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 Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
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Mine ‘hostage’ drama as Gold One and Amcu clash over union recognition BL Premium reports that a standoff between the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) and a partly Chinese-owned gold mine escalated into a hostage crisis on Monday with more than 500 workers trapped underground by their colleagues. “The management of the mine is in talks with the union, and the police are on standby to monitor any eventualities,” said a police spokesperson, who confirmed that about 550 miners had been prevented from returning to the surface at Gold One’s Modder East shaft in Springs, east of Johannesburg. Speaking on behalf of Gold One, which has the China-Africa Development Fund as an investor, Jon Hericourt reportedly indicated: “A group of Amcu members started holding everyone hostage. They are preventing them from coming up from underground. They are keeping them in certain working areas, they have cut off all communication, and there have been some injuries.” The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which has a rival presence at the mine, said its members were being held hostage by people who were “heavily armed”. The crux of the dispute between Gold One and Amcu is the recognition of the union as the majority representative of the workers. Amcu claims to have more members than NUM, which has a closed-shop agreement with management and has approached the labour court to challenge the arrangement. Amcu general secretary Jeff Mphahlele accused Gold One of denying Amcu organisational rights despite it having overtaken NUM “as the majority union” in the workplace. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Almost 550 miners reportedly held hostage underground in Springs, at TimesLIVE. En ook, Myners gyselaar gehou by GoldOne-myn, by Maroela Media Hundreds still underground in alleged hostage situation at Gold One Mine in Springs The Citizen reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has dismissed claims that its members are staging a sit-in at the Gold One Mine in Springs. Around 500 miners have not returned to the surface since Sunday, with the NUM accusing the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) of holding its members hostage. Unconfirmed reports alleged that Amcu members had welded entry and exit points shut, leaving a closely monitored single point of access to GoldOne’s property. According to NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu, 543 NUM members were being held hostage. He added: “Nine NUM members got injured after they were assaulted by the hooligans who were preventing them from coming to the surface. They are still preventing them from coming to the surface. NUM is also worried that there are a lot of women who are being held hostage underground. This is unacceptable.” The NUM called for law enforcement agencies to intervene and resolve the situation. But, Amcu denied reports that miners were being held hostage. General secretary Jeffrey Mphahlele said the night shift workers did not come up from underground once their shift was completed. “Whatever they decided in the previous night that they are not going to come out. To us it looked like a concerted effort. That was a voluntary situation. Now management is trying to play it saying it’s a hostage and people are being held against their will. So we are not sure of that situation in this point of time,” Mphahlele told the SABC. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Faizel Patel at The Citizen. See too, NUM claims its members have been assaulted at Springs mine, at EWN
PSA seeking mandates from its members for improved Sita wage offer to strikers BusinessLive reports that the Public Service Association (PSA) is seeking mandates from its members after the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) improved its wage offer to striking workers by throwing in a one-off sweetener. Talks deadlocked after Sita, which provides ICT services to local, provincial and national government departments and agencies, improved its wage offer to 5%, while the union remained stuck at 7.5%. That led to PSA members embarking on a strike last week. According to PSA chief negotiator Zamani Dladla, the industrial action disrupted ICT services in several government departments, including home affairs and the SA National Defence Force. Speaking on Monday, Dladla said “in a last-ditch effort to prevent any further industrial action, the employer has since presented its final 5% wage offer across the board, effective April 1, to be paid on October 25, and added a one-off ex gratia payment of R8,326.45 as a sweetener for each of the 3,103 Sita employees which will be paid on November 25”. Dladla added that additionally “the PSA demanded the ‘no work, no pay’ principle not be implemented for all those employees who embarked on industrial action and that R25m will be utilised as an ex gratia payment in respect of the salary negotiation for the 2023/24 financial year.” The employer apparently responded that it would consult with its principals and revert to the PSA on the additional demands. The PSA will only accept the offer once the majority of members have provided a mandate to the PSA,” Dladla advised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive
Tshwane Bus Service employees arrived for work on Monday, but some refused to drive TimesLIVE reports that while most drivers at Tshwane Bus Service (TBS) arrived for work during the bus service resumption on Monday, many refused to drive. City spokesperson Selby Bokaba reported: “TBS operates 160 daily shifts, and only 36 went out. The rest pitched up but refused to drive.” Ten drivers reported in sick and others called to say they would not make it for personal reasons. On Sunday, the city announced that TBS and A Re Yeng would resume bus operations on Monday after a lengthy disruption due to an unprotected strike by City of Tshwane workers. MMC for roads and transport Katlego Mathebe said bus operations would start alongside “the deployment of police and technology” in the CBD and other parts of the city. The strike left Tshwane in disarray when workers downed tools in July to force the city to implement salary increases in accordance with an agreement concluded at the SA Local Government Bargaining Council. The city claimed it could not afford the R600m addition to the wage bill because of a shortage in revenue collection. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Shonisani Tshikalange at BusinessLive Three Tshwane buses stoned on Monday afternoon in battle over City’s decision not to pay salary increases News24 reports that three City of Tshwane buses were stoned on Monday afternoon in the latest attack connected to the city's decision not to pay wage increases. On Sunday, Tshwane MMC for Roads and Transport, Katlego Mathebe, announced that Tshwane would resume its bus operations following the illegal and protracted strike action, which started at the end of July. The Tshwane Bus Service (TBS) had not been running for nearly three months. However, not even 24 hours later, three buses were attacked and damaged in different incidents in Belle Ombre, Pretoria North and outside the C De Wet Bus Depot in the Pretoria CBD. "We are facing relentless acts of criminality, three of our buses were attacked this afternoon. However, we will not yield to violence and criminality," Mathebe said. Four suspects have been arrested, one of whom was found in possession of a bag of stones. The suspects are facing charges of malicious damage to property and intimidation. Meanwhile on Monday, the TBS only operated 36 of its 160 daily shifts as most of the drivers reported for duty but apparently refused to drive the buses. "Internal processes are under way to deal with the workers who refused to execute their duties today (Monday),” the City's spokesperson Selby Bokaba advised. Mathebe, in a separate statement, said the A Re Yeng and TBS operations would remain operational amid challenges. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24 (subscriber access only) MMC claims the worst is over as waste removal gradually returns in Tshwane Pretoria News reports that according to MMC for Environment and Agriculture Management, Ziyanda Zwane, the worst was over in respect of waste removal in the City of Tshwane as operations were gradually returning to the normal schedule across all seven regions. This was indicated during a clean-up campaign on Friday in Atteridgeville. Zwane was monitoring the work of waste removal teams cleaning up the rubbish dumped by frustrated residents, many of whom had resorted to disposing of their waste in open spaces. The schedule for refuse collection was disrupted by striking workers who intimidated colleagues who had wanted to report for duty. In some instances, waste removal trucks were torched and workers physically abused by those believed to be the instigators of the strike. Zwane commented: “The past few months have not been easy owing to the illegal strike that affected service delivery, especially waste removal, across the city. The inconsistencies in timely waste collection created enormous backlogs, which we worked hard to address.” While he told residents the worst was over, he added that the city still faced a huge illegal dumping challenge. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Rapula Moatshe at Pretoria News. Read too, Tshwane mayor launches artisans programme to improve delivery of services, at Pretoria News
Numsa accuses SA Steel Mills of risking workers lives after four were burnt last week with molten steel TimesLIVE reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has condemned SA Steel Mills for failing to keep the workplace safe after several workers were injured in a workplace accident last week. Numsa said on Monday it had been alerted by its Sedibeng secretary that four employees were burnt by molten steel on Thursday. Management said the accident was as a result of a cooling water pump which tripped, causing molten steel not to run through the mould, and it splashed out on to the operators. This was not the first time SA Steel Mills has had accidents, Numsa noted. The union said it was clear that worker safety was not prioritised at SA Steel Mills and this put the lives of workers at risk. It called on the labour department “to take the issues of SA Steel Mills seriously and intervene decisively, otherwise there will be more deaths.” SA Steel Mills said it was saddened by the injuries to its employees and added: “The company has consistently allocated extensive resources to occupational health safety in the work environment. Having said that, our operations are, by its nature, hazardous and any incident can easily cause injury and harm to the workforce.” CFO Kenny Mokoka went on to say: “Management have taken all the necessary steps to prevent a repeat of this type of accident and will consistently monitor the division under review,” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Government must intervene in distressed municipal councils, says Samwu BL Premium reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) is calling for urgent government intervention in struggling municipalities to prevent their collapse, which could be detrimental to service delivery as the sector is a crucial sphere of government closest to the people. The call follows disclosures by monitoring, planning, and evaluation minister Maropene Ramakgopa in a parliamentary reply, in which she indicated that most of the 257 municipalities in SA were distressed and dysfunctional. “This revelation paints a bleak picture for municipalities, which are entrusted with delivering essential services to residents,” said Samwu general secretary Dumisane Magagula on Monday. Samwu has previously called for increased intervention in municipalities to “prevent their collapse as many are already displaying signs of institutional breakdown. These signs include delayed salary payments to workers, tardy payments to third parties, and a failure to fulfil their constitutional duties towards residents”. There was an immediate need for municipalities, the department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) and the SA Local Government Association (Salga) to commit to a long-term, solution-based process fostering political will to enforce good governance and ensure municipal stability, Magagula indicated. He said Samwu was prepared to collaborate with Cogta and Salga “to develop solutions aimed at salvaging what remains of the country’s municipalities.” “Our proposed solutions include (i) eradicating fraud and corruption in municipalities, (ii) strengthening municipal governance, (iii) improving municipal revenue collection, (iv) reintegrating municipal services, (v) fostering a culture of paying for services, and (vi) reviewing the municipal funding model,” he said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Exodus of executives at Transnet continues as head of troubled coal corridor quits BL Premium reports that the head of Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) North Corridor between Mpumalanga and Richards Bay, which has been implicated in the running of ghost trains, has resigned, worsening the entity’s leadership crisis. Ali Motala’s resignation from the corridor, which transports key commodities such as coal, chrome ore and ferrochrome, follows the departure of TFR’s Siza Mzimela and Transnet CEO Portia Derby and CFO Nonkululeko Dlamini in October. TFR confirmed Motala’s resignation on Monday, saying that he left for personal reasons. “He was very sick,” a source indicated. His successor will be named once governance processes have been completed. The corridor has been under Motala’s stewardship since 2019, when he was appointed acting managing executive before being confirmed in the role two years later. TFR is Transnet’s largest division, contributing almost half of its revenue. It is also the most challenging division as it battles with an escalation of theft and vandalism, as well as a lack of locomotives. The challenges for its rail infrastructure, particularly on its coal lines, have been cited as being behind a loss of revenue for some mining houses. To rectify the deteriorating rail infrastructure operated by TFR and to raise funds to upgrade and maintain the infrastructure, the company launched an auction of its slots in 2022, which would have allowed private players access to its network. However, the first phase of the project has hit a brick wall, with TFR cancelling the contract with chosen bidder Traxtion Sheltam. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thando Maeko at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Head of troubled coal line exits Transnet, at Fin24 (subscriber access only) SA Reserve Bank deputy governor Kuben Naidoo resigns Fin24 reports that deputy governor of the SA Reserve Bank Kuben Naidoo has tendered his resignation to President Cyril Ramaphosa. He is one of three deputy governors and his second five-year contract was due to end in March 2025. Naidoo's last day has not been finalised and discussions between Ramaphosa, Governor Lesetja Kganyago, and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana are still in process. It is expected that Ramaphosa will announce a replacement soon. Naidoo is a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, which sets interest rates, and is regarded as "a dove" in contrast to Kganyago's hawkish stance. He has a 28-year history of public service – including a long stint at the National Treasury. In his present role, he oversees the financial stability and currency cluster. He was formerly head of the Prudential Authority and supervised the prudential cluster. His departure will narrow the options for a successor to Kganyago whose second five-year term ends in 2024. Governors and deputy governors are strictly prohibited in their contract of employment from seeking alternative employment while still employed at the bank. They must also complete six months of "gardening leave" after leaving and before taking on new employment or commercial ventures. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at Fin24 (subscriber access only). Lees ook, Reserwebank-adjunkpresident bedank, by Maroela Media. And also, Is Kuben Naidoo being lined up for Nedbank top job? at Moneyweb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Mashatile's VIP protectors back at the office after highway assault, but not operational News24 reports that eight Presidential Protection Services members, caught on camera assaulting motorists on the N1 near Olivedale in Johannesburg in July, are back at work. The officers were part of Deputy President Paul Mashatile's VIP protection detail. Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe advised on Monday that their return to work was aligned with SAPS disciplinary regulations: "Suspension is for 60 days. Thereafter, the suspension is automatically uplifted in terms of the organisation's disciplinary regulations." Mathe advised that the members were confined to the office and were not operational, pending the finalisation of an internal departmental investigation and the criminal case before the court. She added that the departmental investigation was at an advanced stage. Meantime, the eight men are each out on R10,000 bail. They face 12 charges, including pointing a firearm, reckless and negligent driving, malicious damage to property, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, obstruction of justice, and assault by way of threat. The case has been postponed to 9 November. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Patrick at News24 (subscriber access only). Read too, Disciplinary action to be taken against eight implicated in blue lights N1 highway assault, at IOL News. En ook, Blouligbeamptes wat glo aanrand terug by werk, by Maroela Media
Labour Court makes first decision on employees refusing Covid-19 vaccine The Citizen reports that the Labour Court (LC) has made its first decision on whether dismissing an employee who refused to take the Covid-19 vaccine was automatically an unfair dismissal. The court found that it was not. While the vaccination policy amounted to discrimination, it was not arbitrary and therefore the court found it did not have the jurisdiction to arbitrate the complaint. A Mr Maasdorp took the University of the Free State to the Labour Court after he was dismissed for refusing the vaccination. The university made it clear to Maasdorp that he would not be able to enter the workplace without meeting its policy requirements, but despite bringing the policy to his attention on various occasions, he remained adamant that he would not be vaccinated. When the university instructed all employees to attend the workplace physically, Maasdorp was refused entry many times because he had not complied with the policy or sought an exemption. His conduct resulted in disciplinary action and he was dismissed. The matter was referred to the LC, which found that there had been no unfair discrimination on arbitrary grounds and therefore it did not have jurisdiction to adjudicate Maasdorp’s claim. According to Jean Ewang and Thato Makoaba of law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr: “This case echoes the crystalised law on automatically unfair dismissals. To argue automatically unfair dismissal based on arbitrary discrimination, the discrimination or differentiation must have no reasonable justification. However, in the case of Covid-19, there was a shared rationale among employers for issuing vaccination policies, supported by legislation and science.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ina Opperman at The Citizen
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