In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
|
Amsa’s decision to pull plug on long steel business could affect 3,500 jobs in three provinces BL Premium reports that steel producer ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) will proceed with the winding down of its long steel business, so putting about 3,500 direct and indirect jobs at risk across Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. The move is particularly concerning for residents of the KZN town of Newcastle, where Amsa’s long steel facility plays a key role in the local economy and job market. Having been under threat of closure since late 2023, the Newcastle plant’s tenuous operations will come to an end in late January, with the winding down of the remaining production processes to be completed in the first quarter of 2025. The winding down will affect all of Amsa’s long steel plants, including the Newcastle and Vereeniging plants and the rail and structures subsidiary, Amras. Long steel products include rebar, wire rods, merchant bars, rails and sections. While Newcastle’s coke-making operations will continue, these too will be scaled back to reflect reduced demand. As Amsa proceeds with the winding down, the long steel business will now be placed into care and maintenance, subject to a consultation process. The group assured shareholders that it “remains confident that the remaining business can be successfully restructured to be competitive, sustainable and profitable”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jacob Webster at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, ArcelorMittal winds down long-steel business, leaving about 3,500 out of jobs, at TimesLIVE Numsa says it will fight to save jobs affected by closure of ArcelorMittal plants TimesLIVE reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) says that to defend the jobs of its members, it will fight to reverse the closure of ArcelorMittal SA’s (Amsa’s) long-steel plants. “We cannot allow even more workers to lose their jobs unnecessarily if something can be done. We all have a responsibility to protect jobs, particularly because we have an extremely high unemployment rate and the highest levels of inequality in the world,” the union stated. Amsa announced on Monday possible job cuts as its long steel business would be winding down and put under care and maintenance. It estimated 3,500 people would lose their jobs. The wind-down will affect all long-steel plants, including the Newcastle Works, Vereeniging Works and the rail and structures subsidiary Amras. Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said the union doubted whether there was appreciation by the government of how dangerous it was to allow Amsa to close the plants. “Unless a solution is found to retain the current capacity, allowing these plants to close could be potentially catastrophic, and it would spell disaster for manufacturing and industrialisation of our country. This would have a direct negative affect on the community in Sedibeng and in Newcastle where these plants are located,” Jim said. He added that it was the union’s duty to do everything possible to save jobs. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Hawks arrest two teenagers for murder of Gqeberha police officer IOL News reports that two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the murder of police constable Callan Andrews. The Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (the Hawks) said the suspects, aged 17 and 18, were arrested by the Gqeberha Serious Organised Crime Investigation of the Hawks on Saturday, 4 January. Andrews, 29, who was attached to the Gelvandale Police station, was brutally murdered while on duty on 31 December 2024. "During the time of the incident, the officer was at Voisen Road Katanga, Gelvandale in Gqeberha, attending to a complaint where unknown suspects reportedly grabbed his service pistol and fatally wounded him. The police official was rushed to the nearest hospital where he was declared deceased as he succumbed to a bullet wound." said a Hawks spokesperson. The teenagers were expected to appear in the Gelvandale Magistrate’s Court on Monday. More arrests are imminent Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jolene Marriah-Maharaj at IOL News Two Free State police officers killed on Saturday in QwaQwa SABC News reports that two police officers were gunned down on Saturday night while responding to a robbery at a house in Namahadi, QwaQwa in the Free State. The suspects, who were wearing balaclavas, fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash and two cell phones. Police spokesperson Motsantsi Makhele advised: “The CSC members approached the house, where one suspect emerged and opened fire. One member was fatally shot and his service pistol was taken by the suspect. As the pursuit continued, another suspect ambushed the driver of the backup vehicle while he was reversing the police vehicle. He was shot in the neck and succumbed to his injuries. The other police officers in the vehicle were unharmed” Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Palesa Matshane at SABC News. Lees ook, Vrystaat beamptes sterf toe hulle op huisroof reageer, by Maroela Media Firefighter seriously injured in Phelindaba Brewery fire in Pretoria West on Saturday SABC News reports that a firefighter was seriously injured while responding to a massive fire that broke out at the Phelindaba Brewery in Pretoria West on Saturday afternoon. City of Tshwane’s Emergency Services firefighters battled to contain the blaze, which spread to a decanting area and the canteen. Additional firefighting resources were dispatched to the scene due to the complexity of dealing with the situation. City of Tshwane’s acting spokesperson Lindsay Mnguni said: “There were some hazardous materials such as liquid sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) in 20 litre plastic cans that were affected by the fire, causing a minor chemical spillage.” The blaze was eventually put out by the firefighters with one of them left seriously injured during the operation. Mnguni said the cause of the fire was still unknown and an investigation was under way. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Hasina Gori at SABC News. Read too, Fire ravages Pretoria West brewery, firefighter injured, at IOL News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
At least 1,000 abandoned mines provide opportunities for North West illegal miners The Citizen reports that the North West has at least 1,000 derelict or ownerless mines dotting the province’s landscape. SA’s mining history has left many such holes in the ground that present outlets of opportunity for disenfranchised men. The density of the North West’s abandoned mines was revealed by the Ministry of Mineral and Petroleum Resources in a written response to a parliamentary. The ministry advised that its database showed 1,041 abandoned mines in the province. “These are legacy mines abandoned by previous mining right holders prior to the enactment of Minerals Act of 1991 and Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002, where rehabilitation was not a requirement,” the ministry indicated. The province still has large platinum deposits, as well as chromite, coal, uranium, gold and diamond deposits. “The number of mines to be rehabilitated is determined by the funding from the National Treasury, which is currently not adequate,” stated the ministry. In 2022, Human Rights Watch reported that SA had roughly 6,000 abandoned mines, with 2,300 listed as high risk. “There is no profit in making a decommissioned mine safe and lots of companies simply abandon them and move on,” explained lawyer and activist Vuyisile Ncube. “The government is doing very little to enforce the laws around decommissioning, so companies have little pressure to change their ways,” he explained. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jarryd Westerdale at The Citizen
Trapped Stilfontein zama zamas have resorted to cannibalism 'out of desperation', freed miners tell ConCourt News24 reports that two illegal miners who resurfaced from the abandoned Buffelsfontein Gold Mine in Stilfontein on Christmas Day have given evidence that some of their trapped colleagues have resorted to eating dead miners "in a desperate attempt to stay alive". Setsoto Mashiane and Tshohleho Ntsokolo were both trapped underground at Shaft 10 and 11 of the mine. Mashiane was rescued on 25 December 2024, while Ntsokolo used one of the mine's dangerous "ligaters" – a metal rod extending from the deepest part of the mine to the surface above – to resurface. Both men have provided evidence to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) to support the testimony given by their fellow freed illegal miner, Clement Moeletsi, who painted a very grim picture of how trapped miners have been starving to death since police cut off supplies to them last year. Moeletsi testified that he had gone without food for six weeks and had resorted to drinking contaminated underground water to survive. The police and military have strongly defended their September 2024 decision to shut down access points used by illegal mining gold syndicates to deliver supplies underground at the Buffelsfontein mine, which they said was to force the miners to surface. The human rights group, Mining Affected Communities United in Action (Macua), is using the evidence given by Mashiane, Ntsokolo and Moeletsi to bolster its efforts to persuade the ConCourt Court to order both the provision of food and humanitarian services to the miners and their urgent rescue. On 20 December 2024, the Pretoria High Court dismissed that case. Macua has now applied for leave to appeal to the apex court, which has yet to indicate whether it will hear the matter. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Karyn Maughan at News24 (subscription/trial registration required). Read too, Stilfontein zama zama breaks silence: ‘starvation, not illness, killed underground miners’, at IOL News
COGTA terminates contracts of Community Work Programme workers aged 55 and above EWN reports that the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) has terminated the contracts of Community Work Programme (CWP) workers aged 55 years and older. The department said this was due to budget cuts and other related issues. The CWP is a government initiative that provides temporary employment for people of working age, while they search for permanent jobs. About 250,000 people benefit from the prograsmme. The department said it was as yet unclear how many beneficiaries were aged 55-years and older. "It is important to note that the decision to end contracts of CWP participants was not taken lightly, but it followed extensive discussions and assessments which entailed a thorough look at any available intervention that could have been adopted to avert this situation. It is within this context that the department regrettably has no other option but to reduce the number of participants in the programme," said COGTA spokesperson, Legadima Leso. The department said the terminated beneficiaries would receive their final salaries on 25 January. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thabiso Goba at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Commission recommends new national minimum wage from 1 March BL Premium reports that the National Minimum Wage Commission has recommended an inflation plus 1.5% increase for the national minimum wage (NMW) from 1 March, reflecting the requirement to address living costs and ensure fair compensation for workers. The NMW has been in effect since 2019 when it was pegged at R20 an hour. It has been gradually increased to R27.58. The commission, headed by Imraan Valodia, released its latest recommendations in December 2024. The considerations that went into the proposal for the increase in the NMW included inflation and the cost of living and the need to retain the value of the NMW; the ability of employers to carry on their businesses successfully; SA’s growth levels and the likely effect on employment or employment creation. “The national minimum wage sets a new wage floor below which no workers must be paid. The new floor should ideally raise the wages of those previously earning below the set level,” the commission indicated in its report. If CPI is 5.9% for 2024 (as set out by the Reserve Bank), the NMW will be increased by 8.9% from R27.58 to R30.03. The commission also suggested that NMW adjustments should be effected on 1 January each year. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thando Maeko at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Household food basket is still too expensive for low-income consumers The Citizen reports that the household food basket cost slightly more in December than in November and also more than a year ago, but it remains too expensive for low-income consumers who battle to feed their families on the National Minimum Wage. According to the Household Affordability Index compiled by women from low-income communities from stores where they shop for their own families, the average cost of the household food basket was R5,383.38 in December, R22.34 (0.4%) more than in November and R145.18 (2.8%) more than in December 2023. The Index tracks the prices of 44 basic foods from 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in Joburg, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Mtubatuba and Springbok. In December, 21 of the foods in the basket cost more, while 22 decreased in price. Foods in the basket which increased in price in December by 5% or more included spinach (9%), bananas (7%) and apples (9%). The average price of the food basket increased in Durban (1%), Springbok (0.8%), Pietermaritzburg (0.6%), and Mtubatuba (1.4%), while it decreased marginally in Joburg (0.0%) and Cape Town (0.3%). According to Statistics SA’s latest Consumer Price Index for November, headline inflation was 2.9%, while food inflation was 1.6%. Workers in low-income communities usually earn the National Minimum Wage, currently R27.58 per hour. In December 2024, with 19 working days, the maximum wage for a general worker was R4,192.16. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ina Opperman at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Two-pot retirement withdrawals: ‘Sars took it all’ say many claimants Moneyweb reports that according to a survey by personal finance platform JustMoney, many retirement fund members who opted to withdraw money from their savings components under the new two-pot retirement system were taken aback by the tax implications. The survey participants felt the taxes imposed were “unfair” as the SA Revenue Service (Sars) “took it all”. Despite extensive awareness campaigns in the media and via retirement funds, a substantial number of members seemed to not fully grasp the extent of the tax they would pay on their withdrawals. Before the implementation of the two-pot system on 1 September 2024, fund members were warned that accessing funds from the savings pot would be “a costly way” to get money, as withdrawals were taxed at a significantly higher marginal tax rate. There is a large difference between the marginal tax rate applicable to two-pot retirements and the tax rate applicable to early withdrawals of retirement funds under the previous regime. Meantime, tax collections as a result of the two-pot system will certainly exceed previous estimates of R5 billion. Over and above this windfall, Sars also collected outstanding tax money from two-pot claimants, meaning that in some instances fund members ended up with very little or nothing after putting in withdrawal requests. Almost eight of every 10 South Africans who participated in the JustMoney survey said they withdrew money from their savings components to repay debt. The survey results painted a picture of distressed consumers, with 24% having rated their financial health as “poor”, 43% as “average” and only 11% as “excellent”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Liesl Peyper at Moneyweb
Labour Court orders City of Tshwane to lift suspensions of officials in Rooiwal saga SABC News reports that the SA Local Government Bargaining Council has ordered that the five City of Tshwane senior officials charged with misconduct relating to the Rooiwal tender should return to work on 20 January. The Bargaining Council has further ordered that the officials be compensated with two months’ salary owing to their unfair suspension. The employees have been suspended on full pay since last year. City of Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the City was still studying the Bargaining Council’s arbitration award and its implications. “Last year, the City filed an application with the Labour Court for a review of the findings and sanction pronounced by the chairperson of the disciplinary hearing. In view of the above, the City will not comment any further on this matter as it relates to HR processes and is sub judice,” said Bokaba. Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page