In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related reports.
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SAPS head office in Pretoria declared 'unfit for human use' and evacuated News24 reports that the national head office of the SA Police Service (SAPS) in Pretoria was closed after it was "declared unfit for human use". However according to the police, the building’s temporary closure will not affect core policing. According to trade union Solidarity, the Telkom Towers building in the CBD was evacuated on Tuesday following an inspection by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL). "Solidarity's Occupational Health and Safety Division, together with an inspector from the Department of Labour, paid a visit to the head office at the so-called Telkom Towers, which was bought and renovated eight years ago by the police for nearly R900 million," Solidarity's Helgard Cronjé indicated. After the inspection, the DEL issued an immediate notice of improvement. The visit followed numerous complaints and unanswered letters to the divisional commissioner of the police's legal services. "Among these complaints were claims of respiratory illnesses and allergic reactions, presumably due to dirty office space and poor ventilation, and workers also complained of dirty carpets and problems with lice and cockroaches," said Cronjé. According to Solidarity's Renate Pieterse, the building will only be able to be reopened after a certificate of occupancy has been issued, and an inspection by the fire brigade has also been carried out. In a statement, the police said that following a prohibition notice, national police commissioner Fannie Masemola instructed all personnel to vacate the building, as the well-being and safety of employees was the primary concern of police management. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24. Sien ook, Foto’s: Polisie se vuil hoofkantoor ontruim, ongeskik verklaar, by Maroela Media. Read Solidarity’s press statement in regard to this matter at Polity Poorly maintained ventilation closes down SA Air Force headquarters in Pretoria The Star reports that the SA Air Force (SAAF) temporarily shut down its headquarters building in Pretoria, on Tuesday due to the malfunctioning of its ventilation system, which has caused unsafe working conditions for employees. According to defenceWeb, the building was shut down after an inspection by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) and was due to poor air quality and high temperatures in the building from 19 February until 23 February. In a report, the DEL deemed the headquarters to be in contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act, and issued a Prohibition Notice to the Chief of the Air Force, prohibiting any areas where there were no means of natural ventilation and the mechanised ventilation system was not working. The SAAF building woes are not recent, but date back two years. City Press reported in January that the building got extremely hot, with temperatures over 40 degrees on warm days. The heat affects the computer servers resulting in them overheating frequently due to the failure of the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. SAAF employees have been told to work from home between 26 February and 11 March. They must join a WhatsApp group call every morning to report for work. Anyone needing to visit the building will have to wear a mask, sanitise regularly and limit visit duration to a maximum of two hours, preferably in the morning. The SA National Defence Union’s (Sandu’s) Pikkie Greeff emphasised the importance of SAAF members working in a safe and healthy environment. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at The Star. Read too, SAAF shuts down HQ building due to ventilation problems, at defenceWeb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Business ‘elated’ at choice of Michelle Phillips as new Transnet CEO BusinessLive reports that Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) Minister Pravin Gordhan announced on Wednesday that Transnet veteran Michelle Phillips had been appointed to lead the state-owned rail, port and pipeline company. Phillips, who has more than 20 years’ experience working at Transnet, most recently as CEO of Transnet Pipelines, was appointed acting CEO after several high-level resignations last year. These included former CEO Portia Derby, CFO Nonkululeko Dlamini, chair Popo Molefe and Transnet Freight Rail CEO Siza Mzimela. Gordhan also announced the appointment of Nosipho Maphumulo as the group CFO. “These are critical appointments which represent our steadfast commitment as government to equip Transnet with a competent and experienced executive leadership team to drive the strategic interventions that the board has put in place as part of the Transnet recovery plan,” Gordhan said. Busisiwe Mavuso, CEO of Business Leadership SA (BLSA), reacted that she was “relieved, elated and happy” with Phillips’ appointment. “We are fully supportive and stand behind her as the business community. Since she has been in this position [in an acting capacity] we have worked extraordinarily well with her,” Mavuso added. Cas Coovadia, CEO of Business Unity SA, said they welcomed the appointment. Phillips faces the daunting task of turning around the cash-strapped logistics company and implementing wide-reaching reforms Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Denene Erasmus at BusinessLive. See too, Transnet appoints acting CEO as new boss, at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Water woes for northern suburbs as Johannesburg Water employees continue strike over docking of pay News24 reports that water maintenance in the north of Johannesburg has been in limbo since Monday with Johannesburg Water staff at the Zandfontein depot striking over pay issues. Joburg Water management had a meeting with SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) representatives on Tuesday, but to no avail. As a result, areas such as Bryanston, Sandton, Randburg, Hurlingham Manor and Blairgowrie struggled with low water pressure or no water as leaks remained unfixed. Joburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the strike was "impacting maintenance work in the Sandton area, which this depot services. This is causing delays and compromising service delivery in the Sandton area. Johannesburg Water's management and the union are currently in discussions to resolve the matter. As part of contingency plans, the entity has appointed contractors to perform priority repairs and maintenance on the network." Samwu’s Thobani Nkosi said the strike was in relation to a pay dock due to a sit-in last year. He said municipal employees at Rand Water had raised concerns regarding their safety after reports of hijackings. A lack of personal protective equipment had also been an issue. "It appears that the employer docked the pay [for the day they had a sit-in] this month," Nkosi claimed. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Patrick at News24 Hundreds of eThekwini municipal employees march for higher wages GroundUp reports that some eThekwini municipal workers downed tools for a second day on Wednesday. This followed a march by hundreds of municipal workers, members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), in Durban’s city centre on Tuesday. According to the employees, their wages do not match those of workers in other metropoles like Ekurhuleni and Tshwane. Khayo Mpungose from Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda’s office accepted the memorandum on Tuesday. Samwu Xolani Dube said that the union’s analysis suggested that municipal workers in other metros earned “far more” than they did in eThekwini. For example, a general worker in eThekwini earned about R10,000 a month while general workers in Tshwane and Ekurhuleni earned about R13,900, Dube claimed. “We are all metropolitan municipality workers […] We will be waiting for the eThekwini municipality to respond to our memorandum and won’t do any work,” said Dube. But on Wednesday most municipal services seemed to be operating normally, with only a few workers participating in the stoppage. Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana dismissed claims by the union of a city-wide shutdown and said only about 500 of the city’s 27,000 workforce had participated in Tuesday’s unprotected strike. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tsoanelo Sefoloko at GroundUp. Read too, Thousands of eThekwini municipal workers down tools, at SABC News
Harmony to extend life of flagship Mponeng mine by 13 years Fin24 reports that Harmony Gold has decided to extend the operating life of its Mponeng Mine, the world's deepest, from seven to twenty years. The investment will also help improve operating profit margins at the mine near Carletonville, south of Johannesburg, Harmony advised on Wednesday. At a depth of almost four kilometres and with modern infrastructure, Mponeng is Harmony's flagship mine. The investment will cost Harmony R7.9 billion and the extension will add 3.05 million ounces of mineral reserves over the life of the mine, ensuring it remains Harmony's top asset until 2044, when it will reach the end of operating life. The mine currently employs more than 5,000 people and is Harmony's biggest contributor to free cash flow. Its production increased 30% in the six months ended in December as a result of improved underground grades. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sikonathi Mantshantsha at Fin24 Accused gets bail in case of fatal shooting of Mpumalanga mine manager Maroela Media reports that a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Mpumalanga mine manager has been granted bail of R20,000 in the Carolina Magistrate’s Court. Xolane Simelane, 38, is accused of the murder of a manager of the Carolina mine. It is not known if the accused was known to the manager or whether he worked at the mine. He will appear in court again on 29 April. According to information that the police made known on 29 January, the manager was shot just before she was about to leave her workplace for the day. She was in her Toyota bakkie when she was shot. The police and paramedics found the victim motionless behind the wheel of her vehicle, which had been started. She suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and was declared dead at the scene. The suspect was arrested a few weeks later. Read the original of the short report in the above regard in Afrikaans at Maroela Media
Cashbuild avoided forced retrenchments in 2023, but cut 500 jobs BL Premium reports that building materials retailer Cashbuild cut 500 jobs or about 8% of its workforce in 2023, as it placed a moratorium on replacing staff who left. CEO Werner de Jager said the number of employees had “unfortunately” been reduced to 5,700, but the group avoided retrenchments or forced cuts. Cashbuild, the owner of 321 stores, reported on Wednesday that its profit fell 20% in the six months to end-December, despite a low base in the same period a year earlier. “Our results are testimony of the financial strain of the consumer, exacerbated by continued load-shedding and above-inflationary cost increases,” De Jager said. Cashbuild, which caters to low- to middle-income consumers predominantly in townships and rural areas, has been struggling to keep pace in recent years with the level of growth seen between 2010 and 2018. The P&L business, which has 53 stores, was bought by Cashbuild in 2015 and has since underperformed. The group would close a few more P&L stores and was converting some to Cashbuild brands, De Jager indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Andries Mahlangu & Katharine Child at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Take-home pay positive in January, but bracket creep a threat for tax payers The Citizen reports that take-home pay showed a year-on-year increase in January, continuing its upward movement as the high rate of inflation moderated. This provided some relief to salary earners. However, stormy clouds are on the horizon, particularly for tax-paying South Africans. According to the BankservAfrica Take-home Pay Index (BTPI), the nominal average take-home pay was R15,670 in January, representing a 9.1% year-on-year increase. However, this was off a low base and showed a 1.5% growth on the R15,533 recorded in December. Real take-home pay, namely the amount received after tax, insurance and other deductions, was also higher at R13,968 in January, a 3.5% year-on-year improvement. This suggested that the significant erosion of the purchasing power of salary earners during 2023 was easing off. However, a salary increase could push salary earners into a higher income tax bracket and affected individuals could end up paying tax at a higher rate and take home a lower salary than before the increase. This phenomenon, also known as ‘bracket creep’, will earn the government R16.3 billion more in taxes in the 2025 financial year. The BankservAfrica Private Pensions Index (BPPI) showed that the nominal private pension fell slightly to R10,616 in January 2024 compared to the previous month’s R10,642, but was still 5.7% higher than a year ago. Consumer inflation is expected to average around 5.3% in 2024 compared to 6.0% in 2023 after reaching 6.9% in 2022. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ina Opperman at The Citizen. Read too, Moderating inflation cushions take-home pay but bracket creep a threat, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
SA plans to slash time taken to issue work permits in a bid to lure overseas investors Bloomberg reports that South Africa will slash the time taken to issue work permits to foreign executives and technicians employed by the biggest companies in the country, in a bid to lure overseas investors. Under the so-called Trusted Employer Scheme, a pilot of which was introduced in October, work permit processing times will be cut to 20 days from 22 weeks, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) said in a statement on Tuesday. The Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which represents companies operating in SA including Volkswagen AG and Bayer AG, has previously said that the difficulty in securing work permits limited investment and threatened 100,000 jobs in the country. “This is one scheme that will allow South Africa to more easily attract skills and manage immigration, particularly in the processing of applications for senior executives, technical personnel, corporate employees and investors,” DHA Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in the statement. Companies under the program will have their applications given a higher priority and will be subject to fewer requirements and demands for supporting documentation. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Antony Sguazzin at Moneyweb
Ex-Free State official charged for bogus qualifications lands CFO job at Rand West City The Citizen reports that the former Nketoana Municipality official Xolani Malindi, who was arrested two years ago for submitting fake qualifications, has landed another CFO post at Gauteng’s Rand West City Municipality. Malindi, a former CFO at Nketoana, took up the post last December after the resignation of his predecessor. The Free State Hawks arrested him in 2022 after he submitted bogus qualifications in an application for a Nketoana city manager post. The fraudulent qualification was discovered during a shortlisting process and was reported to the police, Hawks indicated at the time. After his arrest, the case was transferred to the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court where Malindi stood trial in 2023. The owner of the bogus college was also charged for issuing a fraudulent academic certificate. On Wednesday, Malindi claimed that the court acquitted him on all charges last year. “I applied to Rand West City and submitted my qualifications, including the court documents showing I was acquitted,” he indicated. But Democratic Alliance (DA) caucus leader at Rand West City, Balderic Dreyer, said Malindi’s track record at the ailing Nketoana, including corruption allegations, rendered him unfit for the CFO post. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Getrude Makhafola at The Citizen
Numsa to approach Labour Court over suspended Putco employees The Star reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) intends to seek a solution at the Labour Court to the impasse between the union and Putco bus operator. Roughly 120 members affiliated to Numsa, and employed by Putco, were suspended following an unprotected strike in 2022 over a wage dispute. According to reports, the suspended workers are subjected to undignified conditions, including a lack of access to decent toilets at the company’s depots. Numsa’s Irvin Jim said the union had met Putco management on Tuesday in an attempt to end the dispute, however, they were unable to find one another. Lindokuhle Xulu, Putco spokesperson, dismissed accusations of management mistreating the suspended employees, saying bus management faced the situation that workers were repeatedly absent from hearings. According to Jim, Putco was demanding that arbitration hearings conducted at the CCMA should be concluded by 5 April, failing which workers would not be paid their salaries while on suspension. “We will not be bullied into submission by lawyers. Putco is threatening to take us to court to force us to reduce the number of witnesses in the disciplinary hearing but we are ready to defend our members and their right to a fair trial,” Jim stated. The union’s demands include that workers who are currently on suspension for the 2022 unprotected strike not be compelled to report daily to the bus operator’s depot and that the 14 workers dismissed for taking sick leave be immediately reinstated. Xulu indicated: “Both parties had agreed the process of hearings would be undertaken expeditiously. However, Putco is of the view that Numsa’s suggestion that the hearings be concluded by November 2024, is unreasonable.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Goitsemang Matlhabe at The Star. Read too, Numsa threatens Putco with court action after wildcat strike, at BusinessLive
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