In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 7 July 2023.
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Van Reenen's Pass reopened after six trucks set alight on Sunday; no injuries reported News24 reports that the N3 Toll Route at Van Reenen's Pass has been re-opened to traffic after six trucks were set alight by a group of armed gunmen in the early hours of Sunday morning. Police said the armed men stopped the trucks near Van Reenen's Pass, forced the drivers out of their vehicles before setting the trucks on fire, and then fleeing the scene. N3 Toll Concession spokesperson Thania Dhoogra said the southbound lanes on Van Reenen Pass were now open, accommodating both directions of traffic using contraflow. "The northbound carriageway (towards Johannesburg) will however remain closed until repairs can be completed and the road deemed safe for passage," said Dhoogra. The Road Freight Association called for action to be taken against those responsible for the attacks on truck drivers in the country. Describing the incident as a well-coordinated attack on the road freight sector, the association’s CEO, Gavin Kelly said the specific spot on the N3, as well as the timing of the attack, were chosen to cause 'mayhem and disruption'. Questioning who was behind the attacks, Kelly said there was no looting of vehicles and thankfully none of the drivers or staff on the vehicles were injured or killed. On Sunday, KwaZulu-Natal police were hunting the group of armed suspects responsible for the attack. The incident came just hours ahead of the second anniversary of the July 2021 unrest, which was marked on Sunday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisalee Solomons at News24. Lees ook, Ses vragmotors by Van Reenenspas aan die brand gesteek, by Maroela Media Fire on Sunday destroys Vodacom headquarters in Cape Town; no injuries reported News24 reports that City of Cape Town firefighters attended to a blaze that broke out at the Vodacom Western Cape headquarters in Century City on Sunday. Fire and Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said they were alerted to the blaze at 11:00, and were told of solar panels alight on the roof of the building. "Upon arrival of the first crew, additional resources were requested. Two hydraulic platforms were also dispatched. Firefighters had to be aware of the falling debris whilst working inside the building,” said Carelse. The fire apparently completely destroyed the building’s interior. Firefighters had to demolish the inner walls to clear a pathway to the affected parts of the structure. The Vodacom offices are mere metres away from the popular Canal Walk shopping mall. Vodacom Group Executive Officer Byron Kennedy said no staff members were affected by the blaze. "Given that it's a Sunday there weren't many people in the building, nonetheless it has been successfully evacuated with no injuries that we are aware of at this stage," he reported. The fire rescue team said the heavy downpour of rain in the city also helped efforts to extinguish the fire. Based on reports by Lisalee Solomons at News24 and by Melikhaya Zagagana at EWN. Lees ook, Vodacom-gebou brand in Kaapstad, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
VIP blue-light unit victim sues for R1m, no-one yet charged for N1 assault Sunday Times reports that attorney Daniel Eloff, who is representing L’vaughn Fisher, the 25-year-old infantryman assaulted by members of the police’s VIP protection unit two weekends ago, says he is suing the police service for a million rand. While the claim for now was is R1m, the “amount may be amended after all medical reports have been obtained”. Eloff and Ulrich Roux, representing the other three victims who were in the car, confirmed that none of the police officers concerned have officially been charged, despite damning footage showing their faces and the assault itself. The identities of the eight officers have been kept under wraps as they have yet to be charged. Meanwhile, their victims have apparently been prevented from speaking out by their employer, the defence force. Last Monday, a video went viral showing members of Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s protection team assaulting motorists on the N1 near Fourways, Johannesburg, on Sunday. In the video, Fisher can be seen unconscious on the side of the road. Eloff confirmed that his client had opened a criminal case. “The Ipid [Independent Police Investigative Directorate] complaint has been lodged. Ipid has conducted interviews with our client. He’s been there and they’ve discussed it with him. We know that a case has been opened at the Sandton police station,” Eloff indicated. On Thursday, national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola announced that the eight VIP officers had been suspended and temporarily removed from their posts “pending the outcome of our investigation”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khanyisile Ngcobo at Sunday Times (subscriber access only) VIP protection officers involved in N1 assault should have been immediately charged, say security experts BusinessLive reports that a convoy of Presidential Protection Services (PPS) vehicles without a VIP principal on board does not enjoy any privileges above that of any motorist and should have been immediately charged, say security and training experts. When those protectors cause any harm along the way – whether beating up another motorist or hitting a pedestrian – and leave the injured behind before calling in assistance from the uniformed SAPS and emergency services, it constitutes another crime. Pointing a firearm at an unarmed driver is another criminal offence. As such, the eight protectors involved in the recent incident on the N1 highway when a soldier was beaten unconscious, and another Defence Force recruit was dragged from their vehicle, should have been criminally charged immediately. The incident was captured on another motorist’s dashcam. The protectors were part of deputy president Paul Mashatile’s security team, but he was not in the convoy at the time. “For me this incident just reeks of a power trip with political backup,” retired Maj-Gen Chris Botha, former chief of research and curriculum in the SA Police Service, commented. Maj-Gen Wally Rhoode, who was implicated in the ‘Phala Phala’ scandal, is the head of the Presidential Protection Service. He is now in charge of disciplinary action against the eight protectors involved in the assault. All eight have been served notices of suspension, but another former senior officer in the SAPS said there was provision in the police’s disciplinary regulations for an expeditious process to summarily dismiss them. The regulations defines assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, any act of misconduct which detrimentally affects the image of the SAPS or brings the SAPS into disrepute, and any contravention of the Firearms Controls Act as misconduct for expeditious dismissal. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Erika Gibson at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Numsa and Bell Equipment agree to make 100 workers permanent employees BL Premium reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has inked an agreement with Bell Equipment to convert 100 contract workers into permanent employees, days after the union threatened to strike and shut the group’s Richards Bay plant and its Boksburg head office. But this does not mark the end of the impasse between the parties on other demands. “Numsa welcomes the agreement between itself and the management of Bell Equipment, where it has been agreed that those workers who have been exploited by labour brokers for more than 10 years, will be made permanent employees with immediate effect,” Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said. He added: “This agreement means that they will receive medical aid and improved provident fund. This will fundamentally change the lives of these workers by upgrading and improving their quality of life. They now have job security and they will be able to raise their families with dignity.” The union has been at loggerheads with Bell over nonpayment of bonuses, and exploitation of workers through labour brokers. The parties deadlocked and engaged in conciliation. Demanding the insourcing of workers, a housing and transport allowance and R2,000 in untaxed bonuses for member employees, Numsa last week threatened to strike. The parties will apparently meet on 15 August for management to give feedback on the additional demands. “We call on the management to put a meaningful offer on the table because, as things stand, the dispute remains active, which means, if workers are not happy with the offer, they can still resort to a strike,” said Jim. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Michelle Gumede at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Mineral Resources Department considering specialised unit to deal with illegal mining EWN reports that a specialised unit dealing with illegal mining is on the cards following a number of incidents recorded in the last month. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) said the establishment of such a unit might help reduce illegal mining incidents in the country. "It should be a fully capacitated and trained detective unit and we are also considering the possibility of a specialised prosecutor focusing on illegal mining," indicated DMRE spokesperson Makhosonke Buthelezi. Last week, 17 people were killed while 11 others were injured in a gas leak linked to illegal mining at the Angelo informal settlement in Boksburg. Read the original of the short eport in the above regard by Gloria Motsoere at EWN
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Health slashes 178 jobs as it automates manufacturing in Cape Town City Press reports that the consumer health division of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), recently renamed Haleon, is slashing approximately 178 jobs at its Cape Town site due to the modernisation and automation of manufacturing processes that are to be implemented in the company. The company recently concluded a section 189 consultation process with the CCMA to retrench about 300 workers, however, through further consensus-seeking processes, the number has been reduced to 178. The company produces consumer products such as Sensodyne, Med-lemon and Aquafresh. The workers who will be most impacted are said to be the machine operators. According to the firm, the onslaught has been reduced by 122 people because of joint consensus-seeking processes. There have been indications by some employees in the company that the 122 affected employees have accepted voluntary severance packages. Meanwhile, the SA Communist Party (SACP) released a statement pledging its full support to GSK workers affiliated with the Independent Commercial Hospitality and Allied Workers Union (Ichawu) and the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union. The SACP called on Haleon to reconsider its decision and implored it to look to other alternatives to save jobs. The SACP also called on the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, to intervene. Apparently workers affiliated with Ichawu have not yet signed their retrenchment letters and are still exploring other legal options. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Majavu at City Press Trade union Untu worried about job losses if Transnet pursues private sector participation EWN reports that the United National Transport Union (Untu) claims that the jobs of 45,000 Transnet workers will be at risk should the railway company forge ahead with its private sector participation process. The union met Transnet management last week to discuss outstanding details about the process. Leveraging private participation into Transnet is premised on seeking private partnerships to help organise, manage and market new revenue streams. But Untu claims Transnet has failed to provide answers on the job security concerns of its members. According to the union, the integration of private sector participation at Transnet ports will create further job insecurity. The union said that despite several meetings with management and recognised labour teams, Transnet has failed to outline what would happen to employees who did not meet the different private skills requirements. It claimed that there had been no indication as to whether employees who were not going to be used in terms of the private sector participation would be allocated positions at all. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Tamika Gounden at EWN
With banks set for changing of the guard, succession planning is crucial Business Times reports that as the CEOs of two of SA’s biggest financial institutions prepare to step down and other long-serving banking CEOs near their likely retirement age, there is an opportunity for a new guard of banking leaders to step up. But, it is unclear whether this crucial sector has adequate succession plans in place. Last month Nedbank announced the retirement of CEO Mike Brown, pending the appointment of a successor and the completion of a handover process. In May, Investec Bank SA said CEO Richard Wainwright would step down in 2024 and remain on the executive until his planned retirement in 2025. Stuart Theobald of Intellidex has pointed out that managing the CEO succession process in a bank was particularly important. “The reasons range from maintaining the operations of the bank, meeting the expectations of all stakeholders, from shareholders to staff and, importantly, regulators,” he explained. Theobald said several boards were in the position of needing succession plans for CEOs who have had long tenures. Standard Bank's Sim Tshabalala, FNB's Jacques Celliers and Capitec's Gerrie Fourie are among the longest-serving CEOs in the sector. Succession planning at banks was thrown into the spotlight when Absa CEO Maria Ramos stepped down in 2019. “When Ramos stepped down, it was clear that there was not an immediate successor. It was some time before the appointment of Daniel Mminele was announced,” Theobald recalled. He went on to note that Mminele held the office for just over year before resigning and there was another hiatus during which there was an acting CEO before a permanent appointment was made. “Boards will want to avoid that kind of Absa scenario,” Theobald opined. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at Business Times (subscriber access only)
Former TBVC pensioners threaten legal action if Ramaphosa doesn’t take action Business Report writes that SATBVC, an association of pensioners from Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda, and Ciskei (known as TBVC states), has given President Cyril Ramaphosa seven days to effect his instruction to Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to investigate issues regarding the pensions of the former civil servants or face legal action. Spearheading the drive is UDM leader Bantu Holomisa. The bone of contention relates to employees who joined the TBVC governments as civil servants in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s. They were told that their pension funds were calculated from 1996, despite their pension fund contributions having been deducted earlier than that date. According to Holomisa, their pension fund monies were contributed to asset management companies such as Sanlam, Old Mutual, and Alexander Forbes. "The money was transferred in 1996 to the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) after it was formed. The GEPF was instructed to take the money and invest it in the Public Investment Corporation (PIC)," he indicated. According to SATBVC, despite Ramaphosa’s promises to deal with the matter, nothing has been done. “I have asked this task team (under the deputy president) to provide a report on this matter and I have also asked the minister of finance to set up a team to look into the issue of pensions for civil servants from the TBVC states,” the President said at the time. Holomisa repoprted at a press briefing last week that the SATBVC had compiled a report after the president's speech and had sent it to the Minister of Finance, who in turn had said he would give a date for a meeting to go forward. "We haven't heard anything since from Minister Godongwana,” Holomisa reported. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dieketseng Maleke at Business Report Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Victory in sight for SA’s women in sport as draft of equal pay legislation nears finalisation City Press reports that Banyana Banyana and other women’s national teams’ long battle for equal pay, is headed for victory. According to Sumayya Khan, deputy director-general in the department of sport, arts and culture, a draft policy that will ensure that every woman representing SA in sport will receive equal pay, benefits and sponsorship, is expected to be passed into law later this year. Cabinet approved the gazetting of the draft policy on women in sport in March this year. On Friday, Khan advised that the draft had already been published for public comment and the process was nearing completion. The next step will be to make the necessary changes based on the public’s input. Once tabled in Parliament, the policy will go through several processes until it’s approved and becomes law. The policy outlines a set of measures to promote and support women in sport and ensure that programmes are in place to address gender disparities. It also addresses the barriers to entry for women – such as lack of funding, sponsorship and inadequate remuneration. The equal pay debate resurfaced last week following the standoff between Banyana and Safa over the players’ match appearance fees at the upcoming Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia later this month. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tiisetso Malepa at City Press (subscriber access only)
'I was fired for not handing over work laptop, but I did so,' says Unisa registrar City Press reports that according to fired University of SA (Unisa) registrar Professor Steward Mothata, the university acted against him for not submitting his work laptop and access card. But Mothata has claimed in papers filed at the Johannesburg Labour Court on 28 June that at the time of his dismissal by Unisa principal and vice-chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula, the equipment had already been handed over. Mothata’s move to challenge his dismissal came after he had earlier gone to court over his suspension. It remains unclear what would be the implications of the suspension challenge to the dismissal case. But, Mothata stated in his latest founding affidavit that the court should make an order declaring LenkaBula’s decision to terminate his employment without following an arbitration process set out in his contract unlawful. He also asked the court to direct Unisa and LenkaBula to reinstate him and initiate arbitration proceedings if they believed that he had committed an act of misconduct. Mothata detailed how Unisa decided to terminate him while the suspension issue was still pending. He was employed as a registrar on 1 October 2020. His contract set out the terms of his employment, including the procedure to be followed leading to its termination whether as a result of misconduct or otherwise. After his suspension, Mothata asserted that LenkaBula did not have the power of law to suspend him and that his suspension constituted victimisation. In an urgent application at the High Court on 20 June, he sought various reliefs to ensure compliance with the law and “address the persistent abuse of power and poor governance at Unisa”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Msindisi Fengu at City Press
If people aren't moved, 'we will never recover the Central Line', bemoans Prasa about Cape Town’s Central Line News24 reports that bosses at the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) and the City of Cape Town are at their wits end over endless delays in moving people who have erected shacks on railway tracks, making it impossible for the city's crucial Central Line to be operational. An estimated 5,195 households have settled on the line, including illegal structures having been erected at the Langa, Philippi and Khayelitsha stations. This has made it impossible for Prasa to restore operations on the Central Line. The commuter service has been discontinued since October 2019 owing to vandalism, theft and safety issues. The line is only operational between Nyanga and Maitland as negotiations with the affected shack-dwellers continue. Appearing before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday, Prasa pointed out that the City was responsible for expediting the process to provide emergency and disaster relocation for the residents occupying the tracks. Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews told the committee that R50 million was ring-fenced for land aimed at relocated locals, but he conceded that the matter was very complex. Prasa in turn has set aside R1.2 billion to recover the Central Line. Acting Prasa CEO Hishaam Emeran told Scopa that the plan was to get trains up and running by the end of the financial year in March 2024. "Without a long-term solution to relocate the residents, we will never recover the Central Line," he warned as the matter of the relocation was a critical issue. Scopa agreed to meet monthly to get feedback on the issue, with the next meeting set for the end of July. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marvin Charles at News24
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