Today's Labour News

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

Seven farm workers die of heat stroke in Northern Cape heat

TimesLive reports that Department of Employment and Labour minister Thulas Nxesi has called for an urgent investigation into the cause of death of the seven farmworkers who died, apparently as a result of heatstroke, in Kakamas in the Northern Cape last week. Nxesi on Friday sent condolences to the families of those who died, apparently as a result of the heatwave experienced by the entire country, and the Kakamas region in particular. “In passing condolences to the affected families and calling for urgent investigations, as the department of employment and labour – we will do our best to support and provide necessary services to the affected families,” Nxesi said. According to the department’s inspectors, every employer is expected to conduct a risk assessment of the workplace, and when any of the identified risks change, the employer needs to introduce mitigating measures, especially in this instance where there was a risk of temperatures rising to 51ºC. Nxesi said inspectors were conducting inspections and had recommended that farm workers should work from 4am to 11am and resume work at 5pm to 7pm. In Kakamas, the sun sets at 8pm during this season.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLive. Read too, ‘We were struggling to breathe': Five farm workers died of heat stroke in sweltering Northern Cape heat, at News24. And also, Northern Cape farmworkers' deaths over heat stroke could've been avoided, says union, at EWN

Northern Cape farm owners urged to give workers regular breaks amid deadly heatwave

EWN reports that Northern Cape provincial leaders have urged farm owners to give workers regular breaks. Farmers are also expected to provide sunscreen lotions and protective gear, such as hats and lightweight loose clothing, to their workers.   MEC for Agriculture Mase Manopole confirmed last week that seven farm workers in the Kakamas area had died due to suspected heat stroke. According to Manopole's spokesperson Zandisile Luphala, one farm worker was on still a ventilator at the Kakamas Hospital. “The Northern Cape, like other parts of the country, is experiencing an extreme hot temperature in most parts of the districts. The South African Weather Services has forewarned of possible heatwaves in four provinces in the country, including the Northern Cape," Luphala indicated. “We are assembling a team, which is comprising of our department, the Department of Employment and Labour, as well as the Department of Health, to visit farmers which are affected,” Manopole reported.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Kevin Brandt at EWN

Police captain stabbed to death in Khayelitsha on Saturday night

EWN reports that detectives are on the hunt for the killer of a police captain, who was stabbed to death on Saturday night in Khayelitsha. A statement by police on Sunday indicated a suspect had yet to be arrested. Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said further details about the deceased would be released after consultation with his family.   "Western Cape police are mourning the death of a 37-year-old police official, who was stabbed in Spine Road in Khayelitsha on Saturday evening. The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated by Hawks detectives, who are pursuing specific leads as part of the investigation.   SAPS management have expressed condolences to the family of the police captain," said Potelwa.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard at EWN. Lees ook, Muizenberg-polisiekaptein doodgesteek, by Maroela Media

Minister visits field ranger severely injured in Kruger National Park elephant attack

News24 reports that on Saturday the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, visited the SA National Parks (SANParks) field ranger Joe Nkuna who sustained severe injuries in an elephant attack more than a month ago. Nkuna, a ranger with 32 years of experience, was hospitalised after being charged by an elephant while patrolling in the Pretoriuskop section of the Park.   "The severity of his injuries resulted in him being placed on life support in the Intensive Care Unit at a private hospital in Johannesburg where he’s making a steady recovery.   The medical team is pleased with his progress and is excited that he will be starting physiotherapy soon," spokesperson Ike Phaahla indicated. The Minister said she was "delighted" to find Nkuna in good spirits and feeling hopeful about his recovery prospects. "I [came to] remind him [that] he is part of the conservation family [and] to wish him well as he recovers from his injuries," Creecy said. She added that what had happened to Nkuna was tragic and that rangers were heroes.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisalee Solomons at News24. Lees ook, Wildbewaarder herstel goed ná olifantaanval, by News24

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Two Witbank cops attacked, one shot after they stopped to assist stranded motorist, at IOL

ENERGY CRISIS / LOADSHEDDING

Unions fear job cuts as load-shedding cripples the economy

Business Times writes that unions are preparing for the worst as businesses warn that the worsening load-shedding crisis could force them to cut shifts, forego wage hikes and even slash jobs. According to union and employer stakeholders, the escalating energy crisis will probably deal a bigger blow to business and employment than the national Covid lockdown did in 2020. Solidarity general secretary Gideon du Plessis reports that employers have told the union that load-shedding and higher electricity tariffs meant they had to curb or cancel wage hikes and possibly retrench workers. He advised that the union had established an internal recruitment company to assist its members for free to find new jobs if they were retrenched. Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla indicated:   “We anticipate that if nothing changes [in terms of load-shedding], there will be attempts to retrench. In the meeting we had with the president as labour federations, we demanded a joint meeting between the government, labour and employer associations to discuss and adopt a moratorium on retrenchments over load-shedding and focus on finding an urgent solution.” Cosatu general secretary Solly Phetoe pointed out that load-shedding affected workers as well as employers and indicated that “employers using the energy crisis to reduce workers is not something Cosatu would agree to.” Mametlwe Sebei of the General Industrial Workers Union of SA pointed out that sectors in which the union organised had not recovered from the Covid lockdown.     “We were actually dealing with retrenchments for the past three years and it has been getting worse. The issue of load-shedding was a feature in many of these retrenchments. In the industries where we organised, they were heavily affected by Covid-19, but the reason they have not reopened is load-shedding, despite the relaxation of the lockdown,” said Sebei. He indicated that intensified load-shedding meant workers had to work odd hours and were not compensated for the times when power cuts halted operations, because companies said they could not pay wages for periods of zero production.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane & Dineo Faku at Business Times (subscriber access only)

Confusion over load-shedding outlook after De Ruyter shoots down Eskom chair’s idea of permanent stage 2 or 3 for next two years

BL Premium reports that Eskom’s board chair and the utility’s CEO have given conflicting statements about the outlook for rolling electricity outages. Chair Mpho Makwana said that implementation of Eskom’s generation recovery plan required that “power stations are given space to execute [the plan] either by adding additional capacity ... or by creating some predictability by implementing a permanent stage 2 or 3 for the next two years”. In a media conference on Sunday, when asked to clarify Eskom’s plans for permanent load-shedding, CEO André de Ruyter said that having stage 2 or 3 in place on a continuous basis would do nothing to guarantee Eskom would not need higher stages of load-shedding at certain times when there were high levels of unplanned outages. “There are also times when the system performs well where we don’t require load-shedding at all. We are not in a position to say we can maintain certain stages of load-shedding over a prolonged period because of the lack of reliability and predictability [of the generation system]. We need the option of higher stages,” De Ruyter indicated. Later on Sunday afternoon, after Makwana’s statement about permanent load-shedding had been widely reported, Eskom sent out a short statement to reiterate De Ruyter’s comments that although Eskom had considered such a step to give more predictability to the public, “this would not be possible as it would not guarantee that load-shedding would remain at the lower levels.” The conflicting statements come weeks after De Ruyter submitted his resignation as the boss of Eskom. Eskom’s generation recovery plan shows that it will take at least two more years to add sufficient new generation capacity and to improve the efficiency of existing power stations to a level at which load-shedding might become unnecessary.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Denene Erasmus at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Eskom mulls permanent blackouts for 24 months, at IOL. En ook, Permanente beurtkrag vir volgende twee jaar beplan, by Maroela Media

Ramaphosa asks Eskom to halt April’s 18.65% power tariff hike

News24 reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa says he has asked Eskom not to implement the 18.65% tariff hike that is due to be put in place by April. He was giving closing remarks at the ANC’s Free State provincial conference held in Bloemfontein on Sunday. The National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) had earlier this month allowed Eskom to increase its tariff on 1 April. The announcement prompted a host of civil society organisations, citizens, small businesses and opposition political parties threatening to bring legal action in an effort to ensure that load shedding and the hikes were stopped.   Ramaphosa said: “I have told Eskom that it should consider halting the hiking of electricity prices, especially for now while our people are struggling under high levels of load shedding.” He reiterated that people were frustrated because their businesses were being put in jeopardy. Ramaphosa added that the government had not been idle but had been making every attempt to resolve the crisis. He also opined that “it’s been a combination of several issues that have brought us to where we are”.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Juniour Khumalo at News24. Read too, Eskom told to suspend tariff increase, at The Citizen

Government lifts cap on private power and more action on Eskom crime promised

Fin24 reports that as SA suffers record load shedding, the National Energy Crisis Committee (Necom) has reported back on progress with implementing President Cyril Ramaphosa's power crisis plan, which was announced last year. The latest developments include that government has finally lifted the licensing threshold for private power generation projects. New legislation has been gazetted to remove the 100MW licensing threshold for these projects. This means that solar and wind projects of any size can be built without a licence. Towards the end of 2021, government raised the threshold from 10MW to 100MW. Since then, private sector companies have launched 100 projects which will bring more than 9,000MW to the grid. The first of these private sector projects should connect to the power grid by end-2023.   Necom expects the recent removal of the licensing threshold will "significantly" accelerate private investment. As breakdowns at Eskom's ageing power stations are worsened by sabotage and crime, Necom also said that Ramaphosa has instructed law enforcement agencies to ramp up efforts to protect electricity infrastructure. A special meeting of the National Security Council this week will consider a report on efforts to stop criminal syndicates and sabotage at power stations. Eighteen specialists have been brought back into Eskom, including three appointments of former Eskom employees as power station managers at Kendal, Koeberg and Medupi. More than 1,000 people have offered their skills through Eskom's crowdsourcing platform. A team of independent experts has also been established to work with Eskom to diagnose the problems at poorly performing power stations and take action to improve plant performance.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Helena Wasserman at Fin24. Lees ook, Regering vorder met kragplan, by Maroela Media

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• No plan to solve Eskom crisis, at City Press (subscriber access only)
• Cyril’s meetings shed no light: State sticks to old turnaround plan, and power utility delays search for new CEO, at Sunday Times (subscriber access only)
• AfriForum se eie kragmaatskappy op hande, by Maroela Media
• Opinion: The catastrophic impact of load shedding: Will the economy recover? at IOL
• March by frustrated protesters on Friday to Union Buildings against the injustice of rolling blackouts, at News24
• De Ruyter says corruption in Eskom “unbelievable” as he recounts cyanide poisioning, at Miningmx

CADRE DEPLOYMENT

DA and ANC face off in court on Monday over constitutionality of cadre deployment

News24 reports that in what could be a landmark court case, the Democratic Alliance (DA) will face off against the ANC in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday, where the DA will be asking the court to declare the governing party's policy of cadre deployment illegal and unconstitutional. What makes this case unusual is that it is an opposition party asking the court to declare the governing party's policy illegal and unconstitutional – a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the ANC, who used it as one of its defences against the DA. The case is also being heard against the backdrop of the ongoing energy crisis, with the DA claiming cadre deployment is one of the root causes for state-owned electricity provider Eskom's struggle to keep the lights on. ANC chairperson and Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe, who railed against the Zondo Commission's finding that cadre deployment was illegal and unconstitutional, earlier this month told the Mail & Guardian that the ANC would involve itself in the appointment of outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter's replacement. In his report on state capture, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo came to the conclusion that cadre deployment played a significant part in enabling state capture. The DA's argument to the court relies on a strikingly similar legal basis as Zondo.   Both Zondo and the DA referred to Section 197(3) of the Constitution, which states: "No employee of the public service may be favoured or prejudiced only because that person supports a particular political party or cause." In direct contradiction of the Zondo Commission, President Cyril Ramaphosa has argued that cadre deployment is not unconstitutional.   According to Ramaphosa, the "very purpose" of cadre deployment is to ensure the public service is aligned to the "constitutional objective of transformation".

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Gerber at News24 (subscriber access only)

WAGE NEGOTIATIONS

UCT vice-chancellor says university working tirelessly to avert wage strike by academic staff

News24 reports that the University of Cape Town (UCT) vice-chancellor, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, says the institution will do everything it can to avert a strike by academic staff after wage negotiations deadlocked. Meanwhile, the Academics' Union (AU), which represents the majority of academic staff at the university, polled its members about their willingness to embark on industrial action – and 87% supported a three-day strike. Phakeng said in a campus communique on Saturday that the university's executive had been working tirelessly and had engaged with the AU over wage negotiations. "This has been taking place against the backdrop of very challenging and unusual circumstances, including a very difficult current economic climate. In regular engagements with all unions, the executive has always remained open and transparent on the university's financial outlook and its implications for the many areas of our operations," she stated. Phakeng said that the executive remained committed to resolving any bargaining agreement issues with the AU relating to wage demands. The AU has been locked in wage negotiations with the institution after they were offered a 3% salary increase in November. Union members rejected the offer, and the institution assured them a revised offer would be forthcoming, but, according to the AU, it has not materialised.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24

MINING LABOUR

Health department process to compensate miners who contracted TB or silicosis starts in KZN

TimesLive reports that the Department of Health (DOH) will from Monday start with the screening, verification, medical examination and payment of benefits to eligible former mineworkers who contracted tuberculosis (TB) or silicosis in March 1965 and December 2019. The countrywide programme will kick off in the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal before moving to other provinces. In May 2018, a settlement agreement was concluded between a number of mining companies and the representatives of miners who contracted TB or silicosis. The agreement established the Tshiamiso Trust, in terms of which the claims of eligible mineworkers and the dependants of deceased mineworkers arising from silicosis and pulmonary tuberculosis would be paid. A list of qualifying gold mines and periods is accessible here. Details of the dates and KZN sites for lodgment of claims are contained in the TimesLive report. The DOH said on Sunday that claimants should bring relevant documents including a valid ID, service and medical records and the deceased mineworker’s death certificate or autopsy report, if available. “The compensation amount will depend on a number of factors including the severity of the permanent respiratory impairment suffered by the mineworkers and their employment history at qualifying and non-qualifying mines,” the DOH said.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLive. Read too, Drive to compensate ex-miners with TB or silicosis, at The Citizen

Trade union Uasa worried about gold sector job losses

Mining Weekly reports that trade union Uasa says it is continuing its battle against job losses at gold producer Pan African Resources’ Barberton Mines following the company’s notice of possible retrenchments and restructuring late last year. In December, the gold producer issued Uasa with a Section 189 notice, which was followed by meetings with Barberton Mines to explain the justification behind the notice. While proceeding with the matter, the company proposed a full calendar operations (Fulco) working system for the affected divisions. The Fulco working system is expected to create more working opportunities in these divisions, while preventing the proposed 600 job cuts.   Bilateral meetings between Uasa and management at Barberton Mines are ongoing, as they aim to negotiate the terms and conditions of the Fulco system to ensure a zero job loss position at the company. At the same time, the union continues the battle with diversified miner Sibanye-Stillwater’s Beatrix 4 Shaft and Kloof 1 plant, both part of the company’s gold division, to ensure that zero jobs are lost. This comes after the company also gave notice of possible retrenchments and restructuring late last year. “The fight is for all employees to be employed in all other Sibanye operations rather than to be retrenched,” the union said.

Read the original of the report in the above regard at Mining Weekly

Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining

• Dust, flying rocks, deafening noise: blasting is a nightmare for people living near mines, at GroundUp

JRA SUSPENSION

Johannesburg Road Agency CEO Tshepo Mahanuke suspended amid ongoing fake qualification claims

News24 reports that Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) Chief Executive Officer Tshepo Mahanuke has been suspended following questions about the credibility of his qualifications. In a statement released on Friday, the JRA said Mahanuke's credentials had been presented to the board at a special meeting convened in December last year. According to the statement, the Independent Re-Authentication Report found that the CEO had a case to answer regarding his qualifications to hold office.   "This [has] led to the board's resolution to place the CEO on suspension as he had previously been placed on leave. At this stage, the board is not at liberty to reveal the preliminary findings as this matter has now been handed over to a firm of attorney to handle. The legal counsel has committed to stringent timelines which will ensure speedy finalisation of this matter," said JRA chairperson Thabo Motloung. It was previously reported that the City of Johannesburg had thrown its support behind Mahanuke amid questions over his qualifications. Daily Maverick reported that Mahanuke claimed to have a degree that doesn't exist. Luis Nel, an engineer by profession, has since been appointed as acting CEO.

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

MISCONDUCT / DISCIPLINARY ACTION

City of Cape Town instituted disciplinary action against 326 staff members in current year

Weekend Argus reports that the City of Cape Town instituted disciplinary action against no less than 326 of its staff members during the current financial year. This equates to 1% out of the City’s staff complement of 30,373 permanent employees.   The staff members were implicated and charged with various acts of misconduct, among which were negligence, insubordination, misuse of council property, and being absent from work without permission. Only three members are currently on suspension and are receiving their full pay in accordance with the SA Local Bargaining Council’s disciplinary procedure collective agreement. However, municipal managers and senior employees who directly report to the municipal manager are excluded from that agreement. The ANC’s leader of the opposition in the City Council, Banele Majingo, said that given the size of the City of Cape Town and its budget, the number of employees undergoing a disciplinary process sounded large but in reality was not. “Over a period of time, we think this is a fair number,” said Majingo. “We also cannot allow harassment of junior employees who often fall victim majority of time based on their skin colour whilst accounting persons are not touched. If the need arises for a DC process, it must be fair,” he added.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Brandon Nel at Weekend Argus