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 Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Strike-hit Transnet declares force majeure at its ports BL Premium reports that logistics utility Transnet declared force majeure at its ports on Thursday, as workers began an open-ended strike over wages. “This serves as a formal declaration by Transnet Port Terminals ... of the occurrence of an event of force majeure to all our customers following the strike action declared by the two recognised unions within Transnet,” it said in a statement signed by the port subsidiary’s CEO, Jabu Mdaki. Speaking at a mining conference in Johannesburg, Transnet group CEO Portia Derby said “what we are hoping is that we will be able to reach an agreement sooner rather than later, without us having to buckle”. The United National Transport Union (Untu) and the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), which together represent most of Transnet workers, this week turned down Transnet’s offer of a wage rise of 3%-4%, saying it was below the annual inflation rate, which was 7.6% in August. The unions want an increase of 12% (Untu) and 13.5% (Satawu). Untu members began a strike on Thursday and Satawu said it would join in on Monday. According to Transnet, the strike is illegal and unions have not followed rules set down in labour law. It questioned the balloting processes used to approve the strike and said no picketing rules had been agreed by the company and striking workers, as required by law. Both unions rejected Transnet’s charges, saying they had given the required 48-hour strike notice. All parties have agreed to mediation by the CCMA. But, the unions said further talks, which are due to start on 12 October, will not affect strike plans. For its part, Transnet said it was taking steps to obtain an urgent court interdict against the strikes. It also said it has implemented contingency plans and additional safety measures at all affected facilities in Durban and Richards Bay. The principle of no work no pay will be enforced,” the utility’s spokesperson advised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mary Papayya & Thando Maeko at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Union members down tools as Transnet maintains strike is illegal, at Fin24. And also, Transnet declares force majeure at ports over strike, at Fin24 Transnet employees in KZN block roads on Thursday, as wage talks reach stalemate TimesLive reports that chaos erupted at the Richards Bay port on Thursday as Transnet workers downed tools and embarked on protests over failed wage talks. Teargas and stun grenades were fired by police when they attempted to disperse hundreds of employees who blockaded the road near gate E of the port. Mounds of rubble, debris and even cement were strewn across the road as workers vented their frustration. Protests began shortly after midnight in Empangeni and spilt over into Richards Bay after eight hours of robust wage negotiations between the United National Transport Union (Untu) and management ended in a stalemate on Wednesday. Transnet is offering a 3% increase. In a statement on Thursday the union said management had not provided a revised offer to meet their mandate from members to match inflation, which was 7.6% in August. At least two people were arrested during Thursday’s protests in Richards Bay. Transnet spokesperson Ayanda Shezi indicated: “Transnet’s primary focus remains to avoid mass industrial action as this will have a profound impact on economic activity across all sectors and urges workers to consider the long-term consequences of the strike on themselves, their colleagues, their families and the SA economy.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Orrin Singh at TimesLive Transnet tightens security as ‘illegal strike’ goes ahead Moneyweb reports that Transnet says it has implemented additional safety measures to protect non-striking employees and its facilities in preparations for mass industrial action planned by unions over the next few days. The looming strike action comes after the state-owned rail, port and pipeline entity failed to come to a wage agreement with the United National Transport Union (Untu) and the SA Transport Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), which are demanding increases of 12% and 13.5%, respectively. According to Transnet, “its revised offer is reasonable and fair, and deserves serious consideration given the company’s current operational and financial performance.” In addition to the wage increase, Transnet is also offering an ex gratia payment of R5,000 (before tax) to all employees, a basic salary 13th cheque, leave provisions and overtime where applicable. Transnet’s statement specifically singled out Untu, saying that the union – which served Transnet with a strike notice on Monday – did not follow “the prescripts as set down in the Labour Relations Act prior to embarking on strike.” However, in a statement issued on Wednesday night, following a meeting with Transnet, Untu accused Transnet management of refusing to settle picketing rules in preparation for Thursday’s strike, forcing the union to stage a stay-away instead. Untu’s Cobus van Vuuren trashed Transnet’s assertion that the strike was illegal, saying that the group’s actions of delaying settling on picketing rules was just another way to delay members from exercising their right to express their dissatisfaction with the employer, in line with the LRA. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Akhona Matshoba at Moneyweb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Two teachers’ unions reluctantly agree to government’s 3% wage increase offer GroundUp reports that two teachers’ unions have accepted the government’s revised 3% wage increase offer to public servants. The SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) and the National Professional Teachers Organisation of SA (Naptosa) have both accepted. “It’s not what we wanted at all, we are not happy, but our members have made it clear that we must sign the offer. It’s better than getting nothing,” said Sadtu’s Nomusa Cembi. He indicated that Sadtu would not join a strike on the issue. Naptosa’s Basil Manuel said that he felt the unions had reached the end of the road with the wage negotiations. “Our members agree that this 3% wage increase is an insult, but we also feel like we cannot get more. Our members also made it clear that they will not go on strike. Learners have already been seriously affected by the Covid pandemic, so going on industrial action just before the final school exams would be very selfish. We will not negotiate for more, we are signing the offer,” Manuel indicated. The negotiations with government deadlocked over four weeks ago and many unions have vowed to go on strike. The government is offering a 3% pensionable increase across the board, and the continuation of the current cash allowance of R1,000 at all salary levels. Some other public service unions, including Popcru and Nupsaw, have rejected the 3% offer and have threatened to go on strike. The Public Servants Association (PSA) said it rejected the wage offer as it did not take into account the rising cost of living. If nothing changed, the union said it would strike next week. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chris Gilili at GroundUp
Denosa calls for staff to be relocated amid safety fears at Thanduxolo Clinic in Motherwell IOL reports that the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) has called for healthcare workers at the Thanduxolo Clinic to be relocated amid fears for their safety. This as members of the community in Motherwell demanded the reopening of the clinic after the death of 15-year-old Zenixole Vena. She was reportedly raped and assaulted by unknown men, but was then allegedly “chased away” by clinic staff. Eastern Cape Denosa provincial secretary, Veli Sinqana, said they were aware of the calls from the community members and the closing of the health facility was against health service deliveries. “The relocation we are referring to is for temporary measures, so that the community and the department can amend the situation and make it amicable,’’ Sinqana explained. He added that they were protecting employees, hence the call for the department to pay attention to the matter before it got out of hand. He also gave clarification about the reports that were circulating widely on social media that the young Vena had been chased away by the staff clinic by saying: “A patient is not chased away, instead it is referred, and there are more protocols that need to be followed. We need to have a proper investigation as to what really transpired and to use the term such as ‘chased away’ sounds harsh.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sibuliso Duba at IOL Other internet posting(s) in this news category
NUM signs three-year wage deal with Ergo Mining Mining Weekly reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has signed a three-year wage agreement with gold miner DRDGold’s surface retreatment entity Ergo Mining, effective 1 July 2022. Category four to five employees will receive a 9.5% increase and category six to nine employees an 8% increase, while category 10 to 15 employees will receive a 6.5% increase, in years one, two and three, respectively. The living-out allowance will increase by R150 to R3,150 a month from 1 July this year, and by a further R150 on 1 July 2023, and 1 July 2024, respectively. A home ownership allowance will also be paid to qualifying employees. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at Mining Weekly Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Eskom needs new talent, says De Ruyter as he denies overstaffing BL Premium reports that Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has dismissed the notion that the power utility has too many employees, saying that many staff members worked “extraordinary hours” to repair breakdowns. Instead of focusing on decreasing the workforce, De Ruyter said there was a “desperate” need to fill the employee pipeline with new talent. “We need to train new people to take over [from an ageing workforce],” he said in his remarks at the Joburg Indaba mining conference in Johannesburg on Thursday. De Ruyter noted that critics of Eskom staff numbers often cited a 2016 World Bank report that said the power company was vastly overstaffed, which was one of the reasons for its financial troubles. At the time, the utility employed about 47,600 workers. Eskom cut employee numbers to about 42,700 (by March 2021), but this was still 30% more than it had 20 years ago. It advised in its integrated report for 2020/2021 that it was targeting a group headcount of 40,263 by the 2026 financial year to help “contain costs and build a more sustainable organisation”. De Ruyter defended the number of people employed at the utility and their right to fair wage increases. Earlier this year Eskom agreed to a 7% across-the-board pay rise for all employees covered in the central bargaining forum from July 2022 to June 2023. In 2021, Eskom unilaterally implemented a 1.5% pay increase, but the CCMA recently awarded employees a further 1.5%, backdated to July 2021. The utility’s employee costs for 2020/2021 were about R33bn (including remuneration and benefits paid to all employees) and the 7% increase awarded earlier this year added about R1bn to the wage bill. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Denene Erasmus at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) At least five Eskom employees placed on suspension for sabotage Mail & Guardian reports that Eskom identified at least five employees in its latest sabotage investigation which began in May. A source in the utility’s investigation team confirmed that Eskom has placed them on suspension for sabotage. The team found evidence against employees of theft of plant equipment, which led to the shutting down of systems, causing unplanned load-shedding. The source added that Eskom was looking into cases of sabotage by its employees, including senior officials, who broke the utility’s equipment to get new contracts or contract extensions. “What is prevalent in the investigation is that these thieves are not new to Eskom, they are hired through contractors to come and study the systems and are able to then steal the equipment. We have a case of someone who was a contractor, then hired by Eskom again to work as an employee through a new identity who is fingered in the investigation,” he stated. Eskom has been struggling with instances of sabotage and crime for years, which have shown little sign of slowing down. These problems include valves being installed incorrectly, and other actions that had caused repeated delays in getting the power stations online. A senior official at Eskom said the utility’s move to increase security at its power stations and employ new technology to monitor its sites had proven to be futile because sabotage incidents continued. “Security and intelligence officials have had limited success in capturing the suspects. Crime syndicates are active and have been implicated in cable theft in the past. However, the increased incidents prove that there are more planned events in place as the security companies employed seem to be part of the syndicates,” he claimed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mandisa Nyathi at Mail & Guardian (subscriber access only)
Richards Bay municipality denies it hired a top official with fake qualifications IOL reports that the City of Mhlathuze (Richards Bay) in northern KwaZulu-Natal has denied allegations that it recently hired a top official without vetting the qualifications he presented. The official heads one of the critical departments in the municipality. The allegations about the official’s qualifications were sparked by an email from a person purporting to be a whistleblower within the municipality. In the email, it was claimed that the official presented a Unisa qualification which did not have a certificate number. Further, it was alleged that the municipality failed to conduct a basic check as the certified copy had a police stamp dated 2017. Part of the email reads: “I have noted with concern that there are still municipalities which employ unqualified people in senior positions whereas people are having serious issues with water and electricity. […] The municipality appointed the HOS (Head of Section) based on the attached fraudulent qualification with no certificate number.” However, the municipality’s spokesperson Bongani Gina asserted that the official was vetted. He indicated: “As the municipality we can confirm that Mr **** was verified through an accredited and professional vetting and verification company through the City of uMhlathuze HR department and was found to be positive and legal (recognised). According to the personal credential verification report, Mr ****’s qualification was done at Unisa in 2007 and completed. In fact, the report shows that he went further to do other tertiary post-graduate qualifications in Mancosa and completed it in 2013.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sihle Mavuso at IOL
Twelve Public Works officials in hot water over failure to subject themselves to lifestyle audits Cape Times reports that twelve officials in the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPW&I) are in hot water after they failed to subject themselves to lifestyle audits. This emerged from DPW&I Minister Minister Patricia de Lille’s response to parliamentary questions from IFP MP Sanele Zondo, who had asked about the outcomes of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) lifestyle audits of senior officials in her department. De Lille said the final report was being compiled for the Phase One SIU lifestyle audit project, which focused on senior management personnel such as the director-general, deputy directors-general, chief directors and chief financial officers. She advised that 66 of the department’s senior management personnel had been subjected to lifestyle audits and that the draft reports were currently being reviewed, and follow-up areas were being identified. De Lille also said several people had been red-flagged and these red flags were being followed up to ensure a fair evaluation of the possible risk. “Of great concern is that 11 officials did not submit any of the requested documentation whilst another one submitted their documents after the final SIU deadline, meaning that 12 officials did not comply and could not be assessed,” she reported. “They will be dealt with in line with the Public Works and Infrastructure disciplinary policy, referred for further investigation and reported to the Department of Public Service and Administration per the lifestyle audit procedure,” De Lille indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mayibongwe Maqhina at Cape Times
City Press journalist's suspension lifted as misconduct couldn't be established TimesLive reports that one of two journalists suspended by City Press on 30 August pending the completion of a disciplinary investigation has returned to work. The pair was apparently placed on suspension for allegedly trying to extort money from a person they were writing a story about. But in a letter dated 6 October, the Media24HR manager advised one of the reporters that misconduct could not be confirmed after an internal investigation into the matter. The letter stated that the reporter's suspension was lifted as of Thursday and that he could enter the work premises, report for duty and continue with the company business. The reporter’s access to internal email platforms was restored and his access card and other company equipment returned to him. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLive Gordhan disputes allegation made by director-general about reason for suspension TimesLive reports that Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) Minister Pravin Gordhan has denied allegations made by his suspended Director-General Kgathatso Tlhakudi in the latter’s Labour Court bid to be reinstated. Tlhakudi was placed on precautionary suspension pending a disciplinary hearing. This came after a whistle-blower allegation was made regarding his conduct in the process of appointing a security manager at the department. The suspension, at the instruction of justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola, was announced by the DPE on Friday. The disciplinary hearing has not yet commenced. In his application, Tlhakudi accused Gordhan of unlawfully removing him from his position. Tlhakudi asserted that this was because he was an obstacle to a programme involving the sale of SAA. “The allegations, which are disputed, are most unfortunate and it is essential that due process take its course. Minister Gordhan welcomes the opportunity to submit his own affidavit to the labour court where the matter will be properly ventilated,” the DPE indicated in a statement. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLive
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