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 Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related reports.
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Court upholds Solidarity’s challenge that NHI may not instruct where private health practitioners must practise TimesLIVE reports that Solidarity’s challenge of an aspect of the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme was successful when the North Gauteng High Court found that it was invalid to determine where private health practitioners may practise. The trade union approached the court along with the Alliance of South African Independent Practitioner Associations and others to challenge the health minister, the health department’s director-general and President Cyril Ramaphosa on the validity of the “certificate of need”. The controversial “certificate of need” was adopted by the health department to control where doctors and medical practitioners may practise once the NHI officially starts. Judge Anthony Millar ruled that sections 36 to 40 of the National Health Act were invalid in their entirety and were consequently to be severed from the act. He said the certificate of need was “not rational” and there was no connection between the certificate of need scheme and its implementation and the purpose for which it was enacted. Millar ordered that his judgment be directed to the Constitutional Court within 15 days for confirmation of the order of invalidity. Solidarity CEO Dr Dirk Hermann said the judgment was a “major blow” to the NHI concept and its principle of central management. “A more extensive consequence of this ruling with regard to the certificate of need is that parts of the NHI Act are now probably also illegal in principle. The NHI, in its current format, cannot be implemented as the essence of the NHI is central planning – and this has now been found unconstitutional,” he pointed out. Solidarity said it would continue to challenge the NHI Act, particularly the centralisation of funds for healthcare. Hermann stated: “Solidarity will, therefore, continue its litigation against the NHI in its entirety and is now in a very strong position to achieve victory in court.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Rorisang Kgosana at TimesLIVE. Read too, NHI bid to control where doctors work is defeated, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). And also, Court declares sections of health act unconstitutional, challenging central planning of NHI, at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Numsa signs 6.8% wage deal at Gautrain, bringing 17-day strike to an end BL Premium reports that the 17-day strike by members of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) at Gautrain operator Bombela Operating Company (BOC) has come to an end after the parties signed a one-year 6.8% wage agreement. BOC is a private company contracted by Bombela Concession Company (BCC) to operate and maintain the Gautrain systems. The wage agreement was signed by the two parties on Wednesday. Numsa members at Gautrain downed tools more than two weeks ago in support of their initial demand for a 13% wage increase, which they later revised down to 9%, citing the rising cost of living. The union argued its members’ demands were not unreasonable as the lowest-paid worker earned R8,000 a month “without any benefits”. Numsa had also demanded that BOC cover 60% of employees’ medical aid contribution costs and increase the housing allowance to R2,000 a month. The industrial action prompted the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to invoke a section 150 intervention to try to assist the parties in reaching an agreement. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
One worker killed, 60 injured when truck veered off gravel road in KZN and collided with a tree The Citizen reports that one worker was killed and 60 others seriously injured in a road accident on Wednesday involving a truck transporting workers in KwaZulu-Natal. The accident took place on Hella Hella Pass outside Pietermaritzburg just before 7am. ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said officials responded to a multiple casualty scene. He went on to report: “Paramedics arrived on the scene to find chaos as a truck carrying labourers to work somehow veered off the gravel road colliding with a tree. Approximately 60 workers sustained various injuries and multiple ambulance services worked to stabilise them on the scene before they were transported to various hospitals in Pietermaritzburg and Durban for further care. Unfortunately one female believed to be in her 50s sustained major injuries and there was nothing paramedics could do for her. She was declared deceased on the scene.” He added that events leading up to the crash were unknown, however, police would investigate further. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Faizel Patel at The Citizen Joburg Emergency Services extinguish fire at blanket factory in Nancefield, all workers evacuated safely The Citizen reports that the City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) successfully extinguished a fire at a blanket factory in Nancefield industrial site, south of Joburg. Firefighters responded to the blanket factory blaze at around 9pm on Tuesday evening. Joburg EMS spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said he exact cause of the fire was being investigated. “On arrival, firefighters found the building well alight managed to evacuate all workers on duty safely out of the building unharmed. They started conducting firefighting operations and the fire has been stopped, no further injuries reported during this fire incident,” he reported. Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire started by the machine used to manufacture blankets. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Faizel Patel at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Teacher resigns from ActionSA after controversy over fake career day expo at GIBS in Joburg News24 reports that a teacher has terminated his membership of ActionSA because the political party allegedly misled him and matric pupils into attending one of the party's functions under false pretences. Sixty-six Grade 12 pupils from Villa Liza Secondary School in Boksburg, who were accompanied by the teacher, known as "Teacher Maluleke", thought they were attending a career day expo at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Joburg on 9 April. Instead, they were addressed by ActionSA president Herman Mashaba. Pupils were transported for free on a bus to the GIBS and were given food. They were also given ActionSA T-shirts at the event that was held ahead of the May elections. Although it was held at the GIBS, the business school was adamant it had not organised it. “I realised I can't work with this type of organisation where my name is involved in something I don't know anything about. The party didn't help to clear my name. I can't work with an organisation which is not honest,” Maluleke, who had been the Gauteng Disability Forum secretary for ActionSA, said. However, ActionSA has hit back, saying Maluleke resigned from the party after it instituted disciplinary proceedings against him in May. The party said it was in the process of investigating Maluleke's conduct and building a case against him for bringing it into disrepute. Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona previously confirmed that they were "regrettably" aware of the incident at the school that took place on 9 April and that necessary disciplinary processes were underway. Maluleke indicated that he was "ready to face the music" for taking the pupils on a trip which did not turn out to be a career day expo. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24
Inflation hits lowest level in six months, fuelling hopes for interest rate cut in September Bloomberg News reports that SA’s consumer inflation rate fell slightly in June, touching a six-month low and potentially encouraging the SA Reserve Bank (SARB) to consider cutting borrowing costs later this year. Consumer prices rose 5.1% in June from a year earlier, compared with 5.2% in the prior month. Contributing to the change was a 4.6% rise in the food and non-alcoholic beverages category, which was the slowest gain since September 2020. Transport inflation cooled to 5.5%, from 6.3% in the prior month. The data bolsters the SARB’s improved inflation outlook, which now sees prices slowing below the 4.5% midpoint of its target range in the fourth quarter. The central bank’s monetary policy committee last week voted to leave interest rates at 8.25%, but the decision was split, fanning hopes that it was becoming more open to easing. Governor Lesetja Kganyago argued there needed to be a sustained decline for officials to be confident that inflation was under control. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Fin24. Read too, Food inflation lowest in 45 months, at The Citizen. En ook, Inflasie weer effens laer, by Maroela Media
Ramaphosa bumps up annual salary of Zulu King Misuzulu and other kings and queens to nearly R1.4m News24 reports that the government has published a proclamation setting out the revised salaries of traditional leaders. President Cyril Ramaphosa this week signed a government notice that will see the annual salaries of kings and queens bumped up retrospectively from April 2024 to R1,388,764 from R1,354,892 previously. The adjustment will apply to Zulu King MisuZulu kaZwelithini's annual salary. The President repealed the previous traditional leaders' salaries' notice, which was issued in August 2023. A principal traditional leader will now be paid an annual salary of R1,277.668, from R1,246,505, while the salary of a senior traditional leader will increase from R296,066 to R303,467. Other increases include the following: National House of Traditional Leaders chairperson from R1,019,809 to R1,045,305; Deputy chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders from R780,001 to R799 501; Full-time chairperson of a Provincial House of Traditional Leaders from R839,955 to R860,954; Deputy chairperson of a Provincial House of Traditional Leaders from R719,842 to R737,838. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Soyiso Maliti at News24 CEO of Foschini owner TFG paid 43% less as business misses 'key performance targets' Fin24 reports that Anthony Thunstrom, CEO of TFG, which owns brands such as Foschini, Coricraft, Sportscene and Totalsports, was paid a like-for-like remuneration package of just over R36 million in financial year 2024. This was 43% less than the R63.8 million he received in the previous year, after the business missed some performance targets. The R36.145 million included a performance bonus of R7.8 million, dividends of R839,000, and a deferred incentive of R11.7 million. Excluding the deferred incentive, the cash portion Thunstrom was paid amounted to about R24 million. Overall, Thunstrom did benefit from substantial additional long-term share incentives – relating to performance – of R47 million, dating back to 2020 and 2021. These only vested in financial year 2024 and were unrelated to the company's current performance. This brought his total payout to R72 million. In response to questions, the group noted on Tuesday that the difference between the R36 million and R63.8 million pay packages, which included incentives and dividends, was due to Thunstrom not meeting "certain key performance indicators". TFG explained that the group measured the CEO's potential pay across a series of metrics including headline earnings, return on capital employed (ROCE), people/transformation, environment social governance (ESG), and customer metrics. While Thunstrom had achieved "favourable" outcomes across most of the metrics, his overall score was weighed down by having missed the ROCE target. ROCE is a financial ratio used to establish how well a company is generating profits from its capital as it is put to use. TFG said the reduction in the overall remuneration package was "not related to shareholder dissatisfaction of the remuneration policy or implementation". Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nick Wilson at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Chieta opens its sixth Smart Skills Centre in Modjadjiskloof with aim of bridging digital divide Engineering News reports that the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (Chieta) has opened a new Smart Skills Centre in Modjadjiskloof, Limpopo, to bridge the digital skills divide. This brings to six the number of Smart Skills Centres opened in rural SA since October 2022. According to CEO Yershen Pillay, Chieta plans to have opened a Smart Skills Centre in each of the country's provinces by March 2025. “We are committed to taking Smart Skills Centres to rural areas to ensure nobody is left behind in the digital space,” he explained. According to Chieta, more than 12,000 people from poor and rural communities have already benefited from the Smart Skills Centres which it has established. The Modjadjiskloof Smart Skills Centre is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including Smart boardrooms for startups and small, medium-sized and microenterprises and virtual reality (VR) machines to train artisans. It also offers accredited training courses paid for by Chieta. “We live in a digital-first world. Many people in Modjadjiskloof and surrounding communities do not have access to the Internet and cannot afford data. Some have never used VR technology before. This centre will ensure that the communities of Modjadjiskloof are not left behind in the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Pillay indicated. The next centre is planned for Gauteng, where Chieta says it plans to collaborate with glass product manufacturer PG Group. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News
Parent of Table View High School pupil concerned over school's failure to suspend teacher for allegedly using K-word EWN reports that the parent of a grade 12 learner at Table View High School has expressed concern after the school failed to take action against a teacher for allegedly using the K-word. The parent said it was unacceptable that the school was allowing the teacher to continue teaching while the allegations of racism were being investigated. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) confirmed the alleged incident, saying the allegations were being addressed. According to the parent, his daughter came home from school on Wednesday last week, feeling angry and useless. He said that she told him a history teacher called his daughter and her friends the K-word, saying they were privileged to be taught by her and later refused to apologise. The girl's father said that after enquiring with the school and the WCED, he found out that the teacher was allowed back in class the next day. WCED spokesperson, Bronagh Hammond, advised: "The school did act immediately on the allegations that a racist word was used as part of a history lesson on black consciousness and has submitted a report to the department, including statements from the learners." She added that the school was monitoring the classroom practice of the teacher and an investigation, which could result in a disciplinary hearing, was underway. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carlo Petersen at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Golden Arrow bus driver suspended after forcing pupil to walk eight-hour journey home The Citizen reports that a Golden Arrow bus driver is facing disciplinary action after his refusal to let a Simon’s Town Primary pupil board the bus ended up in an eight-hour ordeal for the terrified boy. Lifalethu Mbasana was left with no choice but to trek all the way from Simon’s Town to Makhaza, Khayelitsha, after losing his bus ticket on 22 July. The young boy said he and his two younger siblings were waiting at a bus stop in Simon’s Town, but when the bus stopped, he could not find his ticket. His siblings got on the 2.30pm bus to Makhaza, but the driver refused to give him a ride. “I felt scared and alone, but was determined to make it home,” he later indicated. The boy eventually ended up walking 20km to Strandfontein, where he managed to get a lift to Mandela Park. A security officer then contacted the police, who took Lifalethu home. His mother, Siba, said the frantic family contacted the bus company and authorities to search for their son, who only arrived home at 10pm that evening. Golden Arrow Bus Services spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said they viewed this incident in a very serious light. “It is our policy to assist scholars in situations where they have lost their gold cards. The driver who failed to do so has been suspended. We have also undertaken to review all of our mechanisms related to lost scholar tickets and to ensure that protocol is followed in such cases,” she advised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Cornelia Le Roux at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Senior official at North West’s Kagisano-Molopo municipality in court for R185,000 laptop tender awarded to her partner The Citizen reports that a senior official at the Kagisano-Molopo Local Municipality and her partner have made their first court appearance to face charges of corruption. Morufa Moloto, 37, and Letladi Emmanuel Ramoroka, 39, appeared in the Ganyesa Magistrate’s Court on Monday after being arrested by the Hawks on Friday last week. It is alleged that the duo were involved in corruption in the awarding of a tender to supply and deliver eight laptops to the Kagisano Local Municipality in Ganyesa. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in the North West, Sivenathi Gunya said Moloto awarded her partner’s company, Thatsofaso Trading and Projects, a tender of R185,000 to supply and deliver the laptops. The state alleges this bid cost the municipality far more than all other bids that had been made. The matter was adjourned to 28 August 2024 for further investigation. Both accused were granted bail of R15,000 each. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicholas Zaal at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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