees have come under attack from alleged gangsters who demand protection fees while they repair critical infrastructure. Babalwa Mabuya, who has lived in Site BW Section for more than 25 years, lamented that crime had increased in the area. By the time Eskom employees arrived on Thursday, Mabuya and her five friends had gathered the community to offer protection. “When the Eskom employees told us they fear for their safety, we told them not to worry as we would protect them and we continued gathering more community members using a loud hailer. Everyone participated. Those with gas stoves boiled water and made coffee for everyone and the Somalian shopkeepers provided bread and cold drinks,” she indicated. “The community members had no weapons. They used their bodies as shields and protected Eskom employees until 11pm,” said ward 90 councillor Lukhanyo Simangweni. In July, Eskom withdrew services from a nearby suburb, Harare in Khayelitsha, with immediate effect after workers were asked by alleged gangsters to pay a protection fee of R20,000. Eskom’s Mbulelo Yedwa said the decision to pull workers out of the area was made to protect their employees while discussions were held with community leaders and business forums to find solutions to resolve the matter. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLive Eskom withdraws technicians from Mabopane, Winterveldt because of threats and attacks SowetanLive reports that as Eskom withdraws its technicians from certain areas in Tshwane because of threats and attacks on them, sections of Mabopane and Winterveldt have been left to live in darkness for months. A section of Mabopane has been without power for about three months, allegedly because of illegal connections at an adjacent informal settlement that often cause blackouts that affect people in formal houses. The problem has been persisting for more than a year. Eskom spokesperson Amanda Qithi said there had been several incidents on their employees whenever they went to Mabopane and Winterveldt and that the power utility resorted to hiring private security guards, but they also got attacked. A guard was shot last month while escorting technicians, leading to them withdrawing their services following a risk assessment. "This is the third incident where their employees get attacked and robbed while performing their duties. Most concerning and disappointing is that members of the community have mobilised and threatened our technicians while conducting repairs on site. Service in Winterveldt has also been withdrawn since June, due to the area being declared unsafe for operations," said Qithi. Eskom Gauteng safety, health, environment, risk and quality manager Kith Maitisa said the attacks on their employees were very concerning. He explained that Eskom had no choice but to withdraw its services from communities where its employees were threatened and their safety was compromised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Keletso Makhwanazi at SowetanLive
Employers in motor manufacturing industry offer Numsa three-year deal with inflation-based pay increases BL Premium reports that employers in the automotive sector have offered unions a multi-term wage agreement for increases of up to 6.2%, but a pay-hike deal has yet to be hammered out. More talks scheduled for next week. The Automobile Manufacturers Employers Organisation (Ameo), the employer body representing Toyota Motors SA, Nissan, Isuzu, Ford, VW SA, BMW SA and Mercedes-Benz, has reportedly proposed increases of 6.2% in the first year, 5.6% in year two and 4.7% in the final year of a three-year deal. But according to Irvin Jim, general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), the sector could absorb the union’s “justified” demand for a one-year 20% wage increase. The SA Reserve Bank (Sarb) has forecast headline inflation of 6.5% for 2022. Workers in the sector had not earned an increase in the last two years due to Covid-19 and the shortage of semiconductors, said Jim. “Therefore, when you include all this and the extremely high cost of living, our demands are entirely justified.” Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola said on Monday that parties had not “moved much” from their positions. “There are engagements that are happening between ourselves and auto employers. We will be meeting again on August 15, 16 and 17. We will engage in the national bargaining forum. We would prefer to comment after that engagement,” she indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Grade R teachers march in Cape Town for permanent jobs Cape Times reports that Grade R teachers from various schools in the Western Cape took to the streets of Cape Town on Tuesday over permanent employment issues. The teachers, some of whom have been teaching in the foundation phase for many years, were joined by the Grade R Crisis Committee to hand over their memo of grievances to the provincial legislature. Committee chairperson, Somikazi Mtya said their first march had been in July, but there had been no response. Their next action would be determined by the Western Cape Education’s (WCED) response, Mtya said. Noting that about 95% of Grade R teachers were women, Mtya explained that it was important for them to use Women’s Day “to voice out our cries”. Mtya added: “Not one positive implementation (has taken place) in the last 10 years. We want a retirement fund for those teachers who retired after the promised permanency. We also want Grade R to be compulsory, as the CAPS document starts from Grade R.” Rashida Lewis has been a Grade R teacher for the past 13 years and remains hopeful that one day she will be permanently employed. Another teacher, Ruwayda Jones, who has been in the sector for nearly two decades said every year they left work in fear because they were on contracts. Education MEC David Maynier indicated: “Unfortunately, the national government does not consider Grade R to be a compulsory school year, and as such does not fund provincial governments to provide it. The practitioners are marching to the wrong sphere of government, they should be calling on the national government to provide the necessary funding for us to provide posts to Grade R teachers.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Okuhle Hlati at Cape Times Operation Dudula targets Cape Town employers who employ foreign staff TimesLive reports that Operation Dudula members marched to shops and filling stations in Cape Town on Wednesday, demanding that they should get rid of their foreign staff. Unemployed youth joined about 200 Operation Dudula members who demanded jobs for them in Kraaifontein. The group handed CVs of unemployed South Africans to the workplaces and demanded that they be employed within seven days. Daniswa Jaxa, secretary of the Kraaifontein branch, confirmed that the movement had handed CVs to six companies. Jaxa waxed lyrical about a “post-foreign employee era”. “The companies welcomed us and signed our memorandum of demands,” she claimed and went on to say: “People are getting agitated. On the 19th, we are heading to the Strand. Foreigners must be kicked out of those jobs and return to their countries to fix their economies. Our children need jobs.” Jaxa said the movement was not targeting doctors. “We are talking about cashiers, petrol attendants, security guards, construction workers ... We are fighting for jobs that are meant for us,” she asserted. Operation Dudula apparently has branches in Fish Hoek, Kraaifontein, Stellenbosch, Strand, Mfuleni, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, and Nyanga. Last week it launched another branch in Paarl. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Philani Nombembe at TimesLive
Residents of Borwa in the West Rand go on the rampage looking for illegal miners, hurl stones and bottles at police News24 reports that police used pepper spray and fired rubber bullets on Wednesday to prevent the residents of Borwa, a newly developed community on Gauteng's West Rand, from crossing over Jan Blignaut Road to an area where they claimed illegal miners were hiding. Residents, who barricaded the road that runs from Westonaria to the N12 with burning tree branches and tyres, complained that illegal miners operating from a nearby mine dump were "terrorising" them. Thembi Xuli, who was among those who threw stones at the police, stated: "We want to go [to the mine dump]. The police have taken sides with the illegal miners. Why are they stopping us? Why are they protecting them? Those people are victimising us. We are tired. We want them out." Xuli said residents wouldn't stop their protest until the illegal miners were gone. She accused the police of being nowhere to be seen when the community reported crimes that had been allegedly committed by the illegal miners. A community leader, Paseka Ndlovu, vowed they would continue their protest, saying they had delivered a memorandum to the Westonaria police station. He said they had established that the illegal miners had migrated from Mohlakeng, Kagiso, Bekkersdal and Krugersdorp. "We demand the police's assistance to fight illegal miners,” Ndlovu stressed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
With twenty-four of the 48 claims finalised, Marikana litigation will be wrapped up by month-end, says solicitor-general TimesLive reports that solicitor-general Fhedzisani Pandelani says the litigation between the state and victims of the Marikana massacre will be finalised by the end of the month. Pandelani was commenting at a progress report on Wednesday at the Ronnie Mamoepa Media Centre in Pretoria. He said of the 48 claims, half had been finalised, and he believed that by the end of the month more would have been concluded. He expressed regret about the litigation taking as long as it did and said this matter had resulted in the creation of five new policies which would ensure no future state litigation would take so long. Pandelani advised that there was no dispute about the causation and merits before court and all 48 cases were eligible for some sort of settlement. “[The cases] remaining relate to quantum. These cases are divided into general damages, which is pain and suffering, and special damages, which is the loss of income by someone who is alive, as well as medical expenses and related aspects.” Apart from special damages and personal injuries, the state has paid just under R76m to 35 families of those killed during the massacre. One survivor was paid just under R3.5m in damages. Pandelani stressed that he was referring only to cases against the state and that there were other claims, some against the Marikana mine and some against the president, and he could not speak about those. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Patrick at TimesLive. Read too, Outstanding Marikana matters set for completion by month-end, at Mining Weekly. En ook, Eise ná Marikana-slagting amper afgehandel, by Maroela Media Payment of over R170m to Marikana victims said to be ‘a small token to the bigger problem’ The Citizen writes that there is still a feeling of justice denied to the victims and families of the tragic Marikana massacre, which cost the lives of 34 miners, days before the 10th anniversary of the incident. Solicitor-General Fhedzisani Pandelani gave an update on Wednesday on progress made on Marikana-related litigation. “Forty-eight matters are remaining but none were due to a loss of support. All of those matters were dealt with in August 2021,” he advised. Pandelani said the 48 matters referred to personal injuries and those sent for medical evaluation, of which half had been settled. He added that other matters were undergoing discussions in court to settle before the end of this month. Dr Witness Maluleke of the department of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Limpopo commented that the Marikana anniversary was an insult to the lost souls. He said a mere taking of responsibility remained a farfetched dream. “The payment of over R170 million to these victims is a small token to the bigger problem. This is a serious continuing misery and pain. The heavily commented issues relating to social justice accessibility, impartiality and fairness remained ineffective as the 300 survivors are still waiting for financial compensation,” he said. According to Maluleke, the 10th anniversary brings “a cloud of no confidence towards all relevant stakeholders to establish what exactly happened on the said day and find suitable ways to accommodate affected indirect and direct victims, including families and survivors.” 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
Vital Labour Court case on Numsa’s future postponed to 19 August GroundUp reports that Ruth Ntlokotse’s application in the Labour Court in Johannesburg against the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), its general secretary Irvin Jim, and its president Andrew Chirwa, which was to have been heard on 5 August, has been postponed to 19 August. A full day has been set aside for the court to hear the matter. Ntlokotse, a former Numsa office bearer, is seeking a contempt order against Jim and Chirwa and for Jim to be arrested. She is also asking the court to set aside the union’s recent congress and elections. It is Ntlokotse’s contention that the union has not been in compliance with its own constitution. According to a press statement from Ntlokotse’s attorneys, the union has undertaken to hold off on suspending any union members, or effecting any changes to its constitution until the matter has been heard. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by James Stent at GroundUp. Read too, It’s Ruth Ntlokotse versus Irvin Jim in court, at GroundUp
Nedbank has cut one in four branches and 16% of full-time staff since 2015 Moneyweb reports that Nedbank has cut a quarter of its branches (25%), or 140 outlets, since 2015. To offset the branch closures, the bank continues to grow its in-store footprint, chiefly with partner Boxer. It now has 120 of these smaller points-of-presence within supermarkets, up 28% since 2015. So far this year, it has closed six branches and seven in-retailer outlets and opened no new branches. It says this reduction has not affected its “coverage of the bankable population in SA, which remains around 85%, in line with that of the industry”. Along with the optimised (in other words shrinking) footprint, Nedbank has steadily cut the number of full-time staff across the bank. The number of employees is down by nearly 5,000 (or 16%) from the 2015 number. The bulk – nearly 3,000 staff – were cut since 2019 (representing a 10% decrease). In the past year, the bank says the decline in permanent employees was mainly through natural attrition. Nedbank isn’t only optimising its retail branch network. Over the past four years, it has cut the number of campus sites (offices) from 31 to 24. It has a longer-term target of 19. Nedbank says it will “continue to optimise the portfolio by enhancing workstation use through enabling flexible office constructs to support more dynamic ways of work, as well as leveraging successful work-from-home experiences as a result of Covid-19.” It anticipates a workforce distribution model of 50% full-time on premises, 30% hybrid and 20% permanently off-site. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Moneyweb
Tongaat seeks to claw back half a billion in salaries, perks and fines from former CEO and other executives Fin24 reports that Tongaat Hulett is seeking almost half a billion rand in civil claims from a group of former executives of the JSE-listed company. This is outlined in papers before the Pietermaritzburg High court where the company is chasing its former management team to recover, cumulatively, about R462 million. Included in this amount is $8.7 million (about R144 million) which Tongaat Hulett’s Zimbabwean subsidiaries, Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle Limited, lost allegedly through sugar price manipulation and "fake sales" and discounting to generate cash flow for the holding company. The company blames former CEO Peter Staude, former CFO Murray Munro and former finance executive Sean Slabbert for this. It is also suing the three men for salaries, bonuses and perks they received while employed. It is seeking judgment against Staude for about R100 million for salaries, fixed contract remuneration, pension and medical aid contributions and bonuses, about R45 million from Munro and R25 million from Slabbert. In a separate court action, the company is suing former head of Tongaat Hulett Development (THD) Mike Deighton for about R76.6 million. This amount is made up of his salary, bonuses and perks between 2015 and 2018, and actual losses the company incurred through what it alleges were underhanded property deals. Deighton, Munro and Staude, and others, have also been charged with racketeering and fraud relating to 69 purchase and sale agreements involving R3.5 billion. Slabbert has not been charged criminally. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tania Broughton at Fin24 (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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