Today's Labour News

TOP STORY – BELA PROTEST

BELA is a red line that must not be crossed, protestors tell GNU government

Maroela Media reports that the Solidarity Movement, trade union Solidarity, AfriForum, the Solidarity School Support Centre (SOS) and other organisations with an interest in Afrikaans education led a march on Tuesday in protest against the sections on public school admission and language policies contained in the 2024 Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA). A crowd of more than 10,000 people marched from the Voortrekker Monument along Reconciliation Road to Freedom Park. There a memorandum, signed by more than 40 organisations, was handed over to Gayton McKenzie, as representative of the Presidency. John Steenhuisen (DA leader) and Pieter Groenewald (FF+ leader) and the leaders of the Solidarity Movement’s institutions formed the front line of the procession.   Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, pointed out that negotiators of the government of national unity (GNU) over the controversial clauses would now be faced with clear evidence from thousands of South Africans who would not “stand back and watch Afrikaans education be wiped out for political gain”. “BELA is our red line. We convey this message to all political parties in the GNU to ensure they understand the intensity of the community’s sentiments. More than 10,000 people said today that they will not allow their children’s future to be taken away,” explained Dr Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive of Solidarity. Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, labelled the protest march as a “historic day” and the largest march of Afrikaans speakers since 1994. Steenhuisen emphasised that the language and admissions policy clauses in the law gave too much power to the state and took too much power away from parents and communities.

Read the full original of the above report in Afrikaans by Elisma van der Watt at Maroela Media

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY

Mbombela High Court building ordered to be evacuated due to structural and health issues

The Lowvelder reports that a prohibition order was served on the Department of Justice (DoJ) by the national Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) last week after it was found that the Mpumalanga High Court building in Mbombela did not comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act due to several health and structural issues. An emergency meeting was held on Saturday, which was attended by Mpumalanga High Court’s judge president Judge Segopotje Sheila Mphahlele, the DoJ, the DEL, the Department of Public Works, the Independent Development Trust and representatives of the Public Servants Association (PSA). During hours of negotiations, the DoJ asked for the prohibition order to be suspended for seven days. The DEL eventually caved in and said it would consider the request over the weekend. However, in a letter to the DoJ, which was sent out at about 14:00 on Monday, the DEL rejected the DoJ’s plea. In a statement issued by the DoJ’s spokesperson, Kgalalelo Masibi, on Saturday, he confirmed that the court had been ordered to close down, but said that the department would present a report on how to resolve the issues raised.   Besides the structural and health issues, such as leaking toilets and roofs, a lack of air conditioning and broken lifts, the most serious concern was that the building was being occupied illegally.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Buks Viljoen at The Citizen

Civil engineers are seeking jobs abroad ‘due to construction mafia’, says Saice

BusinessLive reports that the rising incidence of intimidation, violence and threats to life in the construction industry has caused low morale among civil engineers and many are considering job opportunities abroad for safer working conditions. SA Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice) president Andrew Clothier said the situation presented a moral dilemma for civil engineering professionals, as they were being forced to weigh their personal safety against their professional responsibilities. “The ethical obligation to report misconduct becomes increasingly difficult when the risk of severe consequences, including harm or death, are present, and understandably, this can lead to them compromising their ethical standards to maintain their positions, secure projects or even spare their lives,” he pointed out. The threats usually take the form of verbal, written and physical threats and intimidation. In some cases, members have been suspended (with full pay) on trumped-up charges. Others have been demoted in their leadership roles or forced to resign due to an untenable working environment. “Construction mafias, often labelled ‘business forums’, are networks that employ violence and other illegal means of controlling access to public sector procurement opportunities,” he explained. Clothier said in 2019 alone these incidents affected R63bn worth of projects, targeting the government’s 30% procurement policies. “More specialised professionals are vulnerable as they are in higher decision-making positions with greater exposure to large [budgets], which they influence based on scope and execution,” Clothier noted.

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

MINING LABOUR

Sibanye-Stillwater rules out a five-year wage deal at its gold mining operations

Fin24 reports that despite record-high gold prices after about a 40% climb in the year to date, Sibanye-Stillwater has shunned a five-year wage deal at its high-cost SA gold operations. Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman recently indicated:   "We're not looking for a five-year deal. Our gold business has just gone through restructuring. I think we've got to complete that process and see what the actual impact is. And so, we think a one-year deal is probably fine with a view to engaging in a year. And then we can look forward to longer-term deals." In April this year, Harmony Gold and unions penned the first five-year wage deal for the industry, with the multi-year agreement touted to set the tone for talks with other gold miners. Pan African Resources followed suit, announcing its own five-year-deal.   The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), the largest in a coalition of unions involved in gold wage talks with Sibanye, said it came into negotiations with a mandate from its members to secure a multi-year agreement. On Tuesday, the union presented the company's latest and final offer to employees. Against a demand for a R1,200 increase for category four to eight workers, the company has offered R900. A demand for a 6% increase for miners, artisans and officials has been met with an offer of 5.5%. The feedback from workers will be shared among the unions at a meeting on Friday. "Even though the trade unions have provided proof of the well-known fact that gold prices have been rising significantly, the employer disregards this completely,” said AMCU’s Krister Janse van Rensburg.   Livhuwani Mammburu of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said the employer had been arrogant throughout negotiations.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required)

ILLEGAL MINING

Another 440 suspected illegal miners emerge from shaft in Stilfontein

SABC News reports that according to the police in the North West, an additional 440 suspected illegal miners have emerged from the underground Margaret Shaft in Stilfontein. This brings the number of emerged miners to almost 700 since the weekend. Hundreds of suspected illegal miners started emerging from underground at the weekend. Recent police action blocked critical supply routes to the mine, leaving those underground without essential provisions such as food and medication.   This is part of an ongoing operation by the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Illicit Mining Team and a multi-disciplinary Vala Umgodi operation in the area. Police say the suspected illegal miners include Mozambican, Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals. Reports indicate that many others remain trapped underground without food or water, while others are feared dead.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Viola May at SABC News

SAPO BUSINESS RESCUE IN PERIL

Union federation fights against liquidation of Post Office, but government says it cannot bail it out

The Citizen reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has stepped up pressure to stop the imminent liquidation of the loss-making SA Post Office (Sapo). Saftu’s Zwelinzima Vavi on Sunday demanded “urgent and decisive action to save the South African Post Office from liquidation”. He expressed concern that when the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered his medium-term budget policy statement last week he failed to comment on allocating R3.8 billion to the state-owned enterprise. Last week, Godongwana said Treasury could not bail out Sapo. But Vavi claimed government was in contravention of its undertaking in court to save the Sapo. Prof Waldo Krugell, of the North-West University School of Economics, said Sapo’s liquidation seemed inevitable: “Looking at its current revenue, the post office is not viable. It cannot borrow money and the National Treasury has no appetite for further bailouts. The post office was sunk by a changing business environment and technology. “It is not clear that what is left is worth saving.” Arguing in support of a Sapo revival, Vavi said with a R2.4 billion bailout from National Treasury the business rescue practitioners had settled some of the entity’s debt and had restructured it. “Since entering business rescue, the Sapo has registered progress,” he claimed. Between June 2023 and June 2024, Sapo turned its net asset value from a negative R7.9 billion to R840 million, bringing it into solvency. The turnaround to solvency has come at enormous cost to the workers. Over 4,875 employees, 43% of the work force, lost their jobs. If Sapo is liquidated the consequences will be devastating for the employees, most of whom are in rural areas.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Brian Sokutu at The Citizen

ALLEGED RACISM AT PRETORIA SCHOOL

Pretoria High School for Girls principal and deputy principal back at work after suspensions

News24 reports that the principal and deputy principal of Pretoria High School for Girls resumed duty on Monday following their suspensions, only to hear that an investigative report had recommended that they be charged with misconduct. Damning findings against principal Phillipa Erasmus and her deputy, Doret Schoombie, were made in a report by law firm Mdladlamba Attorneys, which the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) had appointed to probe racism allegations at the former model C school. Erasmus was put on precautionary suspension on 30 July for 90 days. Schoombie followed on 22 August after 12 white girls, including eight prefects, were suspended on 24 July for suspected racism in connection with messages posted on a WhatsApp group. According to the GDE, postings allegedly included racial commentary about black pupils' ongoing dissatisfaction about issues they faced at the school and suggested that the issues were insignificant. The 12 girls were cleared of the allegations during a disciplinary hearing in August. After the announcement that they were found not guilty, Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane launched an independent investigation "to determine whether a culture of racism exists at the school". Both Erasmus and Schoombie are members of the Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (SAOU), which welcomed their return to school.   Referring to the report’s recommendation as to misconduct charges, SAOU's Paul Sauer commented: "We will see how these recommendations will spill out in charges against our members. We are studying the statement but will formally apply for the full report. For now, we reserve all our rights."

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)

PENSION INVESTMENTS

Bosses of pension funds administrator N-e-FG fined R30m each for misdirecting client funds into high-risk investments

Fin24 reports that two executives of a Gauteng pension funds administrator have been fined R30 million each for misdirecting client funds into high-risk investments. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) took action against Corne Jansen van Rensburg and Erik du Preez last week following a two-year investigation into the N-e-FG group of companies, which operated out of Vanderbijlpark. They have also each been debarred for 30 years. The financial watchdog concluded that N-e-FG founder Jansen van Rensburg and managing director Du Preez broke a host of laws by lying to clients about where their funds were invested. Monies were moreover invested in entities not approved by the watchdog that had links to N-e-FG. "Before taking this action, the FSCA handed its investigation report over to the National Prosecution Authority [NPA] and is aware that some of the complainants also opened criminal cases. The FSCA will actively assist the NPA if requested,” the regulator advised on Monday. While the FSCA is still playing its cards close to its chest, a probe by a statutory manager appointed two years ago to oversee how N-e-FG Administrators managed pension funds concluded that around R470 million in client funds was missing. In addition to pension and provident fund administration, the group offered wealth management, investment planning, and various advisory services. From the outset, N-e-FG tried to sell itself as a transparent firm obsessed with "responsible reporting" in a society rife with chancers.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Cronje at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required)

COST OF SUSPENSIONS

Money spent on paid suspensions a source of concern, says DPSA minister

BL Premium reports that the Department of Public Service & Administration (DPSA) is attempting to clamp down on the use of precautionary suspensions for disciplinary purposes to reduce the cost to the state. DPSA Minister Mzamo Buthelezi reported in a written reply to a parliamentary question that the cumulative cost of precautionary suspensions for the first two quarters of this financial year was about R49m for national departments and R93.4m for provincial departments. In the previous financial year, by the end of the fourth quarter the total suspension costs stood at R50.9m for national departments and R108m for provincial departments. There are now 288 active suspension cases in national departments and an additional 183 in provincial departments. There is an instance of a public servant having been on suspension for as long as five years, while earning a salary. In September, in reply to another question, Buthelezi said of the 471 government employees on paid suspension, 54 had been suspended for more than a year.   Buthelezi indicated:   “Precautionary suspensions within the public service continue to be an area of serious concern, both in terms of cost and operational impact. These suspensions carry a significant financial burden, not only on departmental budgets but also on public funds that could be allocated to essential services. The cumulative expenses associated with prolonged suspensions highlight the need for disciplined and efficient resolution processes.” He said his ministry was strongly urging departments to address and manage precautionary suspension cases within the stipulated 60-day period to prevent unwarranted expenses and to uphold the integrity of public service operations.

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

While NLC spends over R8 million on suspended employees, backlog of 3,000 grant applications remains unresolved

The Citizen reports that the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) has paid at least R8.3 million in salaries to suspended employees currently facing disciplinary action. This was disclosed by Trade, Industry, and Competition Minister Parks Tau in a recent parliamentary response. He revealed that the NLC is managing seven disciplinary cases, including one involving a senior manager, following findings by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and in other forensic reports on fraud and corruption.   Six of the seven implicated employees are on precautionary suspension with full pay. The seventh, a monitoring and evaluation specialist based at the NLC’s Eastern Cape office, has not been suspended, but is under disciplinary review. According to the reply, the NLC has incurred a total of R8,39, 888 in salary costs for the six employees placed on precautionary suspension. The NLC’s company secretary, based at its head office, was suspended in November 2022, with hearings having commenced in March 2023 and the salary since suspension amounting to R4.9 million. The NLC’s legal manager, who was suspended in October 2023, has received over R1.5 million during the suspension period.   In a separate response, Tau disclosed that a backlog of over 3,000 grant funding applications from the 2023/2024 financial year remained unresolved. This backlog is due to staff vacancies within the NLC’s Distributing Agency, which is responsible for evaluating and recommending funding for “worthy good causes”.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Molefe Seeletsa The Citizen

COMMUTING / PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Joburg’s Rea Vaya bus service resumes after disruption caused by taxi industry protest

The Star reports that City of Johannesburg MMC for Transport, Kenny Kunene, has confirmed that Rea Vaya’s 45 new feeder buses in Soweto will not be operational until further notice. Stranded commuters faced challenges on Monday and Tuesday and had to seek alternative transport. Kunene reported that the disruption was due to unresolved issues between the taxi industry and the city’s transport officials regarding deployment of the new buses. “Mistakes happened from the depot where the buses were deployed with the wrong registration number plates. They were supposed to ensure that the buses had the correct GP number plates before going out. The taxi industry became very angry because, as per industry standards, you must operate a bus or taxi with the registration of that province. We apologise for the inconvenience caused,” Kunene said. The rollout of the 45-seater feeder buses in Soweto aimed to enhance local connectivity but has resulted in tensions with local taxi operators, who are known for their firm stance on territorial issues.   Reports indicated that tensions escalated dramatically, with unidentified individuals intercepting the buses during their inaugural runs. After discussions with stakeholders, Kunene announced that while the service would be restored with immediate effect, the 45 new Rea Vaya feeder buses would remain non-operational until further notice.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyabonga Sithole at The Star

OTHER REPORTS OF INTEREST

• Treasury sets term limits for Development Bank of SA (DBSA) directors, at BusinessLive
• Gender diversity in JSE top 40 still elusive, says report, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
• Another accused in R172m University of Fort Hare fraud case released on R50k bail, at The Citizen
• Tshwane metro cop allegedly caught driving passenger to withdraw bribe, faces investigation, at IOL News