Today's Labour News

PRESIDENTIAL HEALTH COMPACT / NHI

Controversial Presidential Health Compact signed despite business boycott over NHI inclusion

Fin24 reports that the Presidential Health Compact, which aims to ensure better health outcomes in the country, was signed at the Union Buildings on Thursday without the involvement of business, which boycotted proceedings over the central role National Health Insurance (NHI) featured in the framework. President Cyril Ramaphosa initially postponed the signing last week to Thursday. Mashatile, in his capacity as acting president, signed the compact, along with Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi and Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande, despite opposition from Business Unity SA (Busa) and others in the healthcare industry over the insistence that the NHI be a central part of the compact. "We’re not happy with the compact in its current form. We weren’t consulted on making NHI central to the compact. We believe the two should be separate. We maintain our position that we can’t attend the signing ceremony. We’re not going to be present and we’re not signing," Busa CEO Cas Coovadia advised.   The SA Medical Association (Sama) and the SA Health Professionals Collaboration (SAHPC) also refused to sign the compact over the inclusion of NHI. According to Motsoaledi on Thursday, he had requested a meeting between Ramaphosa and business to address their concerns, but the president was "very busy", and was currently ill. "It's not that they are being ignored. The president never said no to me when I asked him to do so," Motsoaledi indicated. He admitted that he was concerned that Busa and others in the healthcare industry had refused to sign.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Garth Theunissen at Fin24 (subscriber access only)

Presidency shrugs off health compact boycott by organised business and healthcare professionals

BL Premium reports that the Presidency has shrugged off a boycott by organised business and healthcare professionals and formalised its second health compact, signalling its intention to press ahead with National Health Insurance (NHI). The compact follows the second presidential health summit in 2023 and was intended to be a consensus document signed by the parties that participated in the high-level meeting. But last week, Business Unity SA (Busa), the SA Medical Association (Sama) and the SA Health Professionals Collaboration (SAHPC) said they would not agree to it, as they did not support the compact’s position on NHI. Without acknowledging the absence of key stakeholders, acting president Paul Mashatile said on Thursday that the private sector had a crucial role to play in strengthening SA’s health system. “Our experience in Covid-19 showed how we can deepen public-private partnerships. With greater collaboration, the resources and capabilities of both the public and private sector can be brought to bear to serve those who need healthcare the most,” he said at a signing ceremony in Pretoria.   Signatories included the SA Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu), the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA Denosa) and trade union federation Cosatu. Samatu’s Cedric Sihlangu said that the trade union backed NHI, as it was the only vehicle to achieve any form of meaningful progress towards universal health coverage. Denosa said its members backed NHI fully, believing it would ensure better working conditions, higher pay and more resources for treating patients. “Our members are aware of the potential loss of medical scheme subsidies and are willing to sacrifice [them] as long as it [NHI] addresses the challenges they face,” said Denosa’s Khaya Sodidi.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)

Ramaphosa’s ‘worthless’ NHI compact is a ‘treaty concluded by the state with itself’

BusinessTech reports that when acting president Paul Mashatile signed the second presidential health compact in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s stead on Thursday, he paid lip service to the private sector’s role in healthcare provision in SA even as businesses and healthcare professionals boycotted the event. Ramaphosa appointed Mashatile as acting president based on medical advice that he should allow an eye infection to clear. As such, it was Mashatile who signed the compact on behalf of Ramaphosa. The Presidential Health Compact is an initiative launched by Ramaphosa in 2019, which established a “framework of cooperation” between critical sectors in SA to significantly influence good health outcomes. The 2024 compact is the second iteration of the framework, and it specifically focuses on supporting health systems and strengthening and preparing them for the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI). Despite the boycotts, Mashatile talked up the importance of the private sector in healthcare in SA, encouraging cooperation.   The organisations that boycotted the signing cited a lack of consultation over the wording of the compact and its focus on the NHI, saying that the document was “nothing more than an attempt to lock in support for the NHI Act”, while challenges were mounting.   Trade union Solidarity, which has been a fierce opponent to the NHI and one of the main drivers of litigation against the scheme, said that the boycotts rendered the compact “worthless”.   Theuns du Buisson, economic researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI), said the Presidency “might just as well have concluded a treaty with itself”. He added: “As was the case with the signing into law of the NHI Bill shortly before the election, the government is now also steamrolling this compact through without heeding the serious consequences it may hold for all of us, and for the economy.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at BusinessTech. Read too, 'Forcing it down our throats': Medical community reacts to Presidential Health Compact, at News24

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

SAPS training at academy in Pretoria resumes after gas pipe explosion on Wednesday

SABC News reports that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that 2,500 trainees have resumed their programmes at its training academy in Pretoria. They were evacuated on Wednesday after a gas pipe explosion at a building near the training facility. Spokesperson Athlenda Mathe sauid training had resumed and SAPS trainees were back in class. “The SAPS appreciates the prompt response by the Tshwane Fire Department and Emergency Services unit in extinguishing the fire from an adjacent building near the Tshwane Training Academy yesterday. All staff and personnel that are working at the academy are also back at work,” Mathe indicated.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News. Lees ook, Gasontploffing veroorsaak amper chaos in Pretoria-Wes, by Maroela Media

AfriForum calls for improved security measures at SANDF bases

Engineering News reports that lobbying and civil rights organisation AfriForum has called on Defence Minister Angie Motshekga to urgently investigate and address the significant decline in security at SA National Defence Force (SANDF) bases. Of particular, but not exclusive, concern is the army’s Wallmansthal depot, north of Pretoria. Wallmansthal is one of the SANDF’s biggest vehicle depots. According to AfriForum, the issues needing attention there, and at other bases, include theft, trespassing, failure to adhere to security measures and the decay in base security infrastructure. These failures include inadequate entrance control, collapsing security fences and a general lack of infrastructure maintenance. “The ongoing security breaches at SANDF bases, particularly at Wallmansthal, are unacceptable and pose a serious threat to our national security,” AfriForum community safety chief spokesperson Jacques Broodryk indicated. AfriForum reported that theft was happening “almost nightly” at the Wallmansthal depot. People were entering the property illegally and stealing vehicle parts and other items. Safety measures, including those for fire prevention, had also seriously deteriorated. This was shown by a recent fire at Wallmansthal, which reportedly resulted in the destruction of several hundred stored vehicles. AfriForum also called for the immediate upgrading of fire prevention measures at SANDF bases.   Improved security measures would need to include proper training and equipping of security personnel.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Kanada vier Suid-Afrikaanse vuurvegters, by Maroela Media

JOBURG GRIDLOCK

M1 and M2 highways in Braamfontein and Joburg CBD blocked by 10,000 Samwu members protesting over wage dispute

The Citizen reports that about 10,000 City of Johannesburg employees affiliated with the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) blocked off the M1 and M2 highways in Braamfontein and the Johannesburg CBD on Thursday. A JMPD spokesperson reported that the protesters blocked off the M1 in both directions at Smit Street in Braamfontein and in both directions on the M2 in Selby, causing heavy traffic disruptions in the area. The protesters were not violent and by 17:30 traffic was free-flowing again. Samwu's Ester Mtatyana claimed the City had reneged on its agreement to pay workers according to benchmark standards. She indicated: "We had an agreement that, as of 1 July, benchmarking increases would be implemented because that is the month the City's grading was moved from eight to 10, according to the PFA [Pension Funds Act]. Now, the employer wants the City to be a Grade 10 city, without any changes to the salary according to the benchmarking standards. The grading is reflective of how much money the City gets from the government, and that must also be reflected on workers' salaries." She said workers met with the employer earlier to air their grievances. "In our meeting, the employer was disrespectful. They told us that they do not have the budgets and that this was not included in the budget. How are they now acting like they are not aware of an agreement we had in the bargaining council? That is why workers decide to block the roads." The City condemned the protest, labelling it "illegal", and said it would approach the Labour Court for an urgent interdict.

Based on reports by Faizel Patel at The Citizen and by Noxolo Sibiya at News24

Samwu protest: Joburg highways reopen as union leadership agrees to negotiate

The Citizen reports that SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members agreed to stand down on Thursday and allow the M1 and M2 highways to reopen in Braamfontein and the Johannesburg CBD after the union’s leadership agreed to meet the local government. Earlier on Thursday, about 10,000 City of Johannesburg employees affiliated with Samwu blocked off the highways due to a wage dispute and failed attempts to engage with the city’s leadership. Samwu’s deputy regional chairperson in Joburg, Lebogang Ndawo, indicated that in 1995, the city stopped salary progression in preparation for iGoli 2000, a restructuring and privatisation plan for the city.   Though this was only supposed to last a year, it continued, and Ndawo claimed workers have been stuck with entry-level salaries since then. A five-month Pikitup strike in 2016 led to the government intervening and a politically facilitated agreement was formed. This was meant to reinstate payment notches and “pay people according to the category of the municipality they are in”, Ndawo claimed. But, administrative workers in different departments received differing salaries. In 2018, the city adjusted the salaries of its managerial boards but workers’ salaries were left unchanged. Ndawo said in July, the city finally adopted documentation in line with it being a category 10 municipality. However, it has not yet adjusted worker salaries to reflect this. When asked which sector was most affected by the payment dispute, Ndawo said almost all of the City’s 36 000 workers were affected. It was only the senior management who would not benefit from the salaries being increased to match the municipality category level.   This was because their salaries had already been bumped up years ago.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicholas Zaal & Kyle Zeeman at The Citizen

MINING

Unions and civic organisations protest at Glencore’s head office calling for sale of coal to Israel to be stopped

GroundUp reports that almost 200 representatives of mining unions and civic organisations protested at the offices of coal mining company Glencore in Johannesburg on Thursday, calling for the company to stop supplying coal to Israel. Members of the National Union of Mineworkers, the General Industries Workers Union of SA, the Palestine Solidarity Alliance, BDS, Social Youth Movement, and other organisations handed over a memorandum at Glencore’s head office in Melrose Arch. This followed Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro’s decision to stop exports of coal to Israel in a bid to put pressure on Tel Aviv to end the war in Gaza. “Israel has to import oil, gas, and coal. Twenty-two percent of its energy comes from coal. Glencore is the biggest mining coal mining company here sending coal to Israel. So we’re calling today on our government to end coal sales to Israel because really that will help,” South African BDS Coalition coordinator Roshan Dadoo said. Referring to the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings on Israel, she said that if Glencore’s executives did not “pay attention”, they would be held complicit and “will be held as having contributed to the genocide.”   Glencore Senior Legal Adviser Nico Geldenhuys accepted the memorandum but declined to speak to the media or to address the crowd. At the Glencore AGM in Switzerland in May, a questioner asked what Glencore was doing to review a relationship with Israel which “could lead to people thinking that Glencore is aiding and abetting a potential genocide and that this could lead to criminal liability?” Chairman Kalidas Madhavpeddi reportedly expressed “great sympathy for the situation”, but added “What you’re saying has no merit at all.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Silver Sibiya at GroundUp

Other general posting(s) relating to mining

• SA’s small-end diamond producers are battling to survive, SA Diamond Producers Organisation reports, at Mining Weekly

REMUNERATION TRENDS

Nominal take-home pay up 5.9% year-on-year in July as sentiment brightens

BL Premium reports that according to a new BankservAfrica report, SA’s average nominal take-home pay rose nearly 6% in July, as the business environment and confidence levels improved. The BankservAfrica Take-Home Pay Index (BTPI) shows a 5.9% jump for July year-on-year. Take-home pay increased from R15,452 in July 2023 to a more-than-expected R16,358 this year, reflecting an improved business environment.   Relief from load-shedding for nearly five months, lower inflation, a new political situation and the possibility of lower interest rates soon have helped to lift confidence. “While the increase in take-home pay is encouraging, it masks the stark reality that the unemployment rate increased in the first half of 2024, with 73,000 job opportunities lost compared to end 2023,” the report pointed out. Independent economist Elize Kruger commented: “If this trend is sustained for the remainder of the year, 2024 will likely be the best year for salaries since 2020 with the increase in average nominal BTPI beating inflation.   Improved purchasing power will go some way to supporting cash-strapped household budgets.” The pensions index (BPPI), which monitors pension payments to about 700,000 retirees, shows a moderation in nominal terms in July. The average nominal private pension decreased to R11,180 in July from R11,270 the previous month, though it was 2.1% higher than at the same time in 2023. The pension industry is currently in sharp focus given that the two-pot retirement system will be implemented on 1 September.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Majavu at BusinessLive

(subscriber access only)

COMRADES RESIGN

Four Comrades Marathon Association board members, including chair, quit

TimesLIVE reports that the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has confirmed that four members of its board have resigned with immediate effect. The members are CMA chair Mqondisi Ngcobo, vice-chair Leslie Burnard and board members Kerwin Basson and Pumlani Ntuli. In a brief statement, Ngcobo said: “I am very grateful to the CMA board, staff, sponsors and volunteers who have supported the work of the association in what has been some stressful circumstances. The past few weeks have taken a toll on the members of the association, and I empathise with those who have been at the coalface dealing with these issues.” He added: “The CMA and the race are in a very good space, and it is with this in mind that we will be stepping down from the CMA board to spend some much-needed down time to be with our families and to allow the association to evolve.” The four resignations came after an explosive special general meeting in Pietermaritzburg last week when one board member, Zinhle Sokela, was banned for life and another, Isaac Ngwenya, escaped sanction. The meeting to discuss the running of the association was called after allegations of racism and vote-rigging, which led to former Comrades winner and race director Ann Ashworth leaving the organisation.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE

EDUCATOR SUSPENSION

Mpumalanga teacher suspended for cutting pupil’s braids in class

The Citizen reports that in yet another incident involving hair in SA schools, the Mpumalanga Department of Education (DoE) has placed a teacher on precautionary suspension with immediate effect. This followed the online circulation of a video showing a teacher from LD Moetanalo High School in Mhluzi, within the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, forcefully cutting a pupil’s braids in class. In the video, other pupils look on as the teacher attempts to cut the braids of a resisting student. It is not yet clear what led to this incident. The DoE has placed the teacher on precautionary suspension while an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident unfolds. The pupils affected by the incident will receive psychosocial counselling from DoE officials. “Teachers are expected to conduct themselves appropriately and professionally, as guided by their professional ethics and the South African Council for Educators (SACE). Therefore, this conduct is deemed inappropriate,” the department pointed out. The department added that it would also review the school’s code of conduct for learners as part of the investigation process. The incident comes just months after the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) raised concerns in a report about school policies that infringed on pupils’ rights. Complaints highlighted biases rooted in Eurocentric norms, which neglect African hairstyles, historically stigmatised during apartheid.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Vhahangwele Nemakonde at The Citizen. Lees ook, Onnie geskors wat leerder se hare probeer knip, by Maroela Media

‘BLUE LIGHTS’ PROSECUTION

M1 highway assault case against eight protection officers postponed to February next year

SABC News reports that the case against eight former VIP Presidential Protection Unit officers assigned to Deputy President Paul Mashatile, has been postponed in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court to 3 February next year. The police officers are accused of assaulting three people who were travelling on the N1 highway in the city in July 2023. The accused face various charges including reckless and negligent driving, pointing a firearm, malicious damage to property and assault. They made a further appearance in the dock on Thursday before their case was postponed. The lengthy postponement resulted from the diaries of the presiding magistrate and prosecutor being fully booked for the next few months.   On Thursday, the owner of the vehicle that the victims were travelling in when they were attacked, appeared briefly in the dock, where the defence cross-examined her. She reiterated her testimony under cross-examination, stating that her car was in a very bad condition after the alleged incident and that she believed that the accused must be held liable for their actions.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sashin Naidoo at SABC News

OTHER REPORTS OF INTEREST

• Eight Pietermaritzburg construction projects at a standstill as disgruntled locals demand jobs, at News24 (subscriber access only)
• R6m insurance scam murder: Gardener 'confessed' boss hired him to kill domestic worker, court hears, at News24 (subscriber access only)
• Male nurse reinstated, to be paid R1m after rape accusations, at Sunday Independent
• Zondo’s final judgment: SANDF ordered to reinstate soldier, backpay his salary for 12 years, at The Citizen