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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Traffic chaos expected in Pretoria on Friday as Cosatu members march in solidarity with municipal workers’ wage strike Pretoria News reports that traffic in the Pretoria CBD is expected to come to a standstill on Friday as Cosatu members march to Tshwane House in solidarity with the ongoing wage strike by municipal workers. The trade union federation said it supported the demands by the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) to defend an existing collective bargaining agreement and pay workers their salary increases. Last week the city filed a salary increase exemption application at the SA Local Government Bargaining Council. The application is expected to be heard at the council between the city and labour unions Samwu and the Independent Municipal & Allied Trade Union on 23 August. Cosatu said it supported the workers’ demand for the applicable outstanding increases of 3.5% and 5.4%, respectively, to be paid. It also called on the municipality to reinstate all dismissed workers with immediate effect. More than 90 workers who failed to heed the city’s call to desist from striking have been fired. The Tshwane multiparty coalition said it was concerned by the recent surge in violence and lawlessness that has marred the ongoing illegal strike by Samwu. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Rapula Moatshe at Pretoria News DA to lay criminal charges against striking Tshwane municipal workers Pretoria News reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane intends on Friday to lay criminal charges against members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) who are participating in the “unlawful” strike action that started three weeks ago. The DA is accusing the strikers of conspiracy to commit sabotage, kidnapping and committing grievous bodily harm. The strike over a salary increase of 5.4%.has been marred by a series of violent incidents with strikers allegedly intimidating colleagues who refused to take part in the protest action. It was recently reported that a Tshwane water and sanitation employee was shot and wounded last weekend in an incident believed to be linked to the strike action. The employee apparently ignored threats to stop responding to call-outs by fellow employees. DA Tshwane caucus spokesperson Kwena Moloto confirmed that the party would be laying criminal charges at the Brooklyn Police Station. He said the party had obtained evidence of the charges through an anonymous whistle-blower. “Evidence will be handed over to the South African Police Service and to members of the media present,” he indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mashudu Sadike at Pretoria News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Dinokeng game reserve applies for permission to put down lions that killed employee Pretoria Rekord reports that Dinokeng Game Enterprises has applied to the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Environment for a permit to euthanise the three lions that killed a worker earlier this week. Dinokeng manager Hartogh Streicher identified the employee who was killed as Johannes Matshe. He is believed to have been killed at the reserve near Pretoria on the night of 13 August. The incident came to light when the reserve fencing team stumbled upon human remains around 10:37 the following day. The police were notified immediately and acted swiftly, commencing the investigation. Streicher said Matshe was tragically attacked and killed by lions while attempting to navigate the reserve on foot after dark. He emphasised that walking within the reserve during the night, or at any time, was strictly forbidden. Dinokeng management association chairman Michael Daymond said that they were saddened by the tragic event and expressed his condolences to the family. He explained that the decision regarding the fate of the three lions considered many factors including the emotional tragedy suffered by the family, friends and landowners, the reserve’s environmental development and lion management plan as well as several discussions with subject matter experts. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Elize Parker at Pretoria Rekord. Lees ook, Permit versoek om Dinokeng-leeus van kant te maak, by Maroela Media Emotional service for Gauteng education labour relations official who was followed home and slain in his driveway News24 reports that emotions ran high inside the hall of the Zakariyya Park Combined School during the memorial service for Siza Mbhalati in Johannesburg on Thursday. Family and friends from across the country gathered to share memories of the 52-year-old, who was shot eight times in his driveway last week. Mbhalati was the Johannesburg South District's chief deputy education specialist. In a statement, the Gauteng Department of Education reported he was followed home and shot dead in Soweto. Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said he was saddened by the death of a dedicated public servants, who had served the department with honour and dignity. Mbhalati had worked for the Labour Relations Unit and was responsible for facilitating labour-related disputes at schools. "I've never heard of threats against Mr Mbhalati. We are asking the police to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book," said Vincent Ndlovu, a friend and a colleague. Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said an investigation was underway, but no arrests had been made. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alfonso Nqunjana at News24
Provinces to overspend budgets by R24.8bn on wage deal, which must be accommodated from existing allocations BL Premium reports that provinces are projected to overspend their 2023/24 budgets by a total of R24.8bn mainly due to the implementation of the wage agreement reached between government and public sector trade unions. The wage agreement provided for a 7.5% increase from 1 April at an unbudgeted cost to government of R37.4bn. Provincial governments were expected to accommodate the wage increase from their existing budgets as the wage agreement had not been concluded by the time of the February budget and was not factored into it. The February budget provided for a 1.6% wage increase for 2023/24. Finance minister Enoch Godongwana warned in a speech on the Treasury budget vote in parliament earlier this year that headcounts in the public sector would have to be restricted in a bid to save R37.4bn and cushion the blow of the wage agreement on the fiscal framework. Identifying savings could entail a rationalisation of staffing levels and the deployment of headcount management strategies to curb the wage bill. Trade-offs would be necessary, Godongwana said. The education sector is projected to overspend by R10.3bn, provincial health departments by R12.2bn and social development by R356m mainly on the compensation of provincial employees. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
RBPlat CEO, COO to get paid R85m as Implats finalises takeover Moneyweb reports that the CEO and COO of Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) will be paid a total of R85 million as the company disappears from the JSE after being acquired by Impala Platinum. These payments are the acceleration of the long-term (‘deferred’) incentive scheme, which has been deemed to have been met under the takeover conditions. Phiri will be paid the full maximum of R53.414 million, while the COO (not a board member) will be paid R32.28 million. Phiri was already paid R62 million last year because of a pro-rata acceleration of the forfeitable share plan (FSP) and the bonus share plan. That was a straight cash payment and comprised a portion of his R104.7 million take-home salary last year. The COO was paid a total of almost R64 million, of which R37 million was described as “termination benefits” in the group’s annual report from last year. RBPlat added: “Upon a mutually agreed termination of employment with an executive on a change of control of the Company, that executive will receive a full vesting of all outstanding awards, and in addition will be paid one year’s guaranteed remuneration.” That surely means a further payment of around R7 million for the CEO and R5 million for the COO for the coming 12months. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Moneyweb. Read too, RBPlat CEO bows out as mid-tier PGM player opens the next chapter under Implats, at BusinessLive Gauteng top cop wary of ‘serious problem' with inside snitches who tip off zama zamas News24 reports that Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela has expressed the belief that his officers could be colluding with illegal miners (zama zamas) after the police visited a site on Thursday where illegal mining often occurred and found it abandoned. Following a tip-off, the police descended on Sol Plaatje, a township in Roodepoort, where they recovered illegal mining equipment but found no illegal miners on the scene. Mawela said: "We want to arrest illegal miners in the act. We have those who collude with illegal miners. On a normal day, there is a hive of illegal mining activity here. For illegal miners not to be here today means they have inside information. We have a long way to go in dealing with inside threats.” We went on to report that on Tuesday, 14 suspects were arrested for illegal mining in the Roodepoort area and, earlier this week in a similar operation in the Cleveland area, 15 illegal miners were arrested and a truck and a TLB [tractor-loader-backhoe] were confiscated. He explained that illegal miners were now using sophisticated machinery to dig for gold and that some legitimate businesses rented out TLBs and trucks to the zama zamas. National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has ordered provinces affected by illegal mining to conduct regular operations for 32 weeks. Gauteng police have been conducting operations in the province, and Mawela said officers had been permanently deployed at Riverlea, where zama zamas have been engaged in a deadly turf war. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24. Read too, JMPD boss says 100 cops dedicate daily to fight illegal mining across Joburg, at IOL Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
State paid out R330m to Marikana victims, but has no 'slush fund' for 'new' claimants Solicitor-general Fhedzisani Pandelani advised on Thursday that the State had paid out R330m in respect of the events in Marikana 11 years ago when 44 people were killed and scores injured. He was briefing the media on the progress in settling the claims launched by a number of law firms representing claimants, including the families of dead and injured miners. Pandelani said except for one or two matters in which quantification of claims still needed to be worked out, his office believed most of the claims had been settled. But, Pandelani added that the State did not have a "slush fund" for Marikana-related claims it could not substantiate. He claimed that lawyers had brought extended relatives who sought compensation from the State and he questioned the merits of those claims, saying the State would be accused of squandering taxpayer money if it entertained them. "If you are going to bring me a busload of people and say they were related to [to the victims], what is required of you to prove [this]? There is no slush fund that is awaiting to settle claims that traditionally, we don't recognise in our law irrespective of the number of damages," Pandelani commented. He pointed out that the claims the State did not recognise in common law had been filed by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI), representing 36 families. He explained that the institute, which had received R71.2 million, later introduced "the new concept" of constitutional damages. Nomzamo Zondo, executive director at SERI, reacted that they were shocked to hear what the SG has said. Based on reports by Cebelihle Bhengu at News24 and by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE. Read too, State settles more than R330m in Marikana claims, at BusinessLive
Farm jobs reached a seven-year high in second quarter Wandile Sihlobo, agricultural economist, writes that SA’s farm jobs were up 2% y/y in the second quarter of 2023, with 894,000 people employed. This was the highest farm employment level since the last quarter of 2016 and was well above the long-term agricultural employment average of 780,000. From a regional perspective, the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal were the significant drivers of this employment. The robust production conditions of various field crops, forestry and aquaculture were behind the improvement in agricultural jobs in the second quarter. Meanwhile, the livestock industry saw modest improvement, which was unsurprising as the industry was still dealing with the tail-end effects of the rough period of foot-and-mouth disease and higher feed costs. At the start of the season, production was threatened by persistent load shedding. Still, the various interventions to ease the load-shedding burden on farmers, such as load curtailment, expansion of the diesel rebate to the food value chain, and private sector investment in alternative energy sources, all supported the production conditions. The key challenges the sector faces are rising geopolitical tensions, deteriorating infrastructure, weakening municipalities, crime, and energy supply which all influence farm profitability and job prospects. Read Wandile Sihlobo’s article in full at Fin24. Lees ook, Styging in minimum loon wurg groei in landbousektor, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
New Amazon skills centre in Cape Town to offer free cloud skills training Moneyweb reports that American multinational company Amazon Web Services (AWS) has opened its first international skills centre in Cape Town aimed at offering free cloud skills training to young people in the region. The Cape Town facility is the third of its kind, joining the Seattle and Arlington facilities in the US. For the province, the move means critical investment in the local economy. As it stands, AWS Africa already ploughed R15.6 billion into the Westen Cape region between 2018 and 2022, with plans to invest a further R30 billion until 2029. The new facility will grant individuals access to cloud skills training as well as free foundational cloud training for those interested in cloud computing-related careers. Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities Mireille Wenger observed: “The opening of this impressive skills centre by AWS is exactly the kind of investment and skills development programmes we are looking to attract to the province because investment generates economic growth, which then leads to job creation.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Akhona Matshoba at Moneyweb
Taxi industry takes City of Cape Town to court over impounded vehicles, ruling expected on Friday BL Premium reports that the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) has taken the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape provincial government to court to stop what it called the continued impounding of its members’ vehicles on grounds not permitted in their agreement. It also wants taxis it believes were incorrectly impounded released. Santaco filed papers on Wednesday evening calling for an urgent court hearing, which was granted for Thursday. Judgment is expected at midday on Friday. The judge still needs to rule if the case will be heard or dismissed for lack of urgency. The legal action is the first sign of a breakdown in the settlement that ended a weeklong protest that left hundreds of thousands of commuters stranded, five people dead and negatively affected the provincial economy. On 10 August, after a week of talks, Santaco and Western Cape and City of Cape Town officials agreed on when taxis could be impounded, with the rules based on national legislation. Taxis can be impounded if they are not roadworthy and if the driver does not have a driver’s licence, passenger permit or operating licence. After the agreement, 14 taxis were impounded for what the city said were offences such as not being roadworthy. But in its court papers, Santaco argued differently. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Katharine Child at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). See too, Judge to rule on Santaco application on Friday, at News24
Numsa up in arms after members barred from accessing Road Accident Fund’s offices during Scopa visit Pretoria News reports that members of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) were up in arms on Thursday after being barred from participating in the Standing Committee of Public Accounts (Scopa) oversight visit to the offices of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) in Parktown. The union blamed RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo for refusing its members entry to the premises and called him “a bully and a dictator” for allegedly giving instructions to bar them. Numsa said its officials and shop stewards, who were employees of the RAF, arrived at the premises but they were prevented by security from attending the meeting and engaging with Scopa. The head of security indicated that the union’s members needed an invitation to attend. “One of the security employees at RAF even had the audacity to manhandle the Numsa spokesperson in an attempt to physically remove her from the premises. This is outrageous and unlawful behaviour,” the union said. The chairperson of Scopa, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, later came out to speak with Numsa officials in the parking lot. He explained to the “overzealous” head of security that he had no right to block members of the public from being observers in the Scopa oversight visit. The Numsa sector co-ordinator, Robert Seroka, was finally allowed inside the premises. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zelda Venter at Pretoria News
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