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 Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Numsa strike at ArcelorMittal over job cuts to start on Thursday, picket planned for Vanderbijlpark head office Reuters reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) says it will go on strike at ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) on Thursday to protest job cuts that have impacted 107 workers. The union also indicated in a statement that on Thursday it would picket the company's Vanderbijlpark head office. "Numsa has issued a strike notice to the company and it begins on Thursday the 14th of November," the union confirmed. Numsa added that its members "have been provoked into striking" following the conclusion of a job cutting process. Amsa reported a loss of R1.11 billion in the six months to 30 June, which widened from another loss of R448 million in the same period last year, amid difficult trading conditions in local and regional markets. The steelmaker said in July it had decided against shutting its steel plant in KwaZulu-Natal, opting instead to explore a plan to make it viable. Amsa had announced plans to close the plant in November 2023. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Fin24
Survey shows that 61% of SA employees would quit over work stress if they could afford to do so The Citizen writes that SA businesses are facing a growing retention crisis, with post-pandemic pressures and economic challenges leading to lower employee engagement and morale. A recent survey conducted by the SA Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) revealed that 61% of employees would leave their jobs if they could afford to, citing overwhelming stress, a lack of mental health support, and inflexible work arrangements. According to Lindiwe Sebesho of Remchannel, businesses must adapt to the changing needs of the modern workforce to remain competitive. “Today’s employees need more than just a salary – they need real support for their well-being and a healthy work-life balance. Employers who ignore this risk losing top talent to companies that prioritise mental health and flexibility,” she pointed out. Sebesho warned that failure to address disengagement and mental health issues would lead to increased costs due to lower productivity, higher resignation rates, and expensive recruitment. According to Remchannel’s October 2024 Salary and Wage Survey, the turnover rate has jumped by 42% from the previous year, with nearly half of all resignations driven by better career opportunities and higher salaries. But it’s not just about pay. Flexibility and well-being are becoming top priorities for today’s workers. Offering mental health support, flexible work, and personalised benefits isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for sustainable growth and resilience. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carien Grobler at The Citizen KwaDukuza traffic officers demand justice for colleague gunned down on N2 highway EWN reports that traffic officers in KwaDukuza in KwaZulu-Natal are demanding justice for their colleague who was shot and killed in the line of duty last week. Superintendent Desmond Arumugam was killed while responding to a robbery incident that took place inside a minibus taxi on the N2 highway near the Grouteville area, outside Durban. On Wednesday, the man linked to his killing appeared for the first time in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court after being arrested on Monday. Arumugam’s colleagues came to court in their numbers, demanding justice. Director for the KwaDukuza traffic officers, Moses Faya, indicated: "It is a very sad moment, we are in severe pain because his killing was unwarranted and uncalled for because he was merely doing his work as an officer to ensure that he provides safety for all communities that are in KwaDukuza.” Faya said they wanted the accused murderer to face a harsh sentence and added: "We are expecting that the assailant is found guilty and is sentenced to a long time in prison, so this can send a message that the killing of police officers must stop." Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Nhlanhla Mabaso at EWN. Read too, Emotions run high as alleged KwaDukuza cop killer appears in court, at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
It’s not government’s job to retrieve criminals from underground, insists Ntshavheni about illegal miners TimesLIVE reports that Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has brushed off questions about whether the government is considering helping about 4,500 illegal miners underground in Stilfontein, North West. Last week, police reported that the number of illegal miners who had surfaced at Stilfontein between 18 October and 5 November had risen to 1,004. Since last month, police and the army have blocked routes used to deliver food to the miners. A community member who went underground to talk to the miners on Tuesday told police there were “about 4,500" underground. He said the miners told him they were “too weak to come up” and had asked for food and water. According to Brig Sabata Mokgwabone, the miners were sent water on Tuesday evening. Briefing the media on Wednesday after the cabinet’s regular meeting, Ntshavheni said it was “not the government’s job to retrieve criminals”. She went on to say: “We’re not sending help to criminals. We’re going to smoke them out, they will come out. Criminals are not to be helped, criminals are to be prosecuted.” Ntshavheni pointed out that it was too risky for police to go underground. Mokgwabone said on Wednesday that two miners came to the surface after food and water had been sent down the day before. The police are monitoring the situation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessLive. Read too, ‘We are going to smoke them out,' says Ntshavheni about trapped Stilfontein zama zamas, at News24 Five illegal miners rescued by community volunteers from Stilfontein shaft on Wednesday SABC News reports that five suspected illegal mine workers had been retrieved alive from a mine shaft in Stilfontein, North West, by late Wednesday afternoon. They were assisted by about 50 residents who volunteered to rescue the miners who were too weak to come to the surface by themselves. The residents used ropes to pull out the miners who were weak because of lack of water and food. Residents estimate that around 4,500 suspected illegal miners are still underground. They have reportedly been underground for several months. Meanwhile, the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA) expressed concern about the government’s inability to rescue illegal miners who were still trapped in mine shafts in Orkney and Stilfontein. They became trapped after the police and the SANDF launched Operation Vala Mgodi last month. Earlier on Wednesday, the Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni indicated that the government would not offer any assistance to the stranded illegal miners. MACUA’s Meshack Mbangula said he found it very strange for the government not to act to save the lives of the people concerned. He went on to say: “Because what put those people down there is poverty, unemployment, and as long as there’s poverty, people will go down there because they need to put bread on the table.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zebilon Maine at SABC News. Read too, Illegal miners in Stilfontein say they will surface after dead and sick are retrieved, at News24 (subscription or trial registration required) JRA closes Roodepoort roads due to illegal mining-related collapse The Citizen reports that the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) issued a notice of immediate road closure at the intersection of Mijn Street and Van Wyk Street in Roodepoort after the road collapsed due to illegal mining excavations. Earlier this year, former City of Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda warned that illegal mining activities posed an threat to the city’s infrastructure and public safety during his State of the City address. “Illegal mining involves tunnelling under roadways, excavating bridge embankments while also infringing on crucial water and sewage networks that is placing a real risk and threat to residents and infrastructure in the city,” he pointed out. The former mayor’s warning came true on Wednesday afternoon when JRA announced the immediate closure of Mijn Street (which becomes Ethel Street) just north of its intersection with Van Wyk Street in Roodepoort. Meanwhile, on Tuesday an illegal immigrant was apprehended after being discovered in possession of a firearm and ammunition in the Harry Gwala informal settlement in Benoni by Gauteng police officers participating in Operation Vala Umgodi. The police said in a post on X on Tuesday night: “Upon closer inspection of an open illegal mining hole, the team members noticed four suspects armed with rifles. When the suspects noticed the presence of police, three of them disappeared into the hole while the team managed to arrest one suspect and recover a rifle with 24 live rounds of ammo.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chulumanco Mahamba at The Citizen
Domestic worker jobs remain in decline BusinessTech writes that while most jobs in SA have returned to or have surpassed pre-Covid levels, domestic worker jobs remain in significant decline, with over 170,000 positions seemingly permanently lost. Domestic worker jobs increased over the third quarter of the year, but the 11,000 jobs that were added brought the sector nowhere close to levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the third quarter, domestic worker jobs increased 1.3% quarter-on-quarter to 854,000 jobs. While this is undoubtedly good news for domestic workers looking for jobs, it comes with the caveat that the sector is still under pressure relative to 2023 – with 6,000 fewer jobs (or a 0.7% decline) from Q3 2023. Stats SA noted that this reflected a shift in employment among private households, which represented a crucial segment of the labour market, despite being relatively vulnerable and largely informal. Approximately 1.1 million South Africans are employed in private households, with 75.7% (or 854,000) working as domestic workers. These workers form an essential support system for families across the country, Stats SA pointed out. Other elementary occupations – including farm labourers and construction and maintenance workers – have rebounded, with a 9.8% increase that surpasses pre-pandemic levels. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at BusinessTech
Staff at beleaguered Educor institutions still ‘in the dark’, with salary non payments ‘getting really bad’ Mail & Guardian reports that Educor Holdings staff and students remain uncertain about whether they can complete the academic year, even after Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane provisionally reinstated its registration in August. The registration of the Educor institutions, namely City Varsity, Damelin, Icesa, City Campus and Lyceum College, had been cancelled on 26 July 2023. In March, the then higher education minister Blade Nzimande indicated that the institutions had not complied with the Higher Education Act and had not submitted their annual financial statements and tax clearance certificates for the 2021 and 2022 years. The department had also received complaints from the public about the institutions, including non-payment of staff salaries and a lack of professionalism. Staff members at one of the Educor institutions said this week that the provisional reinstatement of registration on “humanitarian grounds” should have been a relief, but staff salary delays were “getting really bad”. Some who have not been paid for August, September and October have filed cases with the CCMA. One staff member at City Varsity in Cape Town said: “I am currently unpaid for September and October. The resulting financial pressure on my family has been huge, as we’ve had to rely on credit to cover the outstanding salaries. As interest mounts and minimum payments get bigger, the situation becomes more and more stressful.” A second staff member said he had not been paid for September and October and students were unsure whether classes would resume and they could finish their qualifications. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lyse Comins at Mail & Guardian
Lotteries company secretary fails in court ‘fishing expedition’ to get documents that supposedly led to her suspension GroundUp reports that suspended National Lotteries Commission (NLC) company secretary Nompumelo Nene has failed, in what was described as a “fishing expedition”, to get documents which had supposed led to her suspension. The document were sought from the Auditor-General, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Competition and the NLC. In an interlocutory application before Pretoria High Court Acting Judge Le Grange, Nene claimed that she needed the documents for her review application in which she was seeking to set aside findings of irregular expenditure by the NLC under her watch. The findings led to her suspension in November 2022. But Judge Le Grange dismissed the application. Nene remains on full pay and has been paid out almost R5-million since her suspension. Earlier this year, Nene launched urgent proceedings to stay the disciplinary proceedings against her. But this was dismissed and she was ordered to pay the costs personally. In her review application Nene is seeking to set aside the Auditor-General reports for the financial years 2018 to 2020 which implicated her in misconduct relating to unauthorised expenditure on media services, accountants and auditors. Judge Le Grange pointed out that the main objection of the government respondents to the interlocutory application was that the Auditor-General had already filed a comprehensive record of proceedings, that the application was nothing but a fishing expedition, and that it was clear from the list of documents sought by Nene that most were irrelevant to the review application. He ruled that the documents sought were extraneous to what Nene considered to be relevant to identify and prove the Auditor-General’s inconsistencies. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tania Broughton at GroundUp
Labour Court sides with employee dismissed for refusing to take Covid-19 vaccine Moneyweb reports that the Labour Court in Cape Town has ruled that a medical equipment supplier’s dismissal of an employee – without severance pay – for operational requirements after she refused to take a Covid-19 vaccination in line with the company’s mandatory policy had been substantially unfair. Acting Judge Maria Mokhoaetsi reviewed and set aside a CCMA award and ordered Baroque Medical to pay the former employee compensation equal to 12 months’ remuneration calculated at the employee’s rate of remuneration on the date of her dismissal. Baroque Medical supplies medical devices and was classified as an essential service during the Covid-19 pandemic. She had worked for Baroque Medical for 22 years as an invoicing clerk and was 18 months away from her compulsory retirement at the time of her dismissal. CCMA commissioner Piet Van Staden concluded on 9 May 2022 that Baroque Medical’s termination of the employee’s services based on operational requirements was substantively and procedurally fair. He further concluded that the employee’s decision not to adhere to Baroque Medical’s mandatory vaccination policy was unreasonable, and she was not entitled to any severance pay. The employee applied to the Labour Court to review Van Staden’s decision. Acting Judge Maria Mokhoaetsi noted that Baroque Medical had placed no evidence before Van Staden that it had considered how the employee could reasonably be accommodated or provided with alternative employment. The evidence had been that the employee’s position had not become redundant and that the only condition that was an impediment to her continued employment was the vaccination requirement. Mokhoaetsi found that the dismissal of the employee had been substantially unfair (full reasons given in the news report) Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Roy Cokayne at Moneyweb
Effective three years’ jail time for former ex Bank employee who stole R560,000 by not loading it into ATM TimesLIVE reports that on Wednesday the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Ga-Rankuwa sentenced former Standard Bank employee Bongani Vincent Nkosi to eight years' imprisonment for theft. Five years of the sentence were suspended for five years, meaning the effective sentence will be three years in jail. Nkosi, 37, was employed at the bank’s Mabopane branch. His duties included loading cash into six ATMs and taking out cash from deposits made by customers at those ATMs. On 3 February 2017, he was required to load R630,000 into an ATM. He loaded only R70,000 and took the balance of R560,000 for his own benefit. He was arrested in July 2018. Nkosi claimed he was accosted and kidnapped by unknown people who threatened to cause him harm if he did not steal R1m from the bank and give the money to them. He claimed that he was then released to go to his workplace to obtain the money. Nkosi did not report the kidnapping to the bank or police. In aggravation of sentence, state advocate Fhulufhelo Munyai urged the court to consider the rise in commercial crimes as a concerning factor. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE Safa president Danny Jordaan and CFO Gronie Hluyo granted bail in fraud and theft case City Press reports that the state has lined up as many as 19 witnesses in the fraud and theft case against SA Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan and his two co-accused. The Safa boss faces widespread allegations of maladministration and abuse of the association’s money for personal gain. He allegedly spent R1.3 million of the association’s money without authorisation from the national executive committee (NEC). Jordaan made a brief appearance in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, on Wednesday. He lined up in the dock with his co-accused, Safa's chief financial officer (CFO) Gronie Hluyo, and Trevor Neethling, a businessman whose company was allegedly contracted unlawfully, by Jordaan. The three all pleaded not guilty to all the seven counts that they face. They released on R20,000 bail each. Jordaan was allowed to retain his passport, but Hluyo and Neethling have to surrender theirs. The matter was postponed to 5 December. Earlier in the day, Jordaan tried to evade arrest after he filed an application in the Johannesburg High Court, seeking to set aside a warrant that had been issued. But, with Jordaan having appeared in court, his application at the Joburg High Court became moot. Jordaan was supported by several members of the Safa NEC. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tiisetso Malepa at City Press (subscriber access only). Lees ook, Safa-president en medebeskuldigdes sê staat het swak saak, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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