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 Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Two drivers arrested over torching of Mpumalanga trucks TimesLIVE reports that police on Thursday confirmed they had arrested two truck drivers in connection with several trucks being set alight in Mpumalanga. The suspects, aged 29 and 27, were arrested at their homes on Thursday morning. Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said a multidisciplinary team assigned to investigate the attacks and burning of trucks made their first arrest on a farm in Piet Retief with the help of a private security firm. The other arrest was in Ermelo. Both suspects face charges of malicious damage to property. National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola said: “Police are hot on the heels of more suspects, which involves the ringleaders of these sporadic incidents of criminality. Either they hand themselves over or we fetch them ourselves.” High-density operations continue through roadblocks, stop-and-searches and the tracing operations of the suspects. Police Minister Bheki Cele on Wednesday said 12 people had been identified as people of interest by officers probing what has been described as co-ordinated attacks on freight trucks. AfriForum’s Johan Kruger said on Thursday that the organisation “welcomes the arrest of a suspect in the recent incident where a truck was set on fire on the N2 near Piet Retief”. He commented: “This suspect is probably just a foot soldier, and this quick arrest should not distract from the 12 who still need to be arrested to ... obtain real information about the [purpose and people] behind this sabotage.,” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khanyisile Ngcobo at TimesLIVE. Lees ook, Twee agter tralies ná trokke brand, by Maroela Media Security firm catches alleged truck arsonist near Piet Retief in the early hours of Thursday BusinessLive reports that one of the men believed to have been responsible for the arson attacks that saw four trucks torched on the N2 between Piet Retief and Ermelo in Mpumalanga has been arrested. A private security firm contracted by one of the companies whose trucks were burnt on Wednesday apprehended the man just outside Piet Retief. The company’s Bester Maree said they caught the man in the early hours of Thursday following an intelligence-driven operation and handed him over to the police at about 3am. The man has been charged with malicious damage to property. A total of 21 trucks have been torched in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng in what has been described as co-ordinated attacks. On Wednesday, Police Minister Bheki Cele announced that 12 people of interest had been identified through investigation and intelligence collection, with most of them located in the northern KwaZulu-Natal area. Cele said evidence pointed to “organised co-ordinated and sophisticated operations that seek to undermine and sabotage the state”. National police commissioner Fannie Masemola said police were in possession of videos they were analysing and would “follow up on those people that are on those videos”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jeanette Chabalala at BusinessLive. Read too, Dashcam arsonist believed to be one of two men arrested for truck attacks in Mpumalanga, at News24 Premier Panyaza Lesufi says trucks on Gauteng roads are being monitored BusinessLive reports that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says trucks in the province are constantly being monitored after recent arson attacks. More than 20 trucks were set alight in KwaZulu-Natal‚ Limpopo and Mpumalanga this week. The latest arson attacks took place on the N12 West between the Golden Highway in Eldorado Park and Klipspruit Valley Road near Slovo informal settlement on Wednesday afternoon. Lesufi said Gauteng was using hi-tech technology and cameras to monitor all strategic roads used by trucks entering or leaving the province. According to Police Minister Bheki Cele, 2 people have been identified as people of interest by officers investigating the attacks on trucks. “Whether it is economic sabotage‚ labour or service delivery-related disputes‚ police are closing in on those who choose to use violence and intimidation for whatever motive‚” said Cele. He added that there was no evidence to suggest the targeting of trucks was related or linked to the July 2021 insurrection. According to Road Freight Association (RFA) CEO Gavin Kelly, the attacks are co-ordinated. Warning that “without trucks, SA stops”, Kelly said the long-term effect would be felt in terms of increased security costs, higher insurance premiums and Sasria cover premiums, less freight movement through SA, closure of freight companies and job losses. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Unathi Nkanjeni at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Numsa striking at Hulamin over employee pension and medical aid benefits In an interview with Hulamin interim CEO Geoff Watson, Moneyweb discusses a strike by some of the aluminium supplier’s workers since Monday over a dispute related to employee benefits. On Wednesday, Hulamin issued a statement informing shareholders that a strike was currently under way. Watson advised: “We were issued with a notification of strike last Friday, and that gave the Numsa the opportunity to take the workers out within 48 hours. They did that on Monday at eight o’clock in the morning. Since then there has been picketing at the entry to the plant. We have shut down the plant and sent everybody, apart from people who are monitoring procedures from a safety perspective, on leave. That’s where we are now on day four.” Asked how many workers exactly were on strike, Watson indicated: “In the area of about 1,000. But Numsa members are mainly in the operational area running the rolling mills, extrusion press containers, presses, that sort of equipment.” On the nature on the two issues in disputes, Watson advised as follows: “One is the pension. We have two funds – a pension and a provident fund – that have some history associated with them, and Numsa have a claim that the two funds should be equalised. The second claim is around the issue of the medical aid, which has been capped by Hulamin for I think about eight years.” Watson reported that “at the moment is that there are discussions going on between the Hulamin human relations executive and some senior officials within Numsa, and we’re hoping that we’ll be able to get a time and date to be able to sit around the table and start to talk about a resolution to this issue.” Listen to the full interview between Fifi Peters and Geoff Watson at Moneyweb
Staff at RK Khan Hospital in Chatsworth picket over poor working conditions GroundUp reports that nurses, administration staff and general workers brought parts of RK Khan Hospital in Chatsworth, Durban, to a standstill for about an hour on Wednesday. They protested outside the hospital to highlight poor working conditions. Protesting nurses said they were forced to perform cleaning duties in addition to patient care because the hospital had not employed enough cleaners. Other workers complained of staff shortages in the administration and general units. According to the workers, they met with the hospital management in February when they were told that working conditions would improve, but nothing changed. Nurse Zizakele Ndlovu said: “The conditions we work under at the hospital are not good. We end up having to work more hours, and we don’t get paid for overtime. Sometimes I even work as a clerk.” Chairperson at the hospital of the National Education, Health and Allied and Workers’ Union (Nehawu) David Mpongose said they had engaged management and had been promised that the situation would improve. “Our bosses are arrogant. They really don’t take us seriously. Each time they make empty promises, so we decided to protest for the provincial government to assist us,” said Mpongose. Hospital CEO Linda Sobekwa accepted the workers’ memorandum and signed it on behalf of the provincial health department. She promised to ensure that the department responded within ten days as requested. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tsoanelo Sefoloko at GroundUp Sex workers march to Justice Minister’s office over delay with decriminalisation bill GroundUp reports that over 100 sex workers and activists marched in Pretoria on Thursday to demand that government urgently finalise a bill to decriminalise sex work. The group walked from Burgers Park, singing struggle songs and holding placards. They handed over a memorandum to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Officials from Justice Minister Ronald Lamola’s office signed the memorandum and promised to respond within a week. In May, the department revealed that Parliament’s draft bill to decriminalise sex work had been sent back to be revised after the state’s legal advisors flagged its shortcomings. The draft bill, which has gone through extensive public consultation, would decriminalise sex work to ensure better protection for sex workers. However, it does not make provision for how changes in the legislation would impact existing regulations in various municipalities. Sisonke national organiser Katlego Rasebitse said there was a lack of political will to decriminalise sex work. “While we wait, sex workers are being murdered daily and are still being policed. Their body autonomy is controlled by the state, especially black women. They face the brunt of police brutality,” said Rasebitse. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chris Gilili at GroundUp
Call for Ramaphosa to grant mining licences to illegal miners in Tubatse The Citizen reports that better roads, clean, running water and mining houses ploughing back into communities are some of the concerns Ga-Motodi residents believe President Cyril Ramaphosa should address on Friday. He will be engaging communities in the area at an imbizo in Ga-Motodi village, a stone’s throw away from Burgersfort. The town boasts 28 different mining houses that mine chrome, copper, sulphate, gold, copper, iridium, nickel and palladium. When asked what he expected from the president’s visit, Bolsheviks Party Sekhukhune secretary-general Seun Mogotji pointed out that this would not be the first time a SA president visited the region and unfulfilled promises were made. He said: “I don’t know if I should say Ramaphosa’s visit will miraculously turn our lives around.” Aubrey Ngoatle of the Socialist Agenda of Dispossessed Africans, said: “We wish the president and his minister of energy and mineral resources to grant illegal miners in Tubatse mining licences and also to assist them with resources to mine. Our people can’t be called zama zamas on their own land as if they are strangers. All those called zama zamas are doing so because there are no jobs available. Instead of stealing, they go to the mother nature for help.” He claimed: “There is no social responsibility from the mines to the communities here.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Japho Matlala at The Citizen Assmang ordered to reinstate employee after dismissing him for using ‘dismissed’ instead of ‘suspended’ during dispute IOL writes that an employee who was dismissed for dishonesty and misrepresentation after erroneously using "dismissed" instead of "suspended" during a dispute with his employer had his dismissal declared unfair and was reinstated by the Labour Court in Johannesburg. E Tlhaganyane was employed by Assmang Limited-Blackrock Mine as a shift supervisor. In July 2017 he was suspended on allegations of stealing the employer's disciplinary records. Following an investigation, it was established that there was insufficient evidence to prove Tlhaganyane's involvement in the alleged theft and the suspension was subsequently lifted. Unhappy with the theft allegations, Tlhaganyane lodged a grievance in accordance with Assmang's grievance policy. But, Assmang concluded that Tlhaganyane had not been discriminated against. Tlhaganyane then instructed his attorney to issue a summons against Assmang, alleging defamation of character. Unfortunately, in the summons, the attorney mistakenly stated that Tlhaganyane had been "dismissed" instead of "suspended." Consequently, Assmang charged Tlhaganyane with dishonesty and misrepresentation for the inaccurate details in the summons. After an internal hearing in April 2019, Tlhaganyane was dismissed for dishonesty and misrepresentation. He initiated an unsuccessful internal appeal and the matter was then referred to the CCMA, which ruled that the dismissal was both substantively and procedurally fair. The matter was then brought before the Labour Court. Acting Judge Smanga Sethene found it surprising that Assmang had instituted disciplinary charges against Tlhaganyane solely based on the mistaken reference to dismissal instead of suspension in the particulars. He ordered that Tlhaganyane be reinstated with immediate effect from the date of his dismissal and receive all the remuneration he would have earned had he not been dismissed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Brenda Masilela at IOL Other general posting(s) relating to mining
I was expelled by corrupt leaders, says ousted Numsa deputy president Ruth Ntlokotse GroundUp reports that expelled former deputy president of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) Ruth Ntlokotse claims she was ousted by the beneficiaries of corruption within the union’s leadership. The current leadership “is not acting in the interests of its members”, Ntlokotse told a press conference on Thursday, after a Numsa central committee meeting on 7 July voted to dismiss her. Ntlokotse said her disciplinary process was biased and that she had been denied legal representation. According to Ntlokotse, the union is “bleeding members” because of corruption at the leadership level. She had harsh words for general secretary Irvin Jim and his role in the debacle of Numsa-owned insurance company 3Sixty Life. In March 2022, GroundUp broke a story that Irvin Jim’s birthday party had been paid for by 3Sixty Life, which services Numsa’s members. This was the first in a series of stories about the mismanagement of 3Sixty Life, which was placed under curatorship after becoming insolvent. During her press conference, Ntlokotse accused Jim of committing perjury in a 2022 affidavit, in which he said that Numsa was unaware of complaints about 3Sixty Life. Ntlokotse said there is documentary evidence that members had complained about poor service from 3Sixty Life as early as 2018. She said Jim was now attempting to silence members critical of Numsa’s “corrupt leadership”. Ntlokotse is also president of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), to which Numsa belongs. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Daniel Steyn at GroundUp
Medical interns in Mpumalanga told to find own accommodation as preference given to Cuban-trained doctors News24 reports that medical interns allocated to hospitals in Mpumalanga have alleged that their hospital accommodation has been given to Cuban-trained doctors and doctors from other African countries. The interns allocated to Ermelo Provincial Hospital said they were told to look for accommodation outside the hospital. The junior doctors are a group of more than 50 medical interns from different provinces allocated to various hospitals in Mpumalanga. Last month the Department of Health announced that it had finalised the placement of more than 1,100 medical interns and junior doctors for the medical internship and community service programme. The junior doctors started their medical internship and community service on 3 July. One of the Mpumalanga interns said they were shocked when the hospitals told them that they don't provide accommodation for medical interns. Instead, they have to pay between R4,000 and R6,000 to rent a two-bedroom flat, leaving them with no choice but to share. ActionSA marched to Mpumalanga Health MEC Sasekani Manzini's office earlier this week, with a memorandum demanding a response to the interns' grievances within seven days. The party threatened to get a declaratory order to force the department to pay for the medical interns' accommodation and compensate them for the cost incurred thus far. Meanwhile, SA medical students who trained at Cuban universities graduated last week. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Yoliswa Sobuwa at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Public servants' lazy conduct under spotlight at dialogue on professionalising government employees News24 reports that according to Public Service Commission (PSC) chief director Cameron Jacobs, SA’s public servants have so little character formation that many do not realise their lazy conduct, such as playing computer games while on duty, is unethical. He believes SA should only push for the professionalisation of the public service with a proper plan. On Thursday, Jacobs was one of the main speakers at a retreat on the national framework towards the professionalisation of the public sector hosted by the PSC and Department of Public Service and Administration. He said part of the problem with professionalisation was the whole public service was in "a bit of a problem". He indicated: "We don't exactly know what we are doing. We just take a reform process and overlay it on a traditional reform process, and remember we come from apartheid. We are overlaying policy over policy. We are sitting with a skewed public administration process in the country. If we lack the capability and the competence, can we confidently say that we can develop an implementation plan? If we don't know, where do we get that capability and capacity?" He said character formation was critical within any public service. Jacobs added more needed to be done to deal with the framework. "If we don't have a uniform understanding of the Constitution of values and principles, how are we going to develop a curriculum?” he asked. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24
Court rules employee who sent rude emails to employer and threatened to involve EFF not constructively dismissed IOL reports that the Labour Court has ruled that a former employee who sent hostile and malicious emails to her employer after being refused early retirement, was not constructively dismissed and should not be compensated. Belinda Michelle du Bois was a sales consultant at the Airside Store at OR Tambo International Airport. She resigned from her employment in October 2020, claiming she was subjected to intolerable work conditions. In April 2020, Du Bois, who was 59-years-old at the time, had unsuccessfully applied for voluntary retrenchment. Aggrieved by the rejection, Du Bois bombarded the company with emails viewed as insolent, malicious, and hostile. In May 2020, the company issued her a written warning for insolence, but she continued with her insolent tone. The company also said Du Bois threatened to involve the EFF, which was viewed as a very serious affront. After the store re-opened in October 2020 following the lifting of Covid restrictions, Du Bois tendered her resignation in an 11-page resignation letter. Du Bois then approached the CCMA, which found that she had been constructively dismissed and should be awarded compensation equivalent to six months’ salary. However, Judge Portia Nkutha-Nkontwana said Du Bois was the author of her misfortune, and she should have been better advised about the consequences of her intransigent stance because she had enjoyed legal counsel from a reputable law firm (Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr). Nkutha-Nkontwana said the commissioner’s finding that there was no evidence to show that Du Bois resigned to avoid a pending disciplinary inquiry was irrational. “In all the circumstances, I am satisfied that the commissioner misconstrued the nature of the inquiry and incorrectly donned herself with jurisdiction she did not have,” wrote Nkutha-Nkontwana. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Brenda Masilela at IOL
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