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 roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 13 October 2023.
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Intense public sector wage talks could see unions clinch two-year deal with government EWN reports that public sector unions are close to clinching a two-year wage deal with government following intense negotiations at the Public Sector Coordinated Bargaining Council (PSCBC). The deal would include an average salary increase of 7.5% in the first year. Disputes over the 2022/23 financial year were finally settled recently, paving the way for talks for the current financial year to go ahead. The talks at the PSCBC kicked off with calls for a 10% wage increase before some unions lowered their demands to 8%. Eyewitness News reports that it has seen a draft agreement that could lead to the conversion of the current non-pensionable cash allowance into a pensionable salary increase estimated at an average of 4.2%. This will then be lumped together with an additional 3.3% pensionable salary increase. The total would amount to an average of 7.5% for the 2023/24 financial year. For the 2024/25 financial year, salaries would be hiked by projected CPI, capped at 6.5%. The deal will only come into effect if it gets majority support from unions at the PSCBC. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nokukhanya Mntambo at EWN
Wage strike at state IT agency may slow key government online services from Monday Sunday Independent reports that the government’s IT services could be severely disrupted from this week when employees of the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) go on strike over the entity’s refusal to increase salaries by 7.5%. The Public Servants Association (PSA) has received a strike mandate from its members working for Sita after the agency refused to budge and accede to the union's demand for a 7.5% wage hike. Sita says its offer of 4.5% is final. According to the PSA, which represents 80% of the entire Sita workforce, last week’s lunchtime picketing intensified at all offices ahead of the plan to go a full blown strike action from Wednesday, 18 October. According to the PSA’s Reuben Maleka, the strike will have a huge impact on government institutions. ”The strike will cripple the entire government internet and network for every state entity and government departments, including service departments such as home affairs, licensing by the department of transport and the SA Social Security Agency, etc.,” he said. After negotiations between the PSA and Sita for salary increases for the 2023/24 financial year deadlocked, the union lodged a dispute, after which parties agreed to a mediation process. Sita tabled its 4.5% offer as final on 28 September, while the PSA maintained its 7.5% demand. The PSA decided to embark on a strike action after a certificate on non-resolution was issued. Sita’s Tlali Tlali said that following the commencement of the industrial action by the PSA last week, the agency activated its contingency plans to mitigate the impact of the industrial action on service delivery to the government. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Loyiso Sidimba at Sunday Independent. Lees ook, Staking dreig by staat se IT-agentskap, by Maroela Media
Gauteng police hunt for suspect who shot dead cash-in-transit guard after tussle for gun IOL News reports that police in Gauteng have launched a manhunt for a gunman who snuck up on a cash-in-transit (CIT) security officer and shot him dead at a hardware store after a brief tussle for the firearm. The gruesome altercation was caught on CCTV cameras at the Cashbuild Hardware in Orange Farm on Thursday and went viral on Saturday when the CCTV footage was circulated on social media platforms. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said they had launched a hunt for the armed CIT robbers who fled with an undisclosed sum of money. “According to information at the police disposal, one of the security guards went inside the business premises to collect cash and was suddenly pointed with a firearm by the suspect inside the building. During brawl the suspect fatally shot the security guard three times, on the leg, left arm and in the head,” Mathe reported. She went on to indicate: “The suspect took the full bag of cash from the deceased and fled the scene. There was another suspect outside the building keeping observations and armed with an AK-47 rifle. The suspect started firing on the driver window side who remained behind in the cash van. The driver was not injured and managed to drive away from the scene towards Grasmere toll gate.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sihle Mlambo at IOL News CIT robberies escalate and threaten national security City Press reports that the brazenness, intensity and rate of local cash-in-transit (CIT) heists – as well as the manpower and firepower needed to combat them – have experts concerned. Security industry experts have warned that CIT robberies in SA have escalated to the level where they pose a threat to national security, with innocent people caught in the crossfire. Retired Major General Johan Booysen has been involved in various capacities with CIT heist investigations since 1990. For the past six years, he has headed investigations for Fidelity Security Services, with one of his focus areas being collaboration with the SA Police Service (SAPS) to address CIT heists. On average, up to 20 robbers are involved in a CIT attack, he says, with everyone playing a specific role based on their skills as scouts, getaway car drivers, shooters, stopper groups and bombers. Vehicles used in these robberies are mostly luxury ones with excellent safety features. These vehicles are invariably hijacked or stolen vehicles, which are discarded after a heist. Last week, there were three heists in which explosives were used in the Durban area alone. Of late, hardly a day goes by without a bombing somewhere in the country. As security companies have improved their operations and equipment, the technique of the robbers has also evolved since the early 1990s. The firearms used in heists are primarily AK-47s, mostly smuggled from Mozambique. Jammers, including those used by the military, have been used to block communication channels in order obstruct police response. Read the full original of the informative report in the above regard by Sipho Mabena at City Press (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Samwu rejects Tshwane’s staggered three-month period to pay 13th cheque Pretoria News reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has flatly rejected a decision by the cash-strapped City of Tshwane to stagger the pay-outs of the 13th cheque to its employees over a three-month period. The annual pay-outs, collectively amounting to R565,166,041, were scheduled for processing at the end of November 2023. However, last week, municipal manager Johann Mettler informed the workers’ unions about a change of plans due to the city’s ongoing financial woes. Samwu’s Precious Theledi has since questioned Mettler’s decision, saying it was merely conveyed to the unions without prior consultation with the workers. In a letter last week to Mettler, she expressed concern that the recent meeting between the unions and the employer to communicate the city’s decision “did not constitute a consultation with ourselves acting on behalf of our members”. In her view, the meeting merely involved communication regarding “a unilateral decision” not to pay workers their annual 13th cheques. Samwu criticised the proposed staggered payments method, saying it would prejudice the employees. The staggered payments by the city would see employees on level 1-10 receive the full 13th cheque at the end of November, those on level 11-15 would receive pay-outs at the end of December 2023, and the last group of employees on level 16-22 would be paid at the end of January 2024. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Rapula Moatshe at Pretoria News
Luthuli House is toothless while Pretoria calls the shots, Cosatu president laments Sunday World reports that according to Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi, the ANC has lost control of setting the agenda for its government, while ministers call the shots for the party that the electorate voted into power. In her view, ministers deployed in government dictate which policies from the party’s manifesto and those taken during the party’s elective conference they wish to implement. Losi laments that the situation has degenerated to such an extent that the government is holding the ANC on a tight leash like a tail wagging a dog, which could be one of the reasons many assume that the left’s influence in the ANC and its government is minimal or does not exist at all. Losi also said Cosatu would rally behind the governing party in next year’s general elections, but would not stand in the way of workers if they decided to withdraw their support for the ANC in the future. In Losi’s opinion, Cosatu’s retained influence within the ANC-led alliance, albeit that it was very limited because of the ANC’s own weakness in providing direction to its state deployees. Moreover, the shortcoming was that Cosatu and SACP could not force the hand of ANC cadres deployed in government, including those from their ranks. It was on these grounds that Cosatu and SACP had been steadfast in calling for a reconfiguration of the alliance. But the move, Losi added, had been met with fierce resistance from the ANC ranks. Despite these frustrations, Losi added, Cosatu would remain committed to its chaotic marriage to the ANC. This was because while they were losing some battles, they had scored more victories from being in bed with the ANC than they would have with any other party. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mawande Amashabalala at Sunday World
Skills visa breakthrough for corporate SA with launch of pilot scheme BusinessLive reports that the government is a step closer to overhauling its immigration process to make it easier and quicker for foreign nationals to travel to the country for business, work and tourism. This after years of complaints from corporate SA that the visa regime was a hindrance to bringing in top talent to SA. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) on Wednesday invited corporate employers to participate in the Trusted Employer Scheme (TES), six years after it was proposed in 2017. The DHA announced in a Government Gazette that it would soon launch a pilot for the scheme as a first step towards full implementation. The scheme will “allow SA to more easily attract skills and manage immigration, particularly in the processing of applications for senior executives, technical personnel, corporate employees and investors”, the announcement indicated. To qualify “an employer, investor or business needs to demonstrate that it has the financial strength to employ a foreign national, that it runs training programmes for SA citizens and that it is a good corporate citizen.” Reforming the visa regime to attract critical skills that businesses need to grow has been one of the key objectives of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Operation Vulindlela. Cosatu welcomed efforts to improve service delivery at the DHA, but the labour federation added: “While in some instances there may be a need to source such skills elsewhere, we believe that most skills are available within SA and that government and business need to do much more to abide by our labour laws and prioritise the employment of South Africans, in particular young people.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive. Read too, Government takes key step to fix SA's work permit crisis – finally, at Fin24
Vacancies at state attorney’s office affect performance, say MPs BL Premium reports that MPs have expressed concern about the number of vacancies in the state attorney’s office, including the position of the solicitor-general, which has not been filled permanently for more than five years. This emerged during an engagement between the justice portfolio committee and department of justice officials last week. ACDP MP Steve Swart pointed out that key posts in the department that were vacant included chief master, deputy directors-general for court services and constitutional development, head of the justice college and five heads of state attorney’s offices in the regions. He said this had a big effect on the performance of this branch of the department. Committee chair Bulelani Magwanishe and ANC MP Qubidile Dyantyi pointed out that the advertisement for the solicitor-general’s position, which opened in September and closes on 16 October, was not designed to attract proper skills. For instance, the salary offered – at level 15 of the public sector remuneration table – was not attractive. Qubidile said it should be at level 16, namely the salary level of a director-general. The salary is far lower than that of the national director of public prosecutions. One of the requirements for potential candidates for the post of solicitor-general is that they have worked in the public service for five years, which Swart said would exclude legal practitioners from applying for the post. Dyantyi also highlighted what he called the “stampede, the exodus” of staff from the department, pointing to a retention problem. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive
Buffalo City mayor excluded from varsity graduation because of allegedly fraudulent registration City Press reports that Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality executive mayor Princess Faku was not among the hundreds of students who graduated at the University of Fort Hare (UFH) in Dikeni on Friday, because she was allegedly fraudulently registered. Her study programme, a law degree, is the subject of an inquiry by the university and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). According to a source close to the investigation, Faku was allegedly fraudulently registered for the LLB course. She only has a matric certificate, not a bachelor’s pass, which is required for enrolment. Meantime, the SIU and the university are said to have until the end of October to present a preliminary report to President Cyril Ramaphosa. However, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Mangwenya dismissed this suggestion and stated: “The president’s never given the SIU a deadline for any investigation, including the one [into Faku’s registration], nor will he interfere in the work of law enforcement agencies.” It is believed that this latest development could jeopardise Faku’s position as executive mayor, as the ANC is still awaiting proof of her qualifications. Shortly before the 2021 local government election, the party set out a range of criteria to measure the competency of its municipal and metro candidates. Candidates are assessed on qualifications, political and leadership experience, executive management, and policy and governance experience, among other criteria. They are also required to have a tertiary qualification or the equivalent thereof, as well as at least five years’ experience in local government. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpumzi Zuzile at City Press (subscriber access only)
GEPF to use its R2.7-trillion in assets to drive transformation in financial services sector’ Business Times reports that the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) wants to use the might of its R2.7-trillion in assets to push for the transformation of the financial services sector. The fund has adopted a transformation policy and strategy which will encourage the development of black-owned asset managers, private equity fund managers, fixed-income asset managers, auditing firms, actuaries and other emerging financial services providers. It will also direct more of its investments to companies and enterprises that advance broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE). GEPF chair Dondo Mogajane said they were seeking to level the economic playing field in SA because the country’s “story is incomplete” without the wholesale transformation of the economy and enterprises. He indicated: “We are saying it is important that we should leverage the strength and the might we have as the fund. The majority of our members are black people – government employees and pensioners. Let us use the size of the fund to ensure that in the companies and industries that the PIC invests in, we should seek investments that endorse the transformation that I am talking about. In particular, in the financial services sector.” At its annual leadership conference in Cape Town last week, the GEPF also launched a refined manager development programme to train more black-owned asset managers. Economist Dawie Roodt slammed the transformation policy as “anti-white” and said the GEPF would be making investment decisions based on social and political rather than financial objectives. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Dineo Faku at Business Times (subscriber access only)
Senior officer at Drakenstein prison arrested for stealing a pack of three condoms City Press reports that a high-ranking Department of Correctional Services (DCS) official and respected member of the Somerset West community has been arrested for allegedly stealing a pack of three condoms from a supermarket. The condoms have reportedly been recorded on the police computer system as “three items of groceries”. Robin Maripan (45), head of community corrections in the town in the Western Cape, appeared in the local magistrates’ court on 28 September and must appear there again on Monday. The incident in Checkers in Sitari Village, Firgrove, was reported to the Macassar police at 7pm on 16 September. Maripan was arrested and held in the cells until he was released at around 10pm. A National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson confirmed that Maripan has been accused of stealing a pack of “regular fit” condoms worth R89.99. Maripan’s job is to oversee the successful integration of ex-convicts into the wider community. He also gives motivational talks at schools and churches in the Helderberg community. When Maripan was arrested, he apparently did not disclose to the police that he worked for the DCS, and the department’s human resources division only recently learnt of the case against him. According to sources, Maripan was summoned to the Drakenstein prison last Tuesday to explain the situation to his superiors. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Julian Jansen at City Press (subscriber access only)
eThekwini suspends officials for fraud linked to three housing projects TimesLIVE reports that the eThekwini municipality has suspended officials linked to purportedly irregular and fraudulent transactions amounting to R17m relating to three housing projects. This was indicated in a statement on Sunday. The three housing projects are in Umlazi T-Section, eMaphephetheni and KwaMakhutha. City spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the officials were suspended after the municipality, through its internal control processes, last month uncovered an elaborate fraudulent scheme in which R17m was paid to two companies. Another six officials have been issued with letters of intent to suspend. Details of how the payments were processed are part of an ongoing investigation. The city refuted reports that the amount involved was R32m, indicating that money did not “disappear” or go “missing” but was fraudulently transferred. It said the three housing projects linked to the fraudulent scheme had nothing to do with resettling flood victims, but were ordinary projects of the municipality’s human settlements unit. “The three housing projects are continuing, however there will be a budget shortfall in the current financial year which means their estimated completion will now be during the 2024/25 financial year,” said Sisilana. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sakhiseni Nxumalo at TimesLIVE (subscriber access only)
SANDF recalls eight soldiers from Congo after allegations of 'sexual exploitation' TimesLIVE reports that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has recalled eight of its soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo due to serious allegations of misconduct, including sexual exploitation or abuse. The SANDF said it had received a UN report containing allegations of serious acts of ill-discipline and misconduct by members of the SANDF. “It is alleged in the UN report that on Sunday, October 1, eight SANDF soldiers deployed in Beni were apprehended by the UN military police (UN MP) for being in direct breach of the curfew time and other regulations related to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA),” it indicated. The SANDF said it only became aware of the incident through media reports, which it deemed unfortunate. Due to the serious nature of the allegations, the soldiers have been recalled and will need to answer to the allegations and give an account of events that had transpired. The SANDF advised that national investigating officers had been dispatched to the area to conduct a formal investigation into the allegations. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sakhiseni Nxumalo at TimesLIVE. See too, Eight SANDF soldiers accused of sexual misconduct in DRC sent back to SA to account, at IOL News. En ook, SA soldate in DRK in hegtenis geneem, by Maroela Media
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