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 Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
|
Public sector bargaining council facilitation process ends, with unions to get mandates on revised wage offer BL Premium reports that wage negotiation facilitation process at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) has come to an end. It is now up to the unions representing SA’s more than 1.3-million public servants, including teachers, nurses and police officers, to get mandates from their members on whether to accept or reject government’s revised offer on wages and other employment benefits. The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) has revised its wage offer from 3% to 4.7% for 2025/26. The state has proposed inflation-linked increases for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years. PSCBC general secretary Frikkie de Bruin said on Tuesday that the government had also offered increases to various allowances, including the homeowners allowance (from R1,784 to R1,900; danger allowance (from R597 to R650); special danger allowance (from R849 to R920); and service allowance for police (from R700 to R920). On issues pertaining to the death grant, childcare and breastfeeding facilities, the bursary scheme for dependents of public servants, the standardisation of union policy and the recruitment and selection policy, all these will be researched and “position papers will be developed for future negotiations”. Parties are expected to engage further on the awarding of R6,500 for employees who have completed 10 years of service, permanent employment for reservists, educator assistants and community healthcare workers, and reinstatement of the performance bonus. Unions requested time to consult their members on the detail of the proposals made. There is no date for the return of parties to the negotiations after the consultation, however, it is hoped that the consultation will be finalised within the next 14 days. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). See too, Government increases public servant salary offer, at Daily Investor
Three Ekurhuleni plumbers trapped in Benoni manhole found dead EWN reports that three bodies have been retrieved from a manhole in Benoni after a plumbing job went wrong at a business in the area. The plumbers were trapped in the manhole on Monday night after they were called to the site to help unblock a sewer line. City of Ekurhuleni officials believe the workers may have inhaled toxic methane gas before they drowned. On Tuesday morning, a frantic search for three plumbers began. Ekurhuleni Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson William Ntladi said: “We worked tirelessly until we retrieved all three adult males. Unfortunately, they were declared deceased.” Ntladi said the water level in the manhole was at least five metres deep. “The three were trying to unblock the main line sewerage system and were probably overcome by the methane gas emitted by the sewage and they fell inside and they couldn’t come out,” Ntladi indicated. He said the three workers did not appear to have had safety gear. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nokukhanya Mntambo at EWN. See too, Three plumbers found dead after missing in Benoni manhole, at SABC News. En ook, Drie se liggame uit mangat gehaal, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Cosatu urges finance minister to avoid business-as-usual approach in Wednesday’s MTBPS BL Premium reports that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is set to table his medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS) in parliament on Wednesday, in which he is largely expected to again commit the government to further fiscal consolidation and keeping spending in check. But, labour has called on the government to table a decisive and progressive approach to address a slew of socioeconomic crises buffeting SA. “An economy stumbling along with a sluggish 1% growth rate, witnessing a rising unemployment rate of 42.6% and higher for youth, entrenched levels of poverty and inequality, embattled public and municipal services, ailing state-owned enterprises, and endemic crime and corruption cannot afford a tepid business-as-usual approach,” labour federation Cosatu’s Matthew Parks pointed out. He said: “A growing economy and workers in jobs will generate the tax revenue the state requires to fund its constitutional developmental mandate and reduce its debt levels. Slashing budgets does not address the causes of a stagnant economy, in fact it worsens the crises as it starves the economy of badly needed stimulus and further cripples essential public services with brutal cuts.” Parks added that the government needed to ramp up stimulus for the economy by ensuring the R943bn infrastructure programme was spent well and devise comprehensive turnaround plans for struggling state-owned enterprises such as Denel, the SABC, the Post Office and Postbank. The state should also intervene urgently to stabilise and rebuild struggling municipalities, invest in front-line public services by filling critical vacancies, tackle corruption and provide relief to the poor and working class, Parks advised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Western Cape education department assures MPs that it’s reducing posts, not retrenching teachers GroundUp reports that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) came under fire in Parliament on Tuesday over its plan to reduce teaching posts. In August, the WCED said the number of teacher posts would be reduced by 2,407 for the 2025 school year due to a R3.8-billion budget shortfall over the next three years. During Tuesday’s meeting, members of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Basic Education questioned WCED Head of Department Brent Walters about this reduction. Walters emphasised that this was not a retrenchment of teachers, but rather a reduction. “We’re not retrenching teachers. We’re reducing posts. I think that’s a very big difference between these two things,” Walters said. Temporary teacher contracts expiring in December will not be renewed. Walters assured the committee that the WCED had “looked at all expenditure items” before choosing to reduce the basket of teacher posts. The WCED has notified affected schools how many posts they will be losing. Those schools have until 15 November to say which posts they choose to forfeit. Committee chairperson Khomotjo Maimela asked why the Western Cape was the only province reducing teacher posts when other provinces were also facing budget cuts. KwaZulu-Natal is reported to be at risk of losing 11,000 teacher posts, but the provincial education department has not officially announced that. No other provinces plan to reduce teacher posts. Maimela requested a written response from the WCED within seven days detailing how the post reductions would be implemented. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tori Newby at GroundUp
BELA protest march on 5 November gets permission to enter Freedom Park after plea to McKenzie Maroela Media reports that the BELA protest march planned for 5 November will now proceed to Freedom Park, Pretoria, after permission to enter the national heritage site was initially refused. After Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, sent a letter to the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture to ensure that the gates would indeed be opened for the protest march, Minister Gayton McKenzie intervened and permission to enter Freedom Park was granted. As originally planned, marchers will gather at the Voortrekker Monument from 08:00 on 5 November from where they will all march to the nearby Freedom Park. This protest march against the sections on language and admissions policy in the Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA) is being led and organised by the Solidarity Movement, Solidarity, AfriForum and the Support Centre for Schools (SCS). Buys expressed his gratitude to the Minister for his willingness to intervene. He commented: “Political resistance against our fight against BELA is nothing new, and in the run-up to the BELA protest march we naturally expected it. Nonetheless, we are pleased that the minister has responded to our call to protest peacefully, as we are constitutionally entitled to do. After all, the route between the Voortrekker Monument and Freedom Park along which the protesters will march, is known as ‘Reconciliation Road’.” According to Buys, the diverse groups interested in being involved in the march shows that resistance to the suppression of mother tongue education is significantly greater than the authorities realise. Read the full original of the report by Janice du Plessis in the above regard in Afrikaans at Maroela Media
CWU’s Aubrey Tshabalala says reports he’s been expelled from the union are ‘fake news’ SABC News reports that Communication Workers Union (CWU) general secretary Aubrey Tshabalala says reports that he’s expelled from the union are fake news. Reports earlier emerged that Tshabalala had been dismissed with immediate effect from CWU for bringing the organisation into disrepute. In a letter apparently sent to Tshabalala, as seen by SABC News, the union purportedly alleged that he continued to act as general secretary while on suspension and engaged with the business rescue practitioners of the SA Post Office (Sapo), which caused confusion during the business rescue processes. His conduct was said to have had direct dire negative impact on the rights of CWU members employed by Sapo. However, in reaction, Tshabalala said the letter was fabricated. He indicated: “It’s fake news in actual essence because even the letter that you have has no signature. It’s an anonymous letter that you received. If people are holding a meeting under a tree or somewhere else in a shebeen and write a letter and send it to media, we don’t even have to respond to that. It’s just courtesy to SABC because we respect the public broadcaster and we are saying in this day and time you can expect fake news to flaunt around on social media but not on the public broadcaster. You see in an organisation there are rules and policies, if there’s a person charged, he goes to the disciplinary committee but the letter itself doesn’t even touch on that.” Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Ntombi Mavimbela at SABC News
"If something is broken, we must fix it,” Macpherson says about Expanded Public Works Programme EWN reports that Minister of Public Works Dean Macpherson told community members in Gqeberha on Monday, during the launch of his national listening tour, that there was a need to rethink ways in which the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) could be reformed. Macpherson said the project, aimed as stop-gap measure for those struggling to gain employment, had been abused for far too long. He said allegations of political patronage, jobs for pals, sex for jobs, and corruption could not continue without meaningful intervention. "There are also some who’d have us believe that because initiatives were started in previous administrations or have been handled in a certain way, our job is simply to continue implementing them as they are. Well, they are wrong, and that is not what I will do in Public Works and Infrastructure or for EPWP," Macpherson said. But, he added that EPWP programme remained an important tool to help people access some form of employment while assisting in the delivery of services. "If something is broken, we must fix it,” he said. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tshidi Madia at EWN
Hawks arrest 14 suspects in R157m fraud, money laundering scheme involving 15 individuals, seven entities and six banks News24 reports that the Hawks arrested 14 people on Tuesday, including a former Nedbank employee, on allegations of fraud and money laundering. Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said the main suspect was accused of unlawfully making payments from suspense accounts, valued at more than R157 million. A suspense account is a temporary account that holds unclassified funds, while a company makes a decision on where to permanently put the money. Mogale said the money was then transferred to recipients not entitled to receive it. She said the recipients included 15 individuals, seven entities and six banks. The group, aged between 25 and 47, were arrested in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Krugersdorp. They are expected to make their first appearance in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Sibiya at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Read too, Hawks arrest 14 suspects in R157m fraud and money laundering case, at TimesLIVE. And also, Former Nedbank employee among 14 suspects arrested for R157 million fraud, at IOL News National Lotteries Commission rolls out lifestyle audits, anti-fraud initiatives ‘to rebuild trust’ The Citizen reports that the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has committed to rebuilding the trust it has lost due to corruption within its grant funding department. The NLC has been plagued by corruption, with some officials found to have benefitted from grants meant for community projects. As a result, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was brought in to investigate misconduct within the NLC. In February, the unit revealed that the government and NLC had lost about R1.4 billion due to corruption. The SIU has initiated at least 10 criminal referrals against NLC officials, non-profit organisations and companies which unduly benefitted from the commission. Additionally, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has secured preservations in the NLC cases to recover funds used to buy properties for the benefit of employees and members of NPOs who had applied for grants. At a media briefing on Tuesday, NLC Commissioner Jodi Scholtz said the commission was working to improve governance and compliance. “We have been able to ensure that our internal audit unit is fully capacitated with the right skills. We have also implemented an internal governance framework which governs how we work and also signed code of conducts. These are very important mechanisms for us to hold each other accountable. We have implemented lifestyle audits, these are ongoing. They started last year. The members of Exco [Executive Committee] have already been subjected to those,” Scholtz advised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Vhahangwele Nemakonde at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Durban cop found with 252 bank cards to face further charges The Mercury reports that the 252 bank cards found in possession of a police constable, who was arrested for the alleged theft of a hijack victim’s bank card, were allegedly stolen during the looting of the Absa and African Bank branches at Bridge City Mall in KwaMashu during the July 2021 unrest. This was revealed during the bail application of Constable Minenhle Makhaye in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Makhaye was arrested for the alleged theft of a bank card belonging to the mother of Zarah Ramsamy, 11, who was killed in a hijacking last month. The hijacked vehicle was abandoned in Cato Manor and Makhaye was told to drive the vehicle to Malvern SAPS. He allegedly took the bank card from the car and used it to purchase alcohol. At his grandmother’s Seaview home, police also found 272 cards in his room, 252 of which were bank cards traced as having been stolen during looting at the Bridge City Mall. Warrant Officer Sivan Naidoo on Monday indicated that investigations were ongoing, and new charges would be brought against Makhaye in relation to the recovered cards. Makhaye, in his affidavit, said that he had mistakenly taken Ramsamy’s bank card and the bank cards recovered in his room didn’t belong to him. He said they belonged to his late grandfather, who had worked as a truck driver and for a courier company. However Naidoo said that this version was unlikely, as the company mentioned would not have delivered a box with bank cards. Judgment in the bail hearing will be handed down on Wednesday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Yogashen Pillay at The Mercury Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Ekurhuleni Council to address sexual misconduct claims against EMPD chief at meeting on Wednesday The Star writes that all eyes will be on the City of Ekurhuleni Council meeting on Thursday when one of the agenda items will relate to Isaac Mapiyeye, the embattled chief of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD). Mapiyeye, who is currently suspended, has been accused by a female EMPD officer of alleged sexual misconduct. He has also been charged with harassing and intimidating the victim’s relative. Certain other accusations have been made against him. Last Friday, although Mapiyeye he was not present, the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court, made an interim protection order final on the basis of GBV allegations against Mapiyeye. Meanwhile, there is apparently another woman who has accused Mapiyeye of sexual misconduct. Gauteng chief activist Against GBVF, Bheki Kubheka, last month urged more victims to come forward. Meanwhile, the DA pointed out that it was more than a year since the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) recommended that action be taken against EMPD Deputy Chief of Police, Julius Mkhwanazi, for alleged fraud and corruption. “Despite this damning report, no action has been taken against Mkhwanazi. Instead, he has been promoted to the role of Acting Chief of Police, while the current Chief of Police, Isaac Mapiyeye, has been suspended pending an investigation into allegations of sexual assault,” said Jaco Terblanche, DA City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson on Community Safety. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntombi Nkosi at The Star
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page