Today's Labour News

ENERGY CRISIS

Solidarity starts legal action against Nersa to remove private power generation bottlenecks

Mining Weekly reports that trade union Solidarity has served legal papers on the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) to remove all bottlenecks standing in the way of private energy suppliers. In its court application, Solidarity demands, among other things, that it be furnished with information about the number of applications for private power generation Nersa has received, and it demands to know how long approval of such applications takes. Solidarity also demands that Nersa accounts for why no guidelines on feed-in and wheeling tariffs have been published to date.   “The first step is to force Nersa, through a disclosure process, to disclose information about why so few licences have been awarded to private generators of power and why so few private generation licences have been granted. Based on this information, it will be possible to determine where the bottlenecks lie and what further steps need to be taken to remove these bottlenecks,” Solidarity CE Dr Dirk Hermann indicated. “South Africa’s power supply future lies in decentralisation.   Eskom will always be part of the South African power supply mix, but the private sector’s share in power supply will have to increase drastically to ensure a sustainable power supply. We will do everything possible to stabilise Eskom, but will apply ourselves just as much to increase the private share,” he added.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly. Read too, Solidarity takes legal action against Nersa over energy supplier bottlenecks, at BusinessLive

DA files high court challenge to pending electricity price increase approved by Nersa

Mail & Guardian reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) has filed papers in the Pretoria High Court challenging the decision by the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) to approve an Eskom tariff increase of 18.65% for 2023 and 12.74% for 2024. The DA’s application is two-fold. In the first part, it seeks an interdict barring Eskom from implementing the price increase on 1 April pending the outcome of the second, in which it asks the court to declare not only the price hike but the state’s response to the power crisis, including load-shedding, as unconstitutional.   Approving the increase was irrational, the party said, because the regulator had failed to consider its impact on vulnerable persons, or to take measures to ensure that those reliant on the existing subsidy could continue to access power. The price hikes would apply to mining houses and indigent households alike, DA leader John Steenhuisen stressed. The DA said Nersa’s decision rested on the flawed rationale that the increase would help Eskom to recover its financial footing and provide customers with a secure energy supply. “This premise is false. Eskom cannot be saved by an increase in tariffs. Without significant structural reform, Eskom is a lost cause that cannot be saved or in any way assisted by making electricity customers pay more,” the DA argued. The court papers list the constitutional rights violated by load-shedding as including those to dignity, security, freedom of trade and access to food, education and health care.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Emsie Ferreira at Mail & Guardian (subscriber access only)

Pretoria streets expected to be affected by march on Friday against electricity tariff hike

IOL reports that a number of streets in the Pretoria CBD will be temporarily cordoned off on Friday as members of the civil rights movement #NotInMyName will be marching against load shedding and increased electricity tariffs. The march comes after the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) approved Eskom’s18.65% tariff increase for 2023/24. The group will gather from 8.30am at Church Square, Pretoria Central, and will march to Nersa’s offices before heading to the Union Buildings. The route of the march is outlined in the IOL report. Tshwane Metro Police spokesperson Isaac Mahamba said marchers were expected to disperse from Nersa at 11am and to leave the Union Buildings at 12.30am.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Brenda Masilela at IOL

Fire Gwede Mantashe, say activists as civil society groups plan mass action against electricity tariff hike and blackouts

GroundUp reports that civil society groups are planning to take to the streets of Cape Town ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 9 February. They are demanding an end to Eskom’s rolling blackouts and the devastating impact it is having on daily life. On Wednesday evening, more than 80 residents, scholars, organisations, and members of civil society groups met at Bertha House in Salt River.   Many people spoke out about the challenges they experienced during loadshedding and how the power crisis could be resolved. The meeting, facilitated by #UniteBehind, also marked the start of the #FixEskom campaign to get the government to end loadshedding and to find alternative power producing sources. They are demanding that loadshedding end by December 2023 and they want Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe to be fired. Some of their other demands are for the planned tariff increases to be scrapped; for municipalities to procure their own power and to build new power lines; and enablement of investment in renewable sources. #UniteBehind director Zackie Achmat said they were encouraging people across the country to join the #FixEskom campaign. Achmat said that those who are unable to take to the streets in February could organise lunchtime pickets.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marecia Damons at GroundUp. See too, I don't build power stations': Mantashe doubles down on claim he's not to blame for load shedding, at Fin24

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Fresh protests erupt in Phoenix on Wednesday as power outages continue, at GroundUp

COST OF LIVING

Rising cost of living leaves 38% of SA consumers too broke to pay their bills

The Citizen reports that 38% of South African consumers are unable to pay their bills although they are spending less as they battle to pay their debts due to economic pressures, stagnant household incomes, and increasing inflation. According to the TransUnion’s Q4 Consumer Pulse Study, two out of three (67%) consumers surveyed in early November indicated they had reduced discretionary spending, such as eating out, travel and entertainment over the past three months, while 37% said their priority was to pay off their debt faster as interest rates continued to increase. The study shows that household incomes remained stagnant, with the percentage of consumers reporting an increase in household income (36%) unchanged from the previous quarter, while the number of households reporting a decrease in income (23%) increased by four percentage points, with job losses (23%) and reduction in salary and wages (20%) as primary factors.   This means that people are not able to meet the increasing cost of living as they sink deeper into debt.   Some borrow more to afford basic items such as food and rent as inflation and interest rates keep rising.   “A continued high inflationary environment, coupled with more anticipated interest rate hikes is likely to tip more consumers into default, with severe repercussions for the local retail sector,” Weihan Sun of TransUnion Africa pointed out. He noted that signs of distress were particularly evident among Gen X consumers born between 1965 and 1979.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ina Opperman at The Citizen (subscriber access only)

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

KZN healthcare workers robbed, held hostage and attacked in violent incidents

IOL reports that a Department of Health vehicle was set alight in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and a woman staff member forced to pay money to a group of men who forced them off the road in the Umzinyathi District.   The team was on their way to various health clinics when they were forced off the road by gunmen in a Toyota Quantum. According to the Department of Health, a nurse had to pay her last R300 to the men after they put a tyre around a male colleague’s neck and threatened to douse him with petrol, and set him alight. The assailants demanded to know why the staff were working while they (the attackers) were unemployed. “The men set alight one of the vehicles, and completely smashed the windows of two others. The highly-traumatised staff members have had to receive counselling,” the department advised. In another incident, a health inspector en route to the Monyane Clinic in Nkandla was abducted and held hostage by angry protesters about 500 metres from the clinic.   "He and three female colleagues were blocked and forcibly removed from the vehicle, which was then extensively damaged. The man was subsequently freed after about three hours," the department reported. In a third incident, staffers at the Cato Manor Community Health Centre were treated for inhalation after police used teargas to disperse protesters along Mary Thiphe Road in Cato Crest.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Se-Anne Rall at IOL

University of Fort Hare employee found tied up and gagged in his flat after his absence from work was noticed

The Citizen reports that the apparent intimidation of some University of Fort Hare staffers seems to be continuing unabated.   A university employee was on Wednesday found in his flat with his hands tied and mouth gagged. Police have since opened a case of attempted murder.   Colleagues of the 32-year-old noticed that he had not reported for work and they went to investigate at his flat, where they found him. The man was then taken to hospital after his colleagues “noticed that he was not well”. “The circumstances surrounding the incident are currently under investigation,” said SA Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana, who added that no arrests had been made. This incident comes after the bodyguard of University of Fort Hare vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu was shot dead. The bodyguard, Mboneli Vesele, died in what is suspected to be an assassination attempt on Buhlungu. That was not the first attempted assassination of Buhlungu. In March 2022, a man was captured on CCTV footage climbing over a wall and firing three shots at Buhlungu’s house.   Fort Hare spokesperson JP Roodt said the university had seen several violent attacks recently after it started clamping down on corruption. Last year, shots were fired into the residence of the deputy vice-chancellor for teaching and learning. On 19 May, the university’s fleet and transport manager, Petrus Roets, was shot dead in a suspected hit near the Gonubie off-ramp. But, the SAPS has not linked the latest incident with previous incidents..

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Citizen. Read too, Fort Hare university staffer found bound and gagged after failing to report for work, at News24

SPCA inspectors attacked at 'dirty' Cape Town home used to 'torture' and illegally train horses

News24 reports that a team of inspectors from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA was allegedly physically assaulted by a 60-year-old homeowner while trying to remove four Saddle horses at a "smelly filthy" property in Grassy Park, Cape Town, on Wednesday. SPCA spokesperson Jaco Pieterse said the SPCA received a complaint about horses that were being kept in poor living conditions on the property and were forced to drink filthy water. Reports were also received reports of a strong ammonia smell in the air and flies being all over the property. That prompted SPCA inspectors to launch an investigation.   Upon arrival at the property, inspectors were denied access by the owner. They later returned with a court order. According to the organisation, the homeowner was not happy with the SPCA being on his property, especially while they were busy training one of their horses "using a cruel and archaic training method". Pieterse said: “The owner was very hostile and continuously shouted at us. The members of the SAPS had to intervene to try and calm the situation continuously. When our inspectors informed the owner that his horses would be confiscated, the owner became violent and punched [one of our inspectors] with a fist and pushed him out of the way, obstructing him and the team from performing their duties. Police immediately intervened. They arrested the owner, and our inspectors laid official criminal charges in terms of the Animals Protection Act, obstruction and further assault charges.” The owner was set to make a first appearance in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court during the week.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Lisalee Solomons at News24

MINING LABOUR

Former Implats accountant gets suspended sentence for fraud and money laundering as 'she is on 24-hour oxygen support'

News24 reports that a former senior accountant at a North West mine has been handed a suspended sentence for fraud and money laundering after the court took into consideration her poor health.   Hlengiwe Masilela, 56, was sentenced in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Tlhabane after being found guilty of 24 counts of fraud and 23 of money laundering amounting to around R850,000. The crimes were committed at Impala Platinum (Implats).   "[Masilela] was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, which was wholly suspended for five years. The court took into consideration her state of health as she is on 24-hour oxygen support," said a National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson.   Masilela's conviction stems from offences committed between December 2010 and May 2012 while she was employed as the head of the trades department at Implats. In aggravation of sentence, the prosecutor argued that Masilela used her position to commit the crimes and only stopped because she was caught. She also did not pay back the stolen money after receiving her pension payout. Before passing sentence, the court highlighted the need to consider that the offences were committed over ten years ago and that Masilela required special care due to her ill health.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Nicole McCain at News24

SAVING THE POST OFFICE

Post Office wants to cut salaries, working hours in bid to slash staff costs

Fin24 reports that the SA Post Office (SAPO) is considering strategies to reduce its "unsustainable" staff bill, which currently accounts for 68% of its expenditure. These considerations included cutting staff salaries by reducing the work week of some staff members, and a voluntary severance package process which was already under way, Communications Manager Johan Kruger indicated. "These measures are aimed at cutting employment costs, while saving some jobs – effectively a job-sharing model; while at the same time delaying a process of forced retrenchments," he explained. This came after the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Dianne Kohler Barnard said in a statement on Wednesday morning that staff salaries at SAPO could be slashed by as much as 40% through the scheme. She claimed that if the reduced work week policy were implemented, this would result in a two-day reduction to the work week for some staff members, meaning staff members who were working five days per week would be reduced to a three-day work week and those currently working six days per week would be reduced to four. Kohler Barnard the changes would amounts to "nothing more nor less than constructive dismissal" and that, if SAPO went ahead with the "criminal move" of reducing staff hours, the DA will report the matter to the Public Protector, the CCMA and the Department of Labour. Aubrey Tshabalala of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) noted that consultation was required to change the terms and conditions of postal workers' employment contracts. He also flagged that workers have not received a pay increase for a period of around four years and have seen other benefits, such as medical aid, cut. But, Kruger said that all current medical aid contributions were up to date, other than an amount historically owed to MediPos.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by William Brederode at Fin24

ACQUITTAL OF SCHWEIZER-RENEKE TEACHER

Solidarity welcomes SAHRC report fully acquitting Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke teacher Elana Barkhuizen

Trade union Solidarity has welcomed the SA Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC’s) acquittal of Elana Barkhuizen, as well as the strong condemnation of the actions of the former North West MEC for education, Sello Lehari.   Barkhuizen, a former teacher at Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke, was plunged into a national uproar on 9 January 2019 after a photo, in which four black and eighteen white learners were seen sitting at separate tables in a classroom, was widely circulated in the media and shared on several social media platforms. Solidarity charged that several politicians subsequently fuelled racial tension by labelling the incident as racist without any further information.   Barkhuizen and her family were even forced to move due to serious concerns about their safety after Lehari publicly exposed her name. Barkhuizen was notified on 10 January 2019 without any explanation that she had been suspended. Solidarity then approached the Labour Court on behalf of Barkhuizen and the court ruled that Barkhuizen’s suspension was illegal.   “According to the (SAHRC) report, the MEC is guilty of violating Barkhuizen’s right to privacy, her rights to due process, safety, freedom of movement and association, and on top of that he violated her dignity,” Dr Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive of Solidarity, advised. The report from the SAHRC found, among other things, that all allegations of Barkhuizen or the school unfairly discriminating against learners, were not substantiated by facts.

Read Solidarity press statement on this matter and access the full SAHRC report at Solidarity News

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE

No rush to roll out NHI as government first needs R200bn to fix hospitals, says Phaahla

News24 reports that the controversial National Health Insurance (NHI) plan won't be rushed as the government needs an estimated R200 billion to fix dilapidated hospitals – money which won't be available in the short or medium term. This was indicated by Health Minister Joe Phaahla, who reiterated that the NHI would be implemented in phases. Phaahla was responding to a written parliamentary question and said: "The Department [of Health] is not implementing the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill in a rushed manner." He indicated that his department was following the provisions outlined in the approved 2017 NHI White Paper that provided for the NHI to be implemented in a phased manner. "Section 309 of the White Paper provides for health systems strengthening initiatives to continue being undertaken concurrently as the finalisation of the legislative process and the establishment of institutional arrangements for the NHI Fund are undertaken," Phaahla pointed out.   The NHI emerged as an ANC conference resolution more than a decade ago. But while there is a bill in Parliament, the Treasury has yet to provide details on how the NHI will be financed. Phaahla also admitted to the enormous infrastructure challenges faced by hospitals across the country. Since 2020, Treasury has been shifting funds allocated to the NHI to other uses, citing slow spending. In the February budget of 2022, the NHI was hardly mentioned.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24