This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh and Regiments directors charged in Transnet fraud case Moneyweb reports that former Transnet executives Brian Molefe and Anoj Singh, together with Regiments Capital directors Niven Pillay and Litha Nyhonhya, appeared in the Palm Ridge Specialised Crimes Court in Johannesburg on Monday in connection with fraud and corruption charges at the ports and logistics giant. The group was arraigned on charges stemming from the locomotives transaction advisory tender that was awarded to a McKinsey-led consortium in 2012, resulting in the procurement of 1,064 locomotives worth more than R54bn. Regiments Capital was irregularly brought on board and ended up benefiting from the irregular appointment by Transnet in respect of the contract. Molefe and Singh – the former Group CEO and former CFO of Transnet respectively – and their co-accused were charged with contravening the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and fraud, while Pillay and Nyhonhya are also facing money laundering charges. The four were granted R50,000 bail each with conditions including the handing in of their passports. The NPA also confirmed that the state had issued warrants of arrest for Gupta-linked Salim Essa and Ashok Narayan, both of whom are currently out of the country. The court appearance of Molefe, Singh, Pillay and Nyhonhya followed that of other Transnet executives or executives from state capture-tainted companies, such as Trillian Capital Partners and Albatime Investments, who appeared in court earlier this year on corruption charges. These included another former Transnet Group CEO, Siyabonga Gama, former Transnet CFO and acting group CEO Garry Pita and former Transnet group treasurer Phetolo Ramosebudi. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nondumiso Lehutso at Moneyweb. Read too, Brian Molefe, Anoj Singh and co-accused granted bail after arrests in Transnet fraud case, at Mining Weekly Solidarity welcomes arrest of alleged state capturers Brian Molefe and Anoj Singh Solidarity on Monday welcomed the arrest of Brian Molefe, as well as Anoj Singh, on grounds of alleged corruption at Transnet. The trade union pointed out that the arrests followed the criminal charges that it laid against Molefe and Singh at the Brooklyn Police Station earlier this year. Solidarity said that although the arrests were positive, justice had already been delayed for far too long, and South African citizens deserved immediate action from the SA Police Service (SAPS) and other structures regarding other alleged state capturers. “The absolute injustice of years of corruption and theft cannot continue any longer because of endless delays on the part of our criminal justice system. These cases must continue. This is a very good step in the right direction, but continuous pressure must be exerted on our security services to do their job, and any further dragging of feet will not be tolerated,” commented Solidarity CEO Dr Dirk Hermann. He went on to state: “State capturers have robbed workers of their jobs and future and have stolen taxpayers’ hard-earned money. We cannot allow it that workers’ money is stolen and that the plunderers walk away free with all the money. It is our duty on behalf of our members to help prosecute state capturers.” Read Solidarity’s full press statement in the above regard at Politicsweb. Lees ook, Molefe, Singh se inhegtenisnemings verwelkom deur Solidariteit, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
SA urged to vaccinate as another Covid-19 wave could hit SA within a month TimesLive reports that leading virologist Barry Schoub says SA is not out of the woods yet and should brace itself for another wave of Covid-19 infections. He flagged that the biggest challenge was the low vaccine uptake. “It is very low and we need to increase it quite urgently because we’re not totally out of the woods. I don’t think the concept of herd immunity is realistic,” Schoub warned. He went on to say: “Unfortunately, we will always have the coronavirus. The virus mutates. Certainly we will have another wave, probably at the end of [September]. We hope it will be much milder. People who are not vaccinated should get the jab. Covid-19 is not over.” The national state of disaster was lifted on 5 April after its implementation in March 2020. More than 4-million Covid-19 cases have been reported in the country to date. Shabir Madhi, professor of vaccinology at Wits University, recently tweeted that although extensive immunity evolved against severe Covid-19 infection in SA, it came at a cost of 300,000 deaths with a mortality rate of 500 per 100,000 (among the top 10 globally). Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kgaugelo Masweneng at BusinessLive. Lees ook, Sesde virusgolf dalk op pad, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Transnet wants ‘amicable settlement’ after wage talks collapse and strike certificate is issued BL Premium reports that the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) has threatened to down tools at Transnet if management fails to table a revised offer within the 30-day cooling-off period after a strike certificate was issued. The state-owned freight rail and logistics company, Satawu and the United National Transport Union (Untu) had been in wage negotiations since May and, after three rounds of talks, the parties reached a deadlock which the two unions referred to the Transnet Bargaining Council for resolution. When the dispute resolution process on 24 and 25 August failed to broker a wage agreement, a strike certificate was issued permitting workers to take industrial action. Satawu’s Jack Mazibuko pointed out on Monday that Untu and Satawu kicked off the wage talks with an initial demand for a 13% across-the-board increase, which was later revised to 12% over three years. He said the employer initially tabled a 0% increase, which the unions rejected. The employer then tabled a revised offer of a one-year deal with a 1.5% increase and no back pay. Mazibuko indicated: “If the employer does not table a revised offer during this cooling-off period, we will be left with no other choice but to serve them with a 48-hour strike notice and embark on industrial action.” Untu’s Cobus van Vuuren said embarking on protected industrial action was always a last resort. “However, it is a right that we will exercise unless Transnet provides an offer that is aligned with the increased cost of living, cost of housing, medical costs and, of course, CPI that has increased to 7.8% in August.” Transnet said it remained committed to continuing engagements with Satawu and Untu “to resolve the dispute and reach an amicable settlement”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Unions warn that half a million security guards may strike next month over wage increases Fin24 reports that half a million private security workers may start to strike next month, as unions have not found common ground with employers at wage talks. This warning was issued by Kungwini Amalgamated Workers Union (Kawu) at a press briefing on Monday. The union issued a joint statement together with 28 other unions in the sector. According to an estimate by the unions, 500,000 private security personnel could join their strike. The unions are demanding that employers implement increases of 16.14% in the first year of a three-year deal, with 14.12% in the second year and 12.37% in the third year. They also want assurance that the contributions of employees to the Private Security Sector Provident Fund will not rise beyond 7.5% over the next three years. Employers are apparently offering wage hikes of around 5%. Kawu said that the unions had tabled a proposal to declare a national strike and added: "The employers' continued pessimistic approach is leaving us with no option as leaders of the unions, and we are moving towards having all our private security officers going on a national strike.” The joint statement said that "refusal" by the sector's employers to improve workers' salaries was unacceptable as some security officers were earning less than R6,000. The statement added that workers would be submitting draft picketing rules on Thursday. But on Monday night, Fidelity Services Group CEO Wahl Bartmann denied that there was a deadlock in the ongoing negotiations. He said the parties had agreed to two further dates to continue the wage negotiations, namely on 1 and 12 September. "We are confident that a mutually acceptable collective agreement will be concluded during those meetings as the parties are continuing to engage collaboratively on the various issues," said Bartmann. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
After mediation meetings, drivers slam working relationship with Uber, Bolt as ‘hopeless’ Fin24 reports that Gauteng's e-hailing partner drivers have slammed their working relationship with Uber and Bolt as "hopeless", saying last week's mediation meetings facilitated by the provincial government failed to address their concerns. This is according to a memo drawn up by driver representatives following the meetings. The Gauteng provincial government arranged the meetings between the drivers and Uber and Bolt to address driver concerns, particularly the pricing models of platforms that drivers say do not give them enough income. But, the drivers say they feel stonewalled after the platforms declined all of their demands aimed at boosting drivers' income. Among other demands, the drivers want Uber to lower its commission of 25% on all rides. Failing that, drivers say they will settle for price hikes to boost income. "The GEPCO team did everything possible to highlight the challenges faced by drivers based on experience, supporting evidence and scientific calculations and the deductive analysis of mediation outcomes is further evidence that there is no partnership in place between App companies and Drivers and Owners," the group's leaders indicated in their memo. The memo claimed the relationship between operators and app companies was "hopeless", adding that the time had come to move towards "defined and recognised partnership by transforming the industry". The memo said that while further mediation was set for 26 to 30 October, nothing had so far been achieved, leaving partner drivers reluctant to participate further. It said a mass meeting would be convened in early September to chart the way forward ahead of continued mediation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24
‘Nightmare’ of getting work permits processed is holding back investment and growth, BLSA warns Busi Mavuso, CEO of Business Leadership SA (BLSA), writes that she was frustrated last week to receive a letter from a group of French businesses who collectively employ more than 65,000 South Africans. The letter set out the massive problems the companies have in trying to secure work visas for key personnel – engineers, business controllers and experts needed to run specialised equipment. Many of the firms’ existing senior managers have not been able to get work permits despite submitting all required documentation. They describe it as a “nightmare”, making it impossible for them to manage their businesses and leaving them with little choice but to delay investment and consider relocating their African operations to other countries. Mavuso notes that the problem seems to have arisen since the centralisation of all visa application processing by Home Affairs in Pretoria. “I am told there are backlogs of thousands and only a handful of staff are processing these. It is difficult to understand what the underlying problem is – management failures, xenophobia, or some kind of political dysfunction. Either way it is having catastrophic effects on the ability of business to deal with the skills crisis that is holding back investment and growth,” Mavuso lamented. She advised that she has raised her concerns at senior levels of government. “If we are to turn around our economy, this is a problem that must be addressed as soon as possible.” Read Busi Mavuso’s views on this matter at Moneyweb. Read too, Visa backlog hobbling French business ambitions in South Africa, at Engineering News. And also, Home Affairs visa backlog will hurt SA investments, at City Press (subscriber access only) Experts warn SA not keeping up with exodus of experienced teachers due to retirement The Citizen reports that SA’s education system is facing a crisis due to the retirement over the next 10 years of its most experienced teachers – and this will make the country’s current dire skill shortages even worse. And it will be almost impossible to fill that knowledge and skills gap because current teaching programmes, especially distance learning, are compromising the quality of teachers coming into the system. CEO at the Institute of Risk Management SA (IRMSA) Pat Semenya said SA was simply not keeping up because when the exodus occurred, it would help create another significant hurdle to the overall economic growth and recovery. The IRMSA’s 2022 Risk Report paints a picture of the dire situation, noting that “due to national policy and curriculum misalignments, limited focus on skills that are and will be in demand and poor adoption of digitalisation, SA does not have the skills it needs at the time that it needs them”. The report explains how there is not enough focus on these deeply ingrained structural issues in the skills economy and the failure to address these issues will result in economic collapse. Semenya also said structural issues could not be dealt with by thinking in the short term, as the key to tackling the skills shortage lay in sustainable solutions. However, Department of Basic Education spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga insisted there was no crisis whatsoever, saying the department had planned for teacher recruitment and training using a whole range of measures. “Ten years ago, the crisis was predicted to happen in 10 years’ time and where we stand now we have more teachers than we can employ. The department has recruitment strategies that enable it to continue to attract teachers that should keep the system going,” he claimed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Reitumetse Makwea at The Citizen (subscriber access only)
Labour caucus at Tembisa Hospital rejects suspension of CEO TimesLive reports that the institutional labour caucus (ILC) at Tembisa Hospital has rejected the precautionary suspension of CEO Dr Ashley Mthunzi. The caucus comprises shop stewards of the Public Servants Association and National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union. On Friday, the Gauteng government said it had placed Mthunzi and Gauteng health department CFO Lerato Madyo on precautionary suspension to ensure they did not impede an investigation into allegations of improper procurement and payment of service providers at the hospital. However, the ILC indicated on Monday: “The suspension of Dr Ashley Mthunzi was implemented on the back of our demand to meet the premier regarding attacks on the person of the CEO and the hospital. We also wished to discuss the deliberate silence of the head of department (HOD) Dr Nomonde Nolutshungo and the [health] MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi on media reports assassinating the character of the CEO.” The ILC said it had written to Makhura seeking a meeting on the issue and in the letter “we warned him against taking any drastic decision on the CEO matter. But, instead, he issued a media statement to place the CEO, Dr Mthunzi, on precautionary suspension pending an investigation. The ILC rejects this suspension with the contempt it deserves.” The ILC said Makhura had undermined organised labour and the rule of law because a CEO of a hospital was appointed by and reported to the office of the HOD and not the premier. The ILC called on the department to engage labour on this issue. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLive
Director-general in office of KwaZulu-Natal premier arrested for allegedly threatening Mhlathuze Water into stopping probe of financial irregularities TimesLive reports that the Director-General in the KwaZulu-Natal premier’s office, Nonhlanhla Mkhize, has been arrested on allegations of defeating the ends of justice and intimidation for allegedly threatening Mhlathuze Water and demanding that it stop an investigation into financial irregularities. Hawks spokesperson Brig Thandi Mbambo said Mkhize was arrested at her home on Monday after an investigation by the national clean audit task team. An accomplice was also arrested. After the chairperson of Mhlathuze Water board reported allegations of the irregular appointment of service providers the supply chain management protocols of the board having been followed, an investigation was launched and a forensic report was compiled. The report implicated some senior officials in irregularities that resulted in Mhlathuze Water being prejudiced by an amount of about R37m. Mbambo reported that the chairperson of the Mhlathuze Water board allegedly received a visit from an unknown person at her home claiming to be from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and to have been sent by the senior manager in the premier’s office. “The individual [allegedly] threatened the chairperson with arrest and demanded the forensic report. He further insisted that the complainant must stop the investigation.” It later emerged that the person was not from the NIA and that he was in cahoots with people of interest implicated in the investigation. Mbambo said more arrests were imminent. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nivashni Nair at BusinessLive. Read too, Net to spread wider after arrest of director-general in KZN premier’s office, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
DPSA not in a position to put measures in place to prevent public servants from applying for and receiving social grants Cape Times reports that according to Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) Acting Minister Thulas Nxesi, his department is not in a position to put measures in place to prevent public servants from applying for and receiving any grants that they are not entitled to. Nxesi was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Mimmy Gondwe, who asked about interventions the department has put in place to prevent public servants from unlawfully applying for and receiving any social grants. In his written response, Nxesi said the DPSA did not have a mandate over the management of any grants. He pointed out that the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) and other grant-providing government institutions managed grants through the use of systems that ran independently from that of the DPSA. “The DPSA, therefore, has no mandate to interfere in the operations of any grant-providing government institutions and cannot put measures in place to prevent public servants from applying for and receiving any grants that they are not entitled to,” the minister advised. However, Nxesi added that after discovering that there were public servants who were applying for and receiving grants, the DPSA had offered assistance to Sassa to identify applicants who were public service employees by comparing the applicants against the Personnel Salary System (Persal). Nxesi also said the DPSA, through its Technical Assistance Unit, had compiled a list of public servants who were suspected to have applied and received grants for investigation through the Fusion Centre. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mayibongwe Maqhina at Cape Times
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