In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Cosatu to strike on Thursday over state of economy, government failures Fin24 reports that trade union federation Cosatu and its affiliates are to strike on Thursday in protest against the state of the economy, poor governance, and the falling living standards of workers. The strike will occur under section 77 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA), in respect of which the federation has received a strike certificate from Nedlac. The strike is therefore protected under the LRA, and no one can be dismissed for participating, but the no work, no pay rule will apply. In a statement on Monday, Cosatu said: "It is a demonstration by workers that government needs to do more to end the levels of load shedding, cable theft, crime and corruption, wasteful expenditure, and austerity crippling the state, suffocating the economy, and further plunging workers into high levels of indebtedness and misery. This is also a signal to the government, the Reserve Bank, and the commercial banks that the working class can no longer afford to bear the burden of rising levels of inflation, electricity tariff hikes, and relentless and reckless increases in the repo rate." Among other things, Cosatu wants the government to: raise the R350 social relief of distress grant to the food poverty line (which is R624); increase the number of participants in the presidential employment stimulus programme; to intervene and rebuild Transnet and Metro Rail; and to provide more resources to the SA Post Office to prevent its liquidation. Cosatu's last day of action just under a year ago was poorly attended by workers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard compiled by Carol Paton at Fin24
Food prices are climbing again, according to latest Shisa Nyama Index Bloomberg News reports that the cost of a basket of goods in Bloomberg’s SA Shisa Nyama Index, designed to show the price of a traditional backyard barbecue in townships and rural areas, accelerated to 15% in June from a year earlier. That compares with 12% in May. The acceleration reverses a three-month slowdown in price gains and is a blow for South Africans struggling with incessant power outages and a moribund economy. Restaurant owners such as Khunou Nyakale, who runs two shisa nyama restaurants in Soweto, haven’t been able to pass on the costs of items such as onions, which rose 97% in June, to consumers, prompting eateries to fire workers. Crunching data from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group, Bloomberg’s index tracks the prices of some of the key ingredients in a shisa nyama – cornmeal, onions, carrots, tomatoes, curry powder, salt, frozen chicken portions, beef and wors. According to Statistics SA, food inflation slowed to 12% in May, while the headline number eased to a 13-month low of 6.3%. Still, the measure has been above the SA Reserve Bank’s target range since May last year and that will prompt the bank to keep monetary policy tight for longer, according to Governor Kganyago. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpho Hlakudi at Fin24 Price hike for diesel on Wednesday, but petrol gets cheaper TimesLIVE reports that petrol prices will drop on Wednesday, but diesel will become more expensive, the Department of Mineral Resources & Energy (DMRE) has confirmed. The wholesale price of high-sulphur (0.05%) diesel will increase by 18c/l and low-sulphur diesel (0.005%) by 12c/l. But, there will be a 24c/l decrease in the retail price of 93 ULP and a 17c/l drop for 95 ULP, while the price of illuminating paraffin will reduce by 4c/l. International fuel prices increased during the period under review, said the DMRE, but the rand strengthened against the US dollar, leading to a lower contribution to the basic fuel prices. The Automobile Association of SA commented: “A decrease to the price of petrol is naturally welcome news and will provide some relief to embattled consumer. The increase to diesel, though, means input costs in, among other sectors – the agricultural and manufacturing sectors – are also likely to increase, which may result in higher prices for consumers.” Read the original of the report in the above regard by Denis Droppa at BusinessLive. Lees ook, Só lyk Julie se brandstofpryse, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Union federations appalled by ‘obscene’ 3% pay hike for public office bearers BL Premium reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has come under fire by disgruntled labour federations after he signed off on 3% wage increase for public office bearers (POBs) including judges, cabinet ministers, MPs and traditional leaders. The POBs, including and their deputies, are among the most highly paid officials in the country, taking home more than R1m per annum and enjoy perks including travel allowances, security and generators in their state-supplied housing. In a statement at the weekend, the presidency said Ramaphosa had made a determination to increase salaries of all public office bearers by 3%, with effect from 1 April 2022. The Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers had recommended a 3.8% salary increment, while Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana had proposed a 1.5% increase plus a one-off cash gratuity. Cosatu’s Matthew Parks characterised the 3% wage increase as a “tone deaf and embarrassing decision” by Ramaphosa. He said load-shedding, the rising cost of living, corruption and a stagnant economy have all happened under the watch and leadership of political office bearers and stressed: “They do not deserve the packages they currently earn let alone an increase in their salaries.” Saftu’s Trevor Shaku rejected the increase because POBs already earn “obscene salaries”; and “in the context of the damage they have caused (and are still causing) to our country, these public office bearers do not deserve any increase”. Nactu’s Narius Moloto said the wage increase was a “spit in the face of the poor” as POBs were already living large and were not affected by the rising cost of living. Fedusa’s Riefdah Ajam noted that SA was close to a dysfunctional state and concluded that the question whether the office bearers deserved an increase was moot when weighing such factors. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Trade unions are not the victims of the ‘neoliberal capitalist system’ they like to make out to be In a thought-provoking opinion piece, investigative journalist Sipho Masondo writes that three decades into the democratic dispensation, unions still portray themselves and their members as victims of the "neoliberal capitalist system and establishment", but nothing could be further from the truth. He says the time has come for unions to cut ties with the past and usher in a new era in which they deploy their staggering collective financial muscle, power, and influence to help deliver economic freedom for black people. Masondo notes: “Unions are not victims. They are monied organisations which wield an enormous amount of power and influence.” In total Sadtu, Nehawu, the PSA and Denosa – all public sector unions – have 885,000 members contributing collective membership fees totalling R81 million monthly. The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) – the biggest union in the country – has membership reaching 338,000 and, according to a rough estimate, a staggering R30 million in monthly subscription fees. There are other unions with substantial members, which translate into significant subscription fees. Masondo says all these trade unions need is to stop continuously painting themselves as being at the mercy of employers. Most of these unions have subsidiary investment companies, but beyond bursaries, funeral cover and funding their members' workplace legal woes, little is known about how the unions' investment companies invest fees collected from members. According to Masondo, unions should use their funds to create black industrialists and buy stakes in the financial services sector. He says leaders of the labour movement need to shift their mindset from being organisations representing workers to becoming owners and shareholders of companies in their different sectors. “Instead of forever moaning ‘about the neoliberal system’ unions should seize the opportunity to contribute towards delivering economic freedom to black people in our lifetime. Read Sipho Masondo’s article in full at News24 (subscriber access only)
Harmony Gold hits back at zama zama’s claim that mine shaft was bombed The Citizen reports that one of the two illegal miners (zama zamas) who up until now have been the only known survivors of a massive underground explosion at the Harmony Gold mine in the Free State in May, claims he has unearthed the truth behind the cause of the fatal blast. On 18 May, a methane gas explosion in at a decommissioned mining shaft in Virginia, near Welkom, was cited as the cause of the tragic death of at least 31 Lesotho illegal miners. The zama zama however claims that a viral video, as well as the accounts of witnesses, points to “security personnel from Harmony Gold mine dropping bombs into the shaft”. The video shows three vehicles driving away from the decommissioned mine shaft where the explosion occurred. “There were vehicles belonging to the mine bosses – as soon as they left there was smoke and an explosion. The people who were nearer called and told us they think the boss poured something in the mine. They then took pictures of the cars. We heard what happened from the people who live closer to the mine,” the blast survivor alleged. Harmony Gold spokesperson Moeketsi Manoeli refuted the allegation, labelling it “very irresponsible”. He said: “Any mining company has lots of security that patrols and monitors on sites. We preach responsible stewardship as one of our strategic pillars. For us to act in such an unethical manner is unheard of so we think it’s very irresponsible for people to make such allegations against us.” The bodies of at least 28 bodies of the illegal Lesotho miners have not yet been retrieved. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cornelia Le Roux at The Citizen. Watch, Survivor recalls Virginia zama zama tragedy, at EWN Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Safa to meet Banyana in emergency meetings after send-off match drama The Citizen reports that the SA Football Association (Safa) is set to have two emergency meetings with the Banyana Banyana squad following the intervention of Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa and Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi. This after a row erupted between Safa and Banyana ahead of their friendly game against Botswana at Tsakane Stadium on Sunday. The players did not want to play on a poor-quality pitch and had financial demands that they wanted Safa to meet in their World Cup contracts. Allegedly, Safa president Danny Jordaan told the players to go home and Safa fielded a makeshift team, with none of the Banyana World Cup squad involved. Botswana exploited their inexperienced rivals to win 5-0. The match was supposed to be Banyana’s World Cup send-off, with the tournament starting in Australia and New Zealand on 20 July. Apart from concerns about the venue, Banyana were unhappy with the financial arrangements for World Cup. According to the players, they will receive about R560,000 each from Fifa, but nothing from Safa. Banyana apparently refused to sign pre-tournament contracts, demanding an additional $21,000 each from Safa. Safa’s Gronie Hluyo said the players were being “unreasonable” in their demands. “What Fifa has committed to giving them is way more than we have committed to any of the national teams previously, including Bafana Bafana,” he claimed. The first meeting between Safa and Banyana will deal with contracts, while the second will deal with World Cup logistics. Banyana are due to leave for New Zealand in two groups, on Wednesday and on Thursday, Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tshepo Ntsoelengoe at The Citizen. Read too, Safa CEO defends moves amid Banyana boycott, at BusinessLive
SPCA unable to pay staff as Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality fails to pay debt News24 reports that the SPCA in Nelson Mandela Bay does not know how it will pay staff members after the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality allegedly failed to pay an outstanding amount of about R620,000 it owes the organisation. The facility, situated in Kariega just outside Gqeberha, services the entire metro by running and maintaining an animal pound on behalf of the municipality. But the SPCA has allegedly not been paid since January. Now staff members, who usually get paid weekly, will in all likelihood be left high and dry when payday arrives on Tuesday. Chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Bay SPCA, Deirdre Swift, explained that they have no direct affiliation with the municipality other than the fact that the SPCA manages the municipality's animal pound. The agreement is that the municipality reimburses the SPCA every month for costs incurred. However, this has not happened for half of the year. In the meantime, the facility's telephone lines were cut last Friday and they have lost access to critical vaccines for the animals due to a lack of funds. Swift explained that countless meetings had been held with the municipality but to no avail. She said: “I don't want to create a bad relationship with the municipality but we need these funds to do our jobs. Financially, we are not okay.” A municipal spokesperson indicated on Monday that the payment process was being dealt with, while Mayor Gary van Niekerk said the payment documents for the SPCA were "in progress". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Candice Bezuidenhout at News24
Ekurhuleni municipality warns public about sick notes fraud SoiwetanLive reports that the Ekurhuleni unicipality has raised the alarm about a scam in which workers use the city’s public clinic attendance letters as sick notes to fool their bosses. The rise of this fraud has resulted in the city issuing a public notice to warn employers and to teach the public about the difference between a doctor’s sick note and a clinic attendance letter. The fraud allegations were brought to the municipality’s attention by an employer who visited one of the clinics to verify the credibility of his employee’s sick notes. The employer learned that the notes were clinic attendance letters that had been forged into sick notes. “A clinic attendance letter does not give a patient permission to be off sick as it is a document that serves as a confirmation that a person visited a particular health facility. A clinic attendance letter only confirms that a patient was indeed at the clinic and is mostly given to patients on chronic medication who would ideally spend an hour or two at the clinic to collect their repeat medication or have an appointment,” the municipality pointed out. It further explained that in some instances, employers needed the letter, hence healthcare workers also indicated the time the patient left the health facility. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Londiwe Dlomo at SowetanLive
G4S prison worker implicated in Thabo Bester escape granted R10,000 bail IOL reports that the three latest accused in the Thabo Bester prison escape saga appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The G4S employees, Joel Makhetha, Moeketsi Ramolula and Thabang Mier, were all arrested on 26 June at their Bloemfontein and Botshabelo homes. The trio made their first court appearance on 28 June, when the matter was postponed until Monday for bail information. State prosecutor Sello Matlhoko advised that Mier faced a charge of aiding the escape of a prisoner, and because he had no previous convictions or pending matters, the State was not opposed to his bail. Mier was granted R10,000 bail, subject to certain conditions. Ramolula and Makhetha face charges of violating a corpse and corruption. The duo will be bringing bail applications before the same court on 11 July. They will remain in custody until then. The whole group of accused are expected back in court on 8 August. The latest arrests bring the number of people arrested in connection with Bester’s escape to 12, including Bester himself. Bester faked his own death and escaped from the G4S-operated Mangaung Correctional Centre in May last year. He was re-arrested in April 2023 by Tanzanian authorities in Arusha after he fled the country with his lover, Dr Nandipha Magudumana. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Robin-Lee Francke at IOL. Lees ook, Thabo Bester-ontsnapping: Borgtog vir tronkbewaarder, by Maroela Media
Two Tshwane metro cops accused of corruption, kidnapping, and robbery remain at work News24 reports that two Tshwane Metro Police Department officers, who have had several criminal cases opened against them, were handed precautionary suspension letters, but allegedly refused to accept them. Johnson Lebombo and Aubrey Phalane allegedly have a history of misconduct. The two men were suspended in 2022 following allegations of serious acts of misconduct. However, the suspensions apparently lapsed, and they were allowed to return to work. Since then, there have allegedly been more acts of serious misconduct, which led to the city manager's decision to suspend the two officers again. Their suspension letters were served just a day after they appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on charges of corruption, defeating the ends of justice, and extortion. It is alleged that both officers refused to sign the letters and that their union also had an issue. The Tshwane SA Municipal Workers Union's Ngwako Mathabathe explained that the City had allegedly tried to extend the 2022 suspension of the two metro police officers. "If there is misconduct that the members have committed, they must issue a new suspension," he pointed out. Tshwane Corporate and Shared Services MMC Kingsley Wakelin advised that there were human resources and labour processes underway involving both Lebombo and Phalane. "At this present moment, this matter is being attended to and given the urgency it deserves by the current leadership. We expect that we will soon have an outcome regarding the suspensions," he said. Apparently, more than a dozen criminal cases were opened between 2017 and 2022 against the two metro police officers, with allegations including corruption, extortion, robbery, kidnapping, and assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm and theft. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24 (subscriber access only)
Still no work for suspended deputy police commissioner Francinah Vuma City Press reports that suspended deputy police commissioner Francinah Vuma has been told that she may not return to work, pending a review of her suspension. Vuma was suspended in July last year. She was supposed to return to work following a ruling that found that the SA Police Service had lost its right to discipline her for refusing to enable the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption. This related to the controversial deal to purchase spying equipment for the police at an exorbitant price. State attorney Vishal Ramruch told Vuma through her lawyers that the SA Police Service (SAPS) intended appealing the ruling permitting her to return to work. Your client’s precautionary suspension accordingly remains in place until such time as the matter has finally been resolved. Your client is therefore reminded that she is not to report for duty at this stage,” wrote Ramruch to the lawyers. His letter followed Vuma’s lawyers’ letter, which said that she would return to work, as there was nothing to prevent her from doing so. In a ruling delivered last month by Safety & Security Sectoral Bargaining Council arbitrator Johnny Mathebula, it was found that the SAPS had waived its right to discipline Vuma and was “accordingly precluded from disciplining” her. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Abram Mashego at City Press
AfroCentric appoints Gerald van Wyk as new CEO, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Although some Metrorail lines in Cape Town have reopened, thousands of commuters still have no train service, at GroundUp Five people killed in a taxi and a Golden Arrow bus accident on Sunday in Belhar, at Cape Argus Ipid dismisses claims of ‘poor investigations’ amid lack of prosecutions, at Cape Times Ipid linked to corruption cover-up claims, at Mail & Guardian (subscriber access only) Untu accuses KZN government of dragging its feet to help flood victims, at Daily News Hudaco warns AGOA loss will put 180 of its jobs at risk, at Fin24 R145 miljoen-toelaag vir nuwe poste in Pretoria, by Maroela Media Double dipping teacher’s conduct ‘was improper’ for receiving more than one salary in public service, at SowetanLive
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