Today's Labour News

TOP STORY – SAA WAGE STRIKE

SAA flights on major routes affected by pilots' wage strike

Fin24 reports that SA Airways (SAA) flights on all major domestic and regional routes have been affected by a pilots' strike that kicked off on Thursday following deadlocked wage talks. In a travel advisory, SAA said the strike would affect the flights it operated on the routes between Johannesburg to the following locations: Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Windhoek, and Mauritius.   On social media, there were complaints of disruptions to other destinations, such as Lagos. It was also reported that SAA flights to both Perth and São Paulo had been cancelled. In its advisory, SAA said only flights operated by itself would be affected by the pilots’ strike, while flights operated on partner airlines would not be affected. Pilots picketed outside the SAA office at the OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday morning, demanding that the airline come back to the wage negotiating table. Against a demand for a salary increase of 15.7% from the SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA), SAA has offered an 8.46% pay increase backdated to April. The Aviation Professionals SA has referred the dispute to the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA), which will assist the SAA pilots in salary negotiations. In a letter to its members on Thursday, IFALPA’s Kevin Judkins said SAA was unwilling to engage in meaningful negotiations during a CCMA process, with seemingly no will to resolve matters fairly and collaboratively.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn & Na'ilah Ebrahim at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required).   Read too, SAA pilots’ strike leaves travellers stranded, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). En ook, Vlieëniers van SAL staak, by Maroela Media

SAA pilots continue strike as tensions rise over pay and airline’s leadership

The Citizen reports that striking SA Airways (SAA) pilots and the airline management were deadlocked on Thursday, with the flight crew vowing to continue their industrial action “indefinitely” unless the airline gave in to their wage demands. The National Transport Movement Pilots Forum (NTM) was said to have accepted a tentative offer, but the SAA Pilots Association (SAAPA) had rejected it outright. A senior captain commented: “It is not just about the wage increase. We also want management change. They need to replace most of the managers quickly because, despite SAA making a nominal profit, it will be short-lived if current management is allowed to continue their tenure.”   SAA’s chief medical officer, Dr Nhlanhla Sishaba, was suspended earlier this year for allegedly issuing fraudulent medical certificates to pilots. Sales and marketing manager Carla Da Silva and other staff in the marketing department face a Hawks investigation and a civil suit for the misappropriation of competing airline Airlink’s sensitive commercial information.   “But there’s more and we want incompetent, inept and corrupt persons out of the business,” said the pilot. About 140 of the 161 SAA pilots are participating in the strike. But strike committee chair, Captain Sibusiso Nxumalo accused SAA of lacking meaningful engagement. “Despite eight months of engagement, we had only four-and-a-half days of actual discussions, which has led to this action. Management has not participated in a fair manner to address our concerns, especially regarding the percentage increase we’ve requested,” he said.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thando Nondywana & Hein Kaiser at The Citizen

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY DEFIANCE

Sakeliga urges its more than 12,000 members to defy Employment Equity Amendment Act

BL Premium reports that business grouping Sakeliga is lobbying its more than 12,000 members to defy the Employment Equity Amendment Act when it comes into effect in January. According to Sakeliga, employers are in a strong position “in 2025 and beyond to avoid implementation of hiring quotas under the [Act]”. It indicated: “Sakeliga encourages business people to remain firm and not make any changes to their employment policies for the sake of the Act. Businesses should prepare for maximum achievable non-cooperation with an irrational, harmful, and unconstitutional Act for as long as it takes to have it scrapped or rendered practically impotent.” President Cyril Ramaphosa recently proclaimed that the Act will come into effect in January. Among other provisions, the Act empowers the Minister of Employment & Labour to set numerical race-based targets for the 18 different sectors in the economy.   Once the minister has done so, employers with more than 50 workers (designated employers) will have to comply with the sectoral targets. Once sectoral targets are published in their final form, designated employers will need to review their employment equity plans to ensure that their numerical targets and goals align with any sectoral targets that may be published by the minister, and where they do not, that there is reasonable justification.   The National Employers’ Association of SA (Neasa) has also threatened legal action over the implementation of the Act, saying it “remains unequivocally opposed to any legislation which forces an employer to appoint employees on any other basis than merit”.

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

ILLEGAL MINING SCOURGE

Providing food, water to illegal miners defeats our objectives, Masemola argues

TimesLIVE reports that national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola says the continuous supply of food and water to illegal miners defeats the purpose of Operation Vala Umgodi of stopping ongoing illicit mining and will encourage the continuation of illicit mining activities underground. He made these remarks after visiting Sabie in Mpumalanga and Stilfontein in North West where hundreds of illegal miners remain underground. Masemola noted that the Pretoria High Court on Thursday heard an application by the Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua) seeking to compel the police to allow communities to supply food, water and medication to illegal miners. He reported that the SA Police Service raised concerns in court regarding the implementation of an interim order made earlier on Sunday. The order compelled the police minister to allow community members, charitable organisations and interested people to provide humanitarian aid, including water, food and medication, to the illegal miners trapped underground at shafts in Stilfontein. However, the police limited the amount and type of food and medication delivered underground, forcing Macua to obtain an order on Tuesday declaring that the minister was in breach of the interim order. According to Masemola, the court postponed the application on Thursday and also varied Sunday’s interim order. Food and water will now be supplied from Monday to Friday between 8am and 4pm and no food will be lowered down the mineshafts at weekends.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE

Frayed rope delays efforts to retrieve body of illegal miner at Stilfontein Shaft 11

News24 reports that efforts to retrieve the body of an illegal miner from Stilfontein Shaft 11 came to a halt on Thursday after the rope that volunteers were using became frayed and fragile. Community leader Mandla Charles said that while the rope had not snapped, it was wearing thin and could no longer support the weight of a human body. When volunteers pulled up the old rope on Thursday morning, it had a note attached from illegal miners that stated that another miner had died overnight. They called for the body to be speedily removed. Most of the bodies already retrieved were badly decomposed after lying in the warm and damp conditions in Shaft 11. Writing in Sesotho, the miners said some of them were frail, even after large amounts of food were lowered into the shaft on Tuesday and Wednesday. Charles replied to them and indicated that they would haul the body up once a new rope was acquired. He added that someone had volunteered to buy them a new rope. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, volunteers pulled up five decomposed bodies of illegal miners to the surface. The bodies were swiftly loaded into the pathology services vehicle. Sacks used to wrap the decomposed bodies were set alight near the shaft.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 (subscription or trial registration required).   Read too, Eighth body of zama zama retrieved from abandoned Stilfontein gold mine, at EWN

Forty-one zama zamas in Mpumalanga brought to the surface and arrested

News24 reports that a rescue operation is underway to extract about 110 illegal miners (zama zamas) trapped in an abandoned mine in a forestry plantation on Spitskop Mountain, near the tourist town of Sabie in Mpumalanga. The mine, called South Mine, the entrance to which is a 2m-wide hole in the ground, was only discovered on Tuesday when a K9 police officer found men running away from it and into a nearby plantation. After being arrested, they pointed out the hole from which they had escaped, claiming they had been held against their will by illegal mining bosses.   Police believe the illegal mining operation has been going on for weeks, without anyone noticing.   Forty-one illegal miners have, so far, been retrieved, as well as three dead bodies. On Thursday night, police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdluli indicated: "The operation has been halted until tomorrow [Friday] morning, where it is expected that the activities will start earlier, so that more people can be retrieved." Earlier on Thursday, national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola visited the scene, along with Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu, to observe the recovery effort. Mdluli pointed out that the extraction of the zama zamas was a slow process, as only one miner could be hoisted up at a time. To worsen matters, it has been extremely hot in the Lowveld and the team is working under very difficult conditions. According to Mdluli, extracted illegal miners received food and medical treatment, after which they were taken to police cells. He said no food or water was being sent down the shaft.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at News24. Read too, More resources needed to retrieve Sabie miners, says Fannie Masemola, at TimesLIVE

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Campaign to raise money for trapped miners in Stilfontein gets R49,000 in three days, at TimesLIVE
• 15,000 illegal miners nabbed since advent of Operation Vala Umgodi, at EWN

SAPO BUSINESS RESCUE

Costly Sapo business rescue runs into many tens of millions

BL Premium reports that by the end of September, the SA Post Office (Sapo) had been in business rescue for about 13 months at a cost to the state of R176m. This emerged from a written reply by communications and digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi to a parliamentary question. Sapo was placed in business rescue in July 2023 with Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons appointed as business rescue practitioners (BRPs). At the time it had a debt of R8.7bn. “In terms of regulation 128(1)(c) of the Companies Act, a senior business rescue practitioner (BRP) appointed for a large company is entitled to charge an amount of R1,739.13 an hour plus VAT. The BRPs’ fees are regulated in terms of the Companies Act, and as of the end of September 2024, amounts to about R175.7m,” Malatsi reported. In addition, the BRPs have been accompanied by a team of legal professionals, consultants, and specialist advisers who have charged an hourly tariff based on their professional tariffs and level of seniority.   The BRPs themselves had cost R6.73m, while the team of consultants had cost R144m (both excluding VAT), and there had been disbursements of R2m. “The BRPs have further reassured the department that they are mindful of the current financial constraints of Sapo and have ensured that the business rescue fees are within a strict budget and that they will continue to benchmark their fees against other business rescues conducted in the country,” Malatsi advised.

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

JMPD ‘PARTYING’ SUSPENSIONS

JMPD officers seen ‘partying’ and drinking alcohol in marked state vehicle issued with suspension letters

SowetanLive reports that suspension notices have been issued to Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) cops who were seen on video partying next to a dam and drinking alcohol while sitting in a marked state vehicle. Mgcini Tshwaku, MMC for public safety, described the footage circulating on social media as alarming, adding that it raised concerns about the misuse of state resources and the violation of public trust. In the video footage, a group – mostly wearing white clothes – is seen dancing and singing to music in the background, while some are seen drinking. Coolerboxes are spread all around them. Tshwaku commented: “The behaviour displayed in this footage is not only unacceptable but also a betrayal of the values we uphold.” He said suspension notices had been issued to the officials in the footage and the metro department's internal affairs unit was conducting an independent investigation to ensure full accountability and transparency. “Any breach of professional conduct will be met with the strongest disciplinary measures,” Tshwaku warned.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jeanette Chabalala at SowetanLive. Read too and watch, JMPD officers suspended after viral 'partying' video, at TimesLIVE

ALLEGED FRAUD

Safa boss Danny Jordaan and co-accused want fraud case removed from roll

SowetanLive reports that SA Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan and CFO Gronie Hluyo have applied for their fraud case to be struck off the roll. Jordaan, Hluyo and businessman Trevor Neethling made their second appearance at Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Thursday where their lawyer, Norman Arendse, informed the court of their application. Among the reasons cited was that they had challenged their arrest. “The investigating officer was aware of the pending application [to interdict the arrest], nonetheless the matter was sat down [before the application was heard] while the application is pending and it will result in the criminal matter being delayed. So it will not make sense that we waste state resources by postponing the matter from time to time while those applications are pending and we know the outcome of those [pending] applications,” Arendse said. Jordaan is alleged to have violated Safa statutes and prejudicing the organisation to the loss of R1.3m, which was paid to Grit Communications to influence media reporting about Safa and himself at the time when Jordaan faced several allegations, including rape. Neethling, who owns Grit Communications, is alleged to have used the company’s resources without authorisation. The trio made their first appearance last month and were released on R20,000 bail. Magistrate Shirley Soko postponed the matter to Tuesday.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Herman Moloi at BusinessLive

VETTING OF SEXUAL OFFENDERS

Urgent call for vetting of employees in KZN schools following child rape conviction

Daily News reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has welcomed the conviction of another child rapist in the province’s schools. DA KZN spokesperson on education, Sakhile Mngadi, was reacting to the Empangeni Regional Court sentencing Ayanda Lembede, 37, to life and 10 years imprisonment for the rape, and sexual assault of two children aged eight and nine years old. The incidents happened in Empangeni, northern KZN, between 2021 and 2022.   Lembede was a security guard at a school in the area, and the girls were pupils at the school when he committed the offences. He threatened to kill the girls if they disclosed his actions to anyone. Eventually one of the girls confided in her mother and the other girl spoke out too.   Lembede was arrested after the girls’ parents reported the matter to the police. Mngadi said the party would write to KZN Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka again to request the urgent vetting of all department employees against the National Sex Offenders register. He said these incidents highlighted concerns the DA had raised in 2019, 2021, 2022 and earlier this year around the vetting of department employees and school staff against the register to ensure the increased safety of children at schools. “Sexual offences in KZN’s schools have reached alarming levels, with recent reports revealing that more than 200 cases were recorded in 2023 alone. This represents a disturbing rise in incidents of sexual violence against learners,” Mngadi said.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thobeka Ngema at Daily News

COMMUTING / PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Breakthrough for City of Cape Town in respect of taking over of passenger rail services

Moneyweb reports that the City of Cape Town has had a breakthrough in its negotiations with the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) over eventually devolving rail services to the metro level. According to Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, on Wednesday night the City received a signed service level plan from Prasa “following months of negotiations”. The City has undertaken to have detailed business plans in place by July 2025 to take over the management of passenger train services in the metro. In addition to receiving the signed service level plan from Prasa, the city has also adopted a comprehensive rail feasibility study in which three potential ownership models for train services are proposed. A “key finding” is that the City should be in control of rail to ensure a fully functional service. Rail is one of the competencies the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government are striving to have greater autonomy over. Hill-Lewis said taking charge of Metrorail was especially important for lower-income households, who would collectively save an estimated R932 million a year if trains were running as they should. Figures provided by Prasa show there were 172 million passenger trips on Cape Town’s rail network in 2012/13 and just 13 million during 2023/24. “We have a vision to massively scale up passenger numbers, new train sets, new routes, and to upgrade stations and surrounding areas with affordable housing over the next two decades,” Hill-Lewis indicated.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Liesl Peyper at Moneyweb. Read too, Cape Town going ahead with business plan to take over passenger rail services, at EWN

KZN Premier and Transport MEC Duma vow to find solution in long-distance taxi strike

The Witness reports that taxi associations have vowed to “fix the issues ourselves” if the provincial government fails to intervene in the ongoing long-distance taxi strike in KwaZulu-Natal. The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco), Premier Thami Ntuli, MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma and other taxi associations gathered to discuss the issues around the strike at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall on Thursday. Chairperson for Sizwe Transport Association, based in Johannesburg, Velanto Thwala said he believed the department was afraid to enter Durban and put an end to the ongoing long-distance taxi strike. “No one engaged with us. We only saw on social media that there is an ongoing strike in Durban, and they are stopping our taxis from operating. Same thing happened back in October, we lost money then and we are losing money now. The department needs to come up with a solution for this issue,” said Thwala. MEC Duma said they would be engaging with the Durban Long Distance Taxi Association to find solutions for this strike. “We have engaged with the different associations. We need to meet with the Durban taxi owners again and find a solution to this issue before things escalate,” said Duma. The week-long strike has caused severe disruptions across KZN, with major highways blocked by protesting drivers, forcing commuters to seek alternative transportation. A number of workers and students were left stranded daily.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zama Myeza at The Witness. Read too, KZN commuters describe frustration amid long-distance taxi strike, at The Mercury

OTHER REPORTS OF INTEREST

• Bela-ooreenkoms nié bindend, sê minister in die presidensie, by Maroela Media
• JHB-burgemeester sal Floyd Brink-uitspraak ‘bestudeer, dan besluit’, by Maroela Media