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 Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Government plays down PSA’s industrial action planned for Thursday BL Premium reports that the government claims service delivery won’t be disrupted when the Public Servants Association (PSA), which represents more than 235,000 members, downs tools countrywide on Thursday. The PSA’s Reuben Maleka said the union would hold marches in the Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and the Free State, with a march to parliament planned for Cape Town. The one-day strike comes after Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) Acting Minister Thulas Nxesi unilaterally implemented a 3% baseline wage increase in October, which is expected to be paid to all qualifying public servants starting next week. DPSA spokesperson Moses Mushi indicated: “The action PSA wants to take is limited to lunchtime and tea-break; any work stoppage will be unlawful and the principle of no work no pay will apply, so we don’t envisage any service delivery disruptions [as] only members of the PSA are allowed to picket. It’s a normal working day. We’re not expecting service delivery disruptions ... we expect public servants to be at their work stations during working hours.” Yet, the PSA said in a statement: “The strike will have a serious impact on activities of departments, especially home affairs, transport, and border control.” Maleka insisted that Thursday’s industrial action would have a “huge impact” on the government’s service delivery efforts as the “ports of entry won’t be operational”, among other services. Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) general secretary Frikkie de Bruin said in a statement: “To date, we have received a strike notice only from the PSA. The PSA commenced with workplace picketing as per the picketing rules issued that will culminate in a one-day strike action planned for November 10 2022.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Public service strike is on, says union, as government expects business as usual on Thursday, at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Four security officers injured as robbers blow up cash-in-transit van on N4 in Gauteng TimesLive reports that four security officers were injured in a cash-in-transit van heist on the N4 in Gauteng on Wednesday. Kyle van Reenen of Emer-G-Med said paramedics responded to the scene near Simon Vermooten Road and found “chaos”. “Multiple security vehicles lay strewn across the roadway, with the cash van having been blown up by suspects. The four security officers sustained moderate injuries and were treated and stabilised before being taken to a nearby hospital for further care,” he reported. A police spokesperson said a cash delivery truck and its escort vehicle were driving along the N4 when they came under attack by suspects travelling in multiple vehicles. Both the escort vehicle and the cash truck collided with the suspects' vehicles. The escort vehicle reportedly overturned and two security guards were injured in the process. The driver of the cash truck and his crew member also sustained injuries from the impact. The suspects robbed the security guards of their weapons before fleeing with an undisclosed amount of money. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Orrin Singh at TimesLive. Read too, Chaos on the N4 highway as cash-in-transit heists unfolds, at IOL. En ook, ‘Chaos’ ná transitoroof op N4, by Maroela Media Labour department denies unroadworthy car allegations after employee dies in horror crash in Eastern Cape News24 reports that the Eastern Cape Department of Employment and Labour has vehemently denied that it's putting staff in danger by making them drive unsafe, unroadworthy "death traps". The claim was made during the recent funeral service of departmental employee and well-known Eastern Cape poet Siphelo "Nqontsonqa" Dyongman, who died tragically in a head-on collision last month. The 33-year-old was killed when the VW Polo he was driving slammed into a heavy-duty truck on the Kei Cuttings - a dangerous mountain pass with sharp curves on the N2, outside Butterworth. He was heading home after a five-day training course in Mthatha. Dyongman had been working as a clerk at the department’s Graaff Reinet office. Paying tribute to Dyongman during the funeral service, his friend and colleague Lusiba Sobekwa told mourners that the bulk of the department's fleet was unroadworthy. He made the startling remarks in the presence of the department’s chief operations director, Nomfundo Douw-Jack. She later asserted that "the car driven by the late Mr Dyongman was roadworthy" and also dismissed Sobekwa’s claims that the bulk of the department's fleet was unroadworthy and unsafe. Transport and safety department spokesperson Makhaya Komisa said a case of culpable homicide had been opened at Kei Bridge SAPS for further investigation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Malibongwe Dayimani at News24
Numsa signs three-year wage deal with tyre industry employers EWN reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has signed a three-year wage deal with employers in the tyre industry. It accepted a 7.5% increase for the first year and a reduced adjustment of 6% for the two years that will follow. "The agreement was signed at the end of October and it will be backdated. What this means is that workers will be paid the backdated portion depending on when the payment cycle in the company is implemented, for example, if you are paid monthly the backdated amount will be paid end of November," said Numsa spokesperson, Phakamile Hlubi-Majola. The union has also penned other salary agreements for car dealership employees, component manufacturers and petrol attendants. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Gloria Motsoere by EWN
Coal train derailed as Transnet faces threats from disgruntled groups seeking 'business opportunities' Fin24 reports that Tuesday’s derailment of a coal train on Transnet's North Corridor took place "against a backdrop of threats and disruptions to the company’s operations by disgruntled groupings seeking business opportunities", the state-owned company said. On Wednesday afternoon, Transnet advised that it was too early to pre-empt the cause of a derailment, which was still under investigation. The parastatal did, however, flag its concern over the threats which were now under investigation by law enforcement agencies. The derailment has affected the North Corridor, which runs from the Mpumalanga coal fields to the KwaZulu-Natal port and carries coal and chrome among the key commodities transported along this corridor. "It is still premature to give an estimated time for the re-opening of the two lines, as this will be determined once the site has been cleared and damages assessed," Transnet indicated. On Tuesday, Transnet started talks with traditional leaders and the SA Police Service in an effort to resolve threats to the organisation as well as disruptions to its operations along the North Corridor. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Lisa Steyn at Fin24. Read too, Coal train derailment took place against ‘backdrop of threats by disgruntled groups’, at Mining Weekly. En ook, Trein ontspoor; dreigemente ondersoek, by Maroela Media
Cosatu Free State accuses David Mabuza's ‘uncaring’ office of neglect amid persistent water, electricity outages in Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality News24 reports that the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the Free State has accused Deputy President David Mabuza's office of failure to address the persistent electricity and water outages in Maluti-A-Phofung (MAP) Municipality. Cosatu said residents had endured weeks without the services, and claimed the impact had trickled down to the local economy as businesses had shut their doors. Provincial secretary Monyatso oa Mahlatsi said the engagements launched in 2021 to tackle service delivery issues were moving at a snail's pace despite a wave of protests last year. "For the past two to three weeks, there hasn't been electricity supply at Phuthaditjhaba CBD. Businesses have not been able to operate. The community members who depend on the social grants have been unable to access their funds as the retailers have shut their doors. Banks can also not operate due to a lack of power supply," Mahlatsi complained. He added that employees of businesses that remained operational earned reduced salaries due to the "no work, no pay" policy implemented to sustain them. Mahlatsi claimed the inaction by the deputy president's office and government entities, including the provincial government and the cooperative governance and traditional affairs department, demonstrated their "uncaring attitude". Mabuza's spokesperson said Cosatu's claims were misleading and misrepresented the facts of the steps taken to address service delivery in the municipality, adding that plans to address electricity issues were "at an advanced stage". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cebelihle Bhengu at News24
Vacancies in Limpopo health department worries DA The Citizen reports that according to opposition parties, the Limpopo provincial health department has a worrying number of vacant critical medical posts. The province currently has a vacancy rate of 52.1% in health administration, 73.7% in health sciences training, 54.6% in provincial hospital services, 53.3% in district health services, 55.5% in the central hospital service and 43.7% in emergency medical services. Some observers believe the situation has led to available staff being overworked and this has played a role in the department incurring more than R15 billion in legal claims for medical liability against it. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo has written to Limpopo health MEC Phophi Ramathuba asking her to address its concerns. “These high vacancy rates in the approved organisational structure are simply unacceptable,” said DA Limpopo MPL Risham Maharaj, who claimed that most of the posts were vacant due to budget constraints, historical poor financial management and poor working conditions that have caused the loss of skilled medical staff from the department. He said this had a detrimental effect on the rendering of health services in Limpopo. In response, the department said it had so far appointed 148 medical officers, 117 professional nurses, 10 speciality nurses and others. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Japho Matlala at The Citizen
Visible tattoo bars man from joining SAPS Cape Times reports that a twenty-five-year-old University Estate man was robbed of his dream of working for the police service after he was disqualified from writing an entry level test because of his tattoo. Joshua Obaray, who applied for the police trainee programme earlier this year, reported: “I applied to the programme and I received an invite to write the psychometric test. When I got there on the day, they allowed us in but then they asked if there are any applicants with tattoos… Then a colonel came in, I can’t remember his name. The first thing he asked us was what did Minister of Police Bheki Cele say?” The colonel then advised that in summer uniform officers were not allowed to have visible tattoos and were not allowed to have tattoos that were irreconcilable with the objectives of the SAPS. But, Obaray went on to indicate: “However, in the application it did ask if I have a tattoo and where it is located. This is information that was provided in the application form. So because I have a visible tattoo I was disqualified from writing the psychometric test. My tattoo is not irreconcilable with the objectives of the SAPS. This whole thing has made me feel that the SAPS doesn’t really care about unemployment if they are able to misinterpret their own laws.” A police spokesperson said the applicant was encouraged to make an enquiry to the SAPS Recruitment Centre, but added that persons with tattoos which were visible when wearing the SAPS summer uniform would not be recruited. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphkazi Vuso at Cape Times
East London doctor caught in sting operation issuing fake sick note to cop to plead not guilty Juta Medical Brief reports that an East London doctor who charged patients hundreds of rands for fake sick notes and who was nabbed by the Hawks, intends pleading not guilty to six charges of fraud. Dr Siphokazi Sokupa appeared briefly in the Regional Court on Monday and said she would plead not guilty, but offered no plea explanation. She was released on R3,000 bail. According to the charge sheet, several patients whom Sokupa had examined and booked off between May 2018 and 2020 had allegedly been medically fit. In some cases she had booked patients off sick for two days. Sokupa was arrested by the Hawks in May 2020 after she was captured on video issuing a fake sick note to an undercover Hawks officer. He told the doctor he needed a sick note for three days, which Sokupa then allegedly issued without conducting a medical examination. Sokupa would apparently be given instructions from patients as to what kind of illness to note down. Investigating officer Captain Raymond Buys testified that the Hawks had investigated and made the arrest after receiving numerous complaints from business owners and employers about questionable sick notes. He said Sokupa also backdated sick notes for her patients, and charged between R350 and R400 for the notes. Read the original of the report in the above regard at Medical Brief
SIU, Asset Forfeiture Unit granted order to preserve ex-Eskom manager's assets, including luxury property and vehicles News24 reports that the Asset Forfeiture Unit and the Special Investigating Unit on Wednesday obtained an order from the Pretoria High Court to preserve a luxury property in Silver Lakes Estates, Pretoria, and two vehicles belonging to former Eskom manager Duduzile Moyo and her husband Mmoloki Moyo. In a joint statement, they said the order included businesses named after the couple's children. This was the second order issued against Moyo. In September, the Special Tribunal granted the SIU an order to freeze Moyo’s pension benefits after she resigned from the power utility. The new order emanates from the SIU’s investigations into Moyo’s conduct in her role as Eskom’s supply and contracts manager and employer representative who contracted Tamukelo to transport raw and potable water from Kendal power station to Kusile power station. “In her position as Eskom contracts manager, Ms Moyo signed 23 interim payment certificates in respect of Tamukelo's services for December 2011 to July 2014 totalling approximately R138 million," the joint statement indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cebelihle Bhengu at News24. Read too, Court orders preservation of former Eskom manager's luxury home, cars, at TimesLive Ex-Transnet Freight Rail’s legal boss in court over alleged cash, Persian carpet bribes Fin24 reports that Transnet Freight Rail's ex-legal head Kenneth Diedricks has appeared in court charged with accepting bribes of R300,000 in cash and a Persian carpet from two companies the state-owned entity was in business with. With him in the dock at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court in Gauteng on Wednesday were Charles Pretorius and Refiloe Martins of Polyzomba Rail Contractors, the company accused of paying Diedricks the cash bribe. The three accused were each granted R10,000 bail. According to the state's charge sheet, Diedricks in 2011 "unlawfully co-approved" a payment of R25 million to Polyzomba, a company that does construction and maintenance work on rail tracks. The payment was made for "ancillary" services, after Polyzomba had already earned R64 million for a contract to replace rail panels on a railway line in KwaZulu-Natal. In 2013, some two years after approving the payment, Pretorius and Refiloe are alleged to have paid R300,000 into the account of Diedricks' conveyancing attorneys as a down payment for a R3.7 million home in Bassonia, Gauteng. According to the state, the cash payment was a "gratification" for the earlier R25 million payment. Later in 2013, Diedricks is alleged to have received a Persian carpet worth R20,000 from Umthombo Resources, a company that was in business with Transnet. It's unclear why authorities took so long to bring the case to court. The case against Diedricks, Pretorius and Martins was postponed to 7 March 2023. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Cronje at Fin24 Northern Cape woman fined R60,000 for using fake matric certificate to get a job as a licence testing officer News24 reports that a Northern Cape woman who submitted a fake matric certificate to land a job as a licence testing officer at the Siyathemba Local Municipality has been sentenced to a fine of R60,000 or three years' imprisonment. The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Kimberley found Patricia Staffa, who is no longer employed at the municipality, guilty of fraud and forgery. She has elected to pay the fine and is expected to pay R2,500 on or before the 7th of each month. National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said Staffa applied for a post at the municipality in September 2016. She misrepresented herself when submitting her CV and claimed that she had a matric certificate, which was one of the requirements of the post. The municipality appointed Staffa, and she then registered for training at the Gene Louw Traffic College to become a qualified licence testing officer. "As part of the enrolment process at the college, the accused was expected to submit a copy of her matric certificate. The accused became reluctant when she was told to submit a copy of her qualification... The accused forged or manufactured a matric certificate and later presented the fictitious certificate to the head of Gene Louw College. This submission led to an investigation into the authenticity of the accused's matric certificate," Senokoatsane indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nicole McCain at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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