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.
|
Crew rescued from burning fishing vessel off Gansbaai SABC News reports that according to the SA Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), the 20 crew members who were on-board the 62-year-old fishing vessel, the MVF Armana that caught alight near Gansbaai in the Western Cape, have been rescued and are unscathed. SAMSA spokesperson, Sicelo Fayo, advised that the incident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning. Fayo said initial reports were that the vessel was sinking, but it was later established that the ship was on fire. As of midday on Monday, the vessel was adrift south off the coast of Gansbaai and was being monitored. The owner of the vessel has been instructed to secure the services of a tug to tow the stricken vessel to a safe place of refuge and to appoint a salvor. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News. Read too, Fire on vessel off Gansbaai prompts transport minister to call for urgent safety inspections, at News24 (trial registration required) Eskom suspends services in Khayelitsha informal settlement following hostage incident Cape Argus reports that Eskom has suspended its services in Khayelitsha’s Endlovini informal settlement, following a hostage incident involving one of its contractors. Eskom spokesperson, Zama Mpondwana, said the contractor was dealing with a transformer that was overloaded with multiple illegal connections on Saturday morning when he was held hostage. Mpondwana said the safety of their employees was a priority and that the suspension of services was to safeguard Eskom technicians and reassess safety measures before any further operations in the area were resumed. He commnted that the incident highlighted the ongoing risks associated with illegal electricity connections, which not only affected the quality of power supply but also endangered lives. A police spokesperson advised that no formal case had been filed for further investigation. The Provincial Community Policing Forum (CPF) said it was not the first time Eskom staff had faced attacks in an informal settlement. CPF board spokesperson Rafique Foflonker urged locals to report any criminal activities, especially those targeting service workers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Byron Lukas at Cape Argus Radzuma sibling to testify in support of brother in Samwu leaders’ VBS murder trial SABC News reports that Ndivhuwo Radzuma, the eldest of the three Radzuma siblings accused of killing two SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) leaders in Limpopo’s Vhembe district, is expected to testify when the trial within a trial resumes at the Thohoyandou High Court. Ndivhuwo will be cross-examined on the alleged assault involving his brother Simon, who made a confession statement that is now in dispute. The siblings—Simon, Percy, and Ndivhuwo—are facing over 40 charges, including the murders of Samwu leaders Timson Musetsho and Ronald Mani. Musetsho and Mani were shot for opposing the investment of public funds by municipalities in the now-defunct VBS Mutual Bank. Simon Radzuma, who disputes his initial confession, concluded his testimony last week, claiming it was made under duress after he was allegedly assaulted by police. Ndivhuwo will testify in support of his brother. The court will then rule on the admissibility of Simon’s confession as evidence. If accepted, the details of the confession will be revealed in court. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Michael Makungo at SABC News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Tshwane's application challenging bargaining council’s rejection of wage increase exemption to be heard on 28 November TimesLIVE reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has welcomed a decision by the Labour Court to hear the City of Tshwane’s review of decisions ordering it to pay and implement wage agreements for 2021 and 2023. The hearing will be held on 28 November. “This decision is a significant milestone for the union and its members,” the union said in a statement on Monday. Municipal workers were due for a 3.5% salary increase in 2021 and a 5.4% increase in 2023. Instead of implementing these increases, Tshwane applied for exemptions for both years. When these exemptions were dismissed by the SA Local Government Bargaining Council, the city sought to review the decisions, further delaying workers’ increases. Samwu said it had consistently opposed these actions, which it believed were driven by political motives rather than financial necessity, particularly from the DA-led administration. “We once again urge the new political leadership in Tshwane to withdraw these review applications and engage in meaningful dialogue with Samwu,” the union said. It added that the cost of living had risen sharply, and many of its members were now struggling with debt. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE
Unions slam SA retailers for ‘profiteering’ as essential food prices remain high Sunday Independent reports that retailers have been criticised for keeping essential food items prices high despite production costs continuing to decline. The SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and the General Industries Workers Union of SA (Giwusa) condemned and criticised retailers who kept the prices high. Saftu said the profitability of South African retailers, extracted from the working class both as workers through low wages and as consumers through high retail prices, was reflected in the exorbitant earnings of the retail executives. According to Giwusa, the retailers continued to exploit the poorest through slave wages and exorbitant retail prices to keep buying power in their hands. This came after the Competition Commission raised concerns about the retailers’ slow response in reducing food prices in several essential food value chains. The commission’s Essential Food Price Monitoring Report (EFPM) indicated that consumers were not benefitting from the potential savings in essential food items. The report found that despite lower farmgate prices for wheat, the price of brown bread had increased over the period under review. It also found that despite the falling costs in the production of sunflower oil, prices on store shelves had not shown a corresponding decrease. A report by Just Share in September revealed that the earnings gaps between an average retail worker and the top executives of the major retailers. The report showed that the Woolworths’ chief executive earned R123 million annually – a staggering 1,308 times more than the lowest-earning worker. Shoprite chief executive pockets R65 million a year, which is 1,000 times more than the lowest earning worker. The Spar Group chief executive is making R25 million – 416 times more than the lowest-earning worker. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Manyane Manyane at Sunday Independent
Dark clouds gather for agriculture – one of SA’s biggest employers Daily Investor writes that SA’s agriculture sector remains under immense pressure from a difficult operating environment and elevated volatility in key markets. This was revealed by Zeder Investments in its interim results for the six months to the end of August 2024. Zeder is one of the country’s largest agribusiness investors and holds major stakes in Zaad, which is an investment holding company that operates in specialised agricultural inputs, and Pome Investments, another investment holding company. Overall, Zeder’s headline earnings swung into a loss of R63 million for the six-month period. The environment in which Zeder operates remained relatively constrained during the period under review, mainly due to volatile weather patterns and lower soft commodity prices. Zeder anticipates continuing uncertainty and volatility in its markets n the short and medium term. While the company’s overall performance was poor, what is concerning is its outlook for the agricultural sector in SA. This sector is vital for employment in the country, able to rapidly absorb low-skilled labour and has masked negative underlying trends in the labour market through its strong performance in recent years. However, this appears to be coming to an end as the sector comes under increasing pressure. Its prospects are also clouded by logistical inefficiencies, animal diseases, and climate-related challenges. The sector’s long-term outlook remains precarious despite production growing 13.5% in early 2024. The Agribusinesses Confidence Index remains below the neutral point mark and SA agribusiness, in general, remain downbeat about the business environment. The recent El Niño weather pattern led to drought conditions, which were devastating to the summer grains and oilseed regions. In addition, geopolitical tensions, persistent port inefficiencies, poor rail and road infrastructure, worsening municipal service delivery, and uncertainty about sustained energy availability are factors driving the sentiment. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Shaun Jacobs at Daily Investor
Labour inspectorate, which doesn’t require a warrant or any notice to enter a workplace, intensifies compliance raids BL Premium reports that the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) recently intensified its compliance inspection raids, particularly within the hospitality sector, in a bid to clamp down on contraventions of labour laws and the Immigration Act. So far, the DEL has enforced department corrections amounting to more than R10m and has arrested 81 undocumented workers. Meanwhile, it plans to expand the department's inspectorate capacity from 2,000 to 20,000 inspectors over the next three years. “According to the BCEA (Basic Conditions of Employment Act), the labour inspectorate does not require a warrant or to give you any notice to enter a workplace or another workplace [where] employers carry out their business or keep employment records. There is such a broad spectrum where this power entry can apply without a notice or a warrant,” advised Leila Moosasaid of law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. Speaking at a webinar on immigration compliance and workplace enforcement, Moosa pointed out that the DEL fulfilled the inspectorate and the monitoring functions in relation to a broad spectrum of laws, the powers of which were derived from the BCEA. However, the labour inspectors’ powers of entry are limited to what is termed “at reasonable times”, which relates to an employer’s business and the nature of its operations, and the inspector must notify a trade union representative and employer that they are present in the workplace and the reason. Employers are also within their rights to ask for a labour certificate to confirm the powers of a labour inspectorate before they attend to any of the exercises in the workplace. Senior employment law associate Taryn York said that many of the compliance raids had revealed violations of the Immigration Act, particularly concerning expired work visas. As a result, HR practitioners, foreign nationals and employers had faced arrests for their noncompliance. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Majavu at BusinessLive
Saipa axes chief operations officer two weeks after dismissing CEO Moneyweb reports that the SA Institute of Professional Accountants (Saipa) confirmed in a statement on Monday that its Chief Operations Officer (COO), Dr Gavin Isaacs, has been dismissed with immediate effect. Isaacs, along with former chief executive Shahied Daniels, who was dismissed two weeks ago, had faced disciplinary hearings. The process started almost a year ago when the board was alerted to governance concerns and serious allegations against Daniels and Isaacs. Saipa chair Prem Govender advised that a forensic investigation firm found that there was prima facie evidence of numerous breaches of governance, of Saipa’s policies and procedures, and potentially serious misconduct.” Isaac’s defence against the four charges brought against him was that he was “following instructions from his line manager (Daniels)”. He was found guilty by Advocate Sesi Baloyi (SC), chair of the disciplinary committee, of having backdated Saipa’s human resources policies on workplace bullying and harassment unaided. Separately, Nosheena Mansoor, business innovation strategy executive, tendered her resignation after being charged with misconduct. She resigned a day before attending a disciplinary hearing. Saipa accepted her resignation. Attorneys for both Isaacs and Mansoor have furnished Saipa with “cease-and-desist” letters. The process of appointing a new chief executive and operations chief and “rebuilding the executive team” would begin soon, Govender indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Moneyweb
Ex Eskom safety risk officer who failed to disclose directorship in company awarded contracts convicted of corruption and fraud The Citizen reports that a former Eskom safety risk officer has been found guilty of corruption and fraud totalling R58,000. Thandi Ruth Magagula appeared in the Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Monday where judgment was handed down. The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to seven counts of corruption and two counts of fraud, leading to her conviction under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said the former Eskom employee’s offences stemmed from contracts awarded to a company named Mantoza Engineering Projects CC in 2015. Magagula served as a director of Mantoza Engineering Projects while still employed at Eskom. “Magagula failed to disclose her financial interest in the company to Eskom’s management and continued to conduct business with the public entity while holding a directorship position. This behaviour violated laws governing public officials and Eskom’s conflict of interest policies,” Nyuswa stated. The matter was postponed to 24 October for sentencing. 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
Stolen bank cards in Cato Manor cop's possession linked to at least four courier hijackings TimesLIVE reports that bank cards found in the possession of Cato Manor police constable Joshua Minenhle Makhaye, 27, have been linked to at least four courier vehicle hijackings. This was revealed by prosecutor Calvin Govender during Makhaye's second appearance in the Durban Magistrate's Court on Monday. Makhaye was arrested when he was found with a bank card taken during the hijacking in which 11-year-old Zara Ramsamy was run over and killed. Makhaye used the card to buy about R1,000 worth of alcohol. He was also found with 105 bank cards from Absa, FNB and African Bank, as well as a number plate. Makhaye, who is attached to the Cato Manor visible policing unit, currently faces four charges, namely possession of suspected stolen property, theft, fraud and obstructing justice by tampering with a crime scene at Chesterville on 12 September. The state apparently plans to amend the charges Makhaye faces. Govender told the court that the state's plan to proceed with a bail application had to be put on hold as the bank investigator who was scheduled to trace the origins of the cards was not available. The matter was adjourned to 22 October for a formal bail application. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mfundo Mkhize at TimesLIVE
Labour unions praise Tito Mboweni for being a tough and formidable negotiator EWN reports that as tributes continue to pour in following former Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni’s death over the weekend, labour unions have hailed him as a tough and formidable negotiator. Mboweni, who was also the first minister of labour in democratic South Africa, died on Saturday following a short illness. Government, business, and labour have all described the 65-year-old as colourful, principled, and a giant in many circles. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) often butted heads with Mboweni over ballooning public sector wages. Cosatu's Matthew Parks, however, said the country had lost a great leader. He commented: "What we disagreed on with him was the approach, but we never doubted his principles and integrity. There have been ministers we could not trust on a simple ethical basis. We never doubted that under his watch he would never let state capture, looting, or corruption take place. Part of the nature of being the minister of finance is that you’re not always able to agree with people, but we could engage with him." Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Nokukhanya Mntambo at EWN
Cape Town’s frustrated northern line commuters complain about persistent train delays EWN reports that frustrated train commuters on the northern line between the Bellville and Cape Town train station have complained about persistent train delays on the line. Last week trains were apparently delayed by up to 45 minutes at times for the whole week. Train services between Bellville and Cape Town resumed in March 2022, after the rail network was disrupted for more than four years due to vandalism, infrastructure theft and the pandemic. Some commuters vented their frustrations about the lack of communication from Metrorail when trains were not running on time. Audrey Sithole said that while she was happy that the trains operating again, they were hardly on schedule. "So far, I think the service is probably 70% to 80% okay. But they need to communicate more, especially when there’s a problem because there are times when they say the train would be delayed by 10 or 15 minutes, and that 15 minutes ends up being 30 minutes or even an hour," she noted. The Passenger Rail Agency of SA’s Western Cape head, Raymond Maseko, apologised for last week's inconvenience and promised better communication going forward. Transport authorities are marking Transport Month in October. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Ntuthuzelo Nene at EWN
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page