In our roundup of weekend and recent reports,
see summaries of our selection of recent
South African labour-related articles.
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Cosatu calls on workers to join protest action strike on Monday against ‘crippling economic crisis’ Daily Maverick reports that trade union federation Cosatu has called on all non-essential workers to “come out in their numbers” on Monday as part of a National Day of Action against the “crippling economic crisis” in SA, which it says is characterised by joblessness, poverty and inequality. The federation will be joined by affiliated trade unions, including the SA Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) and the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers’ Union (Saccawu). Cosatu’s primary grievance is SA’s high unemployment rate, with 11.3 million people in need of jobs. “Given this very high unemployment rate, Cosatu is actually demanding a moratorium on retrenchments because it doesn’t make sense to say we have this high unemployment rate and then we are still cutting the little jobs that we have,” said Zanele Sabela, Cosatu’s national spokesperson. Sabela referenced the large-scale retrenchments that had taken place at the SA Post Office and resources group Sibanye Stillwater this year. “The latest company to announce that it is going to be cutting jobs is Seriti, the mining company, and they’re talking about more than 1,100 jobs,” said Sabela, adding that Saccawu was in the process of engaging with Pick n Pay over the retailer’s plans to retrench thousands of workers. In Joburg, workers will meet at George Lea Park in Sandton before marching to the JSE, where they will hand over a memorandum to Business Unity SA (Busa), Discovery, the National Department of Employment and Labour, the National Treasury and the SA Reserve Bank. In Cape Town, there will be a march to the provincial legislature and national Parliament, while in KwaZulu-Natal, workers will march to the Durban City Hall. The strike will be in compliance with section 77 of the Labour Relations Act, which means employees who participate will have legal protection from disciplinary action. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamsin Metelerkamp at Daily Maverick. Read too, Unions urge workers to join nationwide strike on International Day of Decent work, at Sunday Tribune Business and Cosatu at odds ahead of national protest over Nedlac strike certificate Fin24 reports that there is a clash between the business sector and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) over the strike certificate issued for Monday’s national protest action strike. The ‘section 77’ certificate was issued almost seven years ago. In August 2017, Cosatu first sought approval for a strike about "weak economic growth" and "growing retrenchments" from the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). According to legislation, labour groups and trade unions must apply for a strike certificate from Nedlac for any protected socioeconomic protest or strike. Cosatu received a strike certificate on 7 November 2017, which it has been using for subsequent strikes over the same issues. This is because there is currently no legislation that says a section 77 strike certificate can expire or lapse. Business Unity SA (BUSA) has objected to this, arguing that the labour federation should not be allowed to use a strike certificate it was first granted in 2017. The business lobby group said the planned nationwide strike amounted to the "misuse" of strike action and would put an undue strain on the economy. BUSA also proposed legislative amendments so that strikes could only occur if they had been approved and protected by Nedlac within 12 months. Cosatu’s spokesperson Zanele Sabela responded that the federation would oppose BUSA's policy proposal because no strikes had been misused. Sabela also labelled the proposal as weakening workers' hard-earned rights. "They cannot claim that we last spoke about it in 2017. Cosatu is a critical part of Nedlac. This is ridiculous. We have a right to these this certificate," she claimed. Meanwhile, Nedlac labour convenor and Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks confirmed that there was ongoing discussions about legislation related to protest action strike certificates at Nedlac. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Na'ilah Ebrahim at Fin24 (registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Hundreds of Bolt drivers take body of slain colleague to Randburg offices in a call for safety reform TimesLIVE reports in a demonstration of grief and frustration, on Friday hundreds of e-hailing drivers from Yeoville and Hillbrow travelled in a convoy led by a hearse carrying the body of a driver killed last week to the Bolt offices in Randburg to call for the company to enforce stricter safety measures. The protest was organised in memory of Nguquko Gaza, a driver allegedly killed by a passenger after completing a trip in Berea, Johannesburg. The hearse carrying Gaza’s body led the convoy in a slow procession. Gaza's murder was captured in a graphic video circulated widely on social media. One suspect has been arrested in connection with his murder, while another remains at large. Zisco Ndzimande, chair and group leader of the drivers, said the drivers took the body of the slain driver to Bolt's offices ensure the entity took the safety concerns seriously. He explained: “We decided to lead the convoy to the Bolt offices with the body because we hope Bolt will feel our pain and take us seriously. We have been striking, telling them about our safety issues. They don’t even care about our safety. So we think going there with the dead body, maybe they will understand better that we are in pain so that they can change their safety controls to protect our drivers.” Ndzimande emphasised that previous protests had not elicited a significant response from the company to adopt a more drastic approach. During the protest, Ndzimande called for significant changes in Bolt's operational protocols. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Modiegi Mashamaite at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Daily terror for teachers at school of horrors in Pretoria Sunday Times reports that a gang of rogue pupils has turned a Pretoria high school into a den of crime, donning balaclavas at break time to rob other pupils of cellphones, running gambling rings, coming to school drunk, swearing at teachers, disrupting lessons and bringing drugs and weapons into the classroom. Some of the items confiscated from members of the gang this year included knives, drugs, pre-rolled dagga joints and a signal jammer, which is often used to steal cars. Teachers at Lotus Gardens Secondary School are angry, frustrated and feel helpless because their pleas for action have fallen on deaf ears. After a year of trying to get the principal and the school governing body to act against the gang ringleaders, the terrified teachers say they can no longer stay silent. The gang is led by three grade 11 pupils – all aged 19. They regularly come to school under the influence of alcohol and disrupt learning by walking into classes and interrupting lessons. When a teacher challenges them, they hurl insults and threaten to harm them physically. A Gauteng police spokesperson confirmed that a case of intimidation had been opened by a teacher in connection with an incident at the school on Tuesday when the leader of the gang allegedly jumped over the school fence and tried to attack a female teacher in her classroom. When asked what was being done to address ill-discipline at the school, Gauteng education department spokesperson, Steve Mabona, said the school was “a microcosm of society and what occurs in our society finds expression in our schools.” He added that the department was implementing programmes to offset some of the challenges. Last week, the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu), while marking World Teachers Day, warned that escalating violence in SA schools was “severely undermining public education.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Isaac Mahlangu at Sunday Times (subscriber access only) Solidarity warns against retrenchments of teachers due to budget shortfalls Maroela Media reports that on the eve of National Teachers’ Day, Solidarity warned about a national crisis should teachers be retrenched in large numbers due to budget shortfalls for education departments. In a letter to the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, Solidarity said that everything possible should be done to avert such a situation. Johan Botha, head of Solidarity’s Teachers’ Network, said he was encouraged to hear that retrenchments were not planned for the immediate future. However, there were still concerns about plans to cease filling teaching posts. He cautioned that “even the unwillingness to fill positions will have major repercussions on existing teachers’ daily work. After all, teachers must already cope with a high workload, and this includes administrative work, extra classes and extracurricular activities such as sports coaching.” He went on in the letter to the minister to emphasise “how the department as an employer will not act in the interests of the employee by increasing this workload only to balance their books.” Solidarity said it would do everything in its power to protect the work and wellbeing of its members in teaching. Solidarity suggested that the government should make an effort not to restrict schools that have the ability to function independently of education departments. “Greater independence, rather than greater government centralisation, is the answer. We are not denying the financial crisis that the Department of Education is facing, but giving communities a greater role in schools can also have financial benefits for the state,” Botha said. Read the full Afrikaans report in the above regard by Marisiska Nanni at Maroela Media Teachers face mounting challenges amid austerity measures, warns Sadtu City Press reports that the SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) has voiced growing concerns over the socioeconomic challenges facing the country’s teachers. Speaking on Thursday, Sadtu general secretary Mugwena Maluleke highlighted the detrimental impact of austerity measures on the education sector, citing unstable working conditions, among other problems. Maluleke said that the ongoing financial constraints faced by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) had created a cascading series of issues for teachers, directly affecting their ability to perform their roles effectively. “The austerity measures have resulted in overcrowded classrooms, a lack of support personnel, and the inability to fill vacant teaching and management positions,” Maluleke said, also pointing out that the frequent changes in school management and leadership were contributing to an unstable work environment. Teachers were left dealing with different managers every few months due to unfilled posts. Another pressing issue highlighted by Sadtu was the rise of violence in schools, which has eroded their role as safe havens for pupils and teachers alike. Maluleke stressed that teachers faced a daily struggle with violence stemming from pupils, local communities and even gangs. In an effort to address these concerns, Sadtu is scheduled to meet with the DBE this week to discuss potential solutions to mitigate the impact of austerity on the education sector. Additionally, the union plans to engage with the Treasury to explore ways to secure adequate funding for schools. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sthembiso Lebuso at City Press (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
UIF claims it’s at an 'advanced stage' of restoring downed online system Fin24 reports that the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) is hopeful that it will have restored critical online services before the end of the month. UIF spokesperson Trevor Hattingh advised that the UIF was pursuing two separate processes in parallel in a bid to clear the legal hurdles needed to restore the fund's online systems. "We should be able to make an announcement very, very soon. I am not going to say in the next couple of weeks, I am rather going to say in this month, but it is going to depend on if everything goes according to plan, and if everyone involved in the process works together we will be able to have an online presence very soon," he said. Hattingh would not disclose the nature of the processes that the UIF was following, citing sensitivities regarding the ongoing processes. The UFiling system, which allows employers to calculate and pay UIF contributions to the fund online and to register employees for benefits, has been down for over a month. The system went offline four days after a new service provider took over the maintenance and support of the system, as the previous service provider was awarded an interdict which halted any further work being done on the system. The former service provider, Internet Filing, raised concerns with the tendering process used to appoint the new service provider, AfriNova Digital. Last week, labour federation Cosatu slammed the downtime of the UIF’s online systems and called for Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth to intervene to get the system back online. "UIF officials do not seem to comprehend that for a worker who has lost their job, obtaining taxi fare to travel to the UIF centre could prove challenging; consequently, they have no qualms telling people to 'come back tomorrow'," Cosatu said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by William Brederode at Fin24 (registration required). Read too, After six weeks UIF online system still down, at GroundUp
Minister Meth’s plan to hire 20,000 extra labour inspectors sparks backlash from DA Saturday Star reports that in a bold initiative aimed at reinforcing labour law compliance across SA, Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has announced plans to recruit an additional 20,000 labour inspectors. At a press briefing on Tuesday, Meth articulated the necessity of expanding the current workforce from 2,000 inspectors to 20,000, citing alarming unemployment rates, particularly among SA’s youth, currently hovering at 33.5%. She expressed concern regarding the employment of undocumented foreigners, who were often vulnerable to exploitation. Meth indicated that the proposed expansion aligned with a nationwide inspection blitz that had already seen the DEL carrying out significant inspections across provinces. The latest reports reveal the Western Cape was leading with 809 inspections, followed by Gauteng with 764 and KwaZulu-Natal with 535. Meth indicated that the increase in inspectors would empower the department to conduct thorough audits and inspections. However, the Democratic Alliance (DA) reacted strongly against the minister's plans, accusing her of perpetuating race-based compliance under the Employment Equity Act (EEA). DA Member of Parliament Michael Bagraim described the initiative as a "misguided initiative" that misallocated vital resources and invoked apartheid-era classifications which the party deemed unacceptable in a democratic society. Bagraim went further, revealing that the DA’s legal team was preparing to mount a possible legal challenge should Meth persist with her plans. They are seeking a declaration that both the EEA and its race quotas are unconstitutional. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyabonga Sithole at Saturday Star
GEPF members having to wait up to two months for ‘two-pot’ withdrawals Fin24 reports that the Government Employees' Pension Fund (GEPF) has advised that it is sorting through a "backlog" of queries related to the ‘two-pot’ system, and expects that public servants will have to wait up to two months for their claims to be processed. With 252,592 withdrawal applications received, totalling more than R5 billion in claims, the pension fund said it was experiencing a "significant surge" in telephone calls and emails. Currently, the fund’s turnaround time for processing two-pot withdrawals is 60 days. A spokesperson for the GEPF indicated: "We can confirm that we have received three to four times the usual volume of queries via email and calls. This significant surge and some members sending multiple emails have contributed to a backlog. We are working diligently to manage the high volume and respond to all queries." The GEPF is the largest pension fund in the country, with more than 1.2 million active members and nearly 500 000 pensioners and beneficiaries. It was recently reported that GEPF fund members have expressed frustration with the slow pace of two-pot payments, compared to other private fund members who have been able to access retirement savings funds much earlier. GEPF members are also experiencing numerous other issues, including the self-service app not working, the email helpline not responding, and phones not being answered. In response to problems relating to the non-issuing of tax directives, the GEPF said the directives were in progress and that they were processing the responses from the SA Revenue Service. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Na'ilah Ebrahim at Fin24 (registration required)
Government wants more time to file affidavits defending NHI in cases brought by Solidarity and BHF Fin24 reports that the government is seeking further extensions from the courts in two cases in which the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act is being challenged. In the application brought by trade union Solidarity, the government missed another deadline last week to file its answering affidavits. Solidarity, which filed its papers in the Gauteng North High Court in May, said in a statement on Thursday that it would want the case to now proceed unopposed. The Act, which was signed into law in March, has not yet been promulgated. The respondents include President Cyril Ramaphosa, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. "The government could not come up with opposing court papers four months later. Solidarity now requests that the matter continue unopposed as the period within which opposing papers had to be filed has been disregarded repeatedly," the trade union said. However, the spokesperson for the Department of Health, Foster Mohale, said its lawyers were engaging with the office of the Deputy Judge President for an extension to 27 November. “Our lawyers are busy with preparations of answering papers, which have taken a long time given the magnitude of the application,” he advised. The government has also requested a further extension to file opposing papers in the application brought by the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), which represents the medical scheme industry. The latest deadline is 16 October, but the government has said it is unable to meet it. The court has not yet set a new date. One of the key documents in the BHF papers is a letter written in 2018 from the National Treasury to the Presidency alerting it to several constitutional concerns with the NHI Bill. Because of the 2018 letter, the Treasury cannot credibly file an opposing affidavit and will, therefore, abide by the court's decision. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carol Paton at Fin24 (registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Dismissed Saipa CEO vows to take on accountants’ institute The Citizen reports that former SA Institute of Professional Accountants (Saipa) CEO Shahied Daniels has claimed that the Saipa board contravened the body’s constitution when it dismissed him and has vowed to challenge his removal. Saipa is regarded as one of the foremost accounting institutes in SA, serving thousands of members. In an open letter entitled ‘Truth vs False and Misleading Narratives’, Daniels said his legal team “has been fully apprised of the situation and is reviewing the entire matter. Both the disciplinary process and the dismissal itself, will be challenged.” Additionally, Daniels wrote that ince his suspension, “several Saipa staff members, have confidentially contacted me to express concerns about the toxic work environment – intimidation, bullying and heavy handedness under the acting CEO and COE. Three staff members filed grievances with the chairperson of the board, but to date none of these grievances have received a response. Three senior staff members have resigned, citing harassment and mistreatment, as well citing an impact on their mental health as the primary reasons for their departure.” Commenting on the Daniels dismissal, Saipa chairperson Prem Govender said Daniels had faced six charges of misconduct. Govender indicated: “The process took careful consideration of the rights of Daniels, his responses to the charges as well as the board’s commitment to good and clean governance, transparency and accountability.
PSA calls for all suspended Mpumalanga hospital bosses to be reinstated because of ‘illegal’ procedures The Citizen reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) has urged the Mpumalanga department of health to speed up the process of reinstating hospital managers who were “illegally” suspended. According to the report released by the Head of Department on 21 December last year, the suspended managers were supposed to return to work on 31 January because proper procedures had not been followed. Allegedly, most of the eight managers were suspended on trade union allegations of poor performance. Around July, the managers who were suspended last year were reportedly receiving salaries while doing nothing at home. Previously, the department had indicated that by the end of August, all the employees would be back at work. But on Friday, some of the managers confirmed they were still on suspension. PSA provincial manager Flip van der Walt indicated: “The problem is that the collective agreement stipulates that when an employee is suspended, they should appear before a disciplinary tribunal within 60 days. Only the chair for the tribunal may extend the suspension beyond the 60 days. The CEO and other managers were suspended and no actions were taken by the employer, making the suspensions illegal. There are cases where some were suspended and no clear indication of the reason for suspension was communicated.” Van der Walt when he asked why the corporate manager and food aid manage at Embhuleni Hospital in Elukwatini were still not at work, the management cited that members of some trade unions did not want them at the hospital and the employer could not guarantee their safety while at work. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Masoka Dube at The Citizen
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