In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
|
CWAO’s 2024 Strike Barometer shows continuation of trend for more strikes to be wildcat than protected The Casual Workers' Advice Office (CWAO) on Tuesday released its annual Strike Barometer covering all strikes and workplace-related actions that took place between 1 January and 31 December 2024. The report shows that there were 84 strikes in 2024, one more than the 83 strikes of 2023, and slightly lower than the 86 strikes of 2022. Wildcat strikes continued to be higher than protected strikes. Forty-five of the 84 strikes, or 53.5%, were wildcat and 39 (46.4%) were protected. Twenty seven workplace-related actions were recorded in addition to the 84 strikes – an increase over the 17 workplace-related actions of 2023. Strikes in the public sector and privatised public services accounted for 39 of the strikes in 2024. The private sector experienced 37 strikes. A further eight strikes took place at universities, regulatory bodies, co-operatives, and non-profit organisations. The majority of all strikes (51.2%) continued to be over wage-related issues, such as underpayment or non-payment, payment at the wrong grade, failure to pay overtime, and against employers who deducte provident fund or medical aid payments and refused to pay this over to the funds. The second highest number of strikes (13%) were by workers demanding permanent jobs, an end to outsourcing and labour brokers, and for extensions to contracts. Reflecting the increased dangers to personal safety at work for nurses, paramedics and e-hailing drivers, the third biggest reason for striking was around health and safety issues. This, however, also included strikes against short staffing, a health and safety hazard for workers who have to increase their workload when their workplaces were not adequately staffed. Read CWAO’s press statement at CWAO News. The Strike Barometer can be downloaded here and here
Staff at Kruger Adventure Lodge in Hazyview protest to demand minimum wage Mpumalanga News reports that some of the staff of Kruger Adventure Lodge in Hazyview have embarked on a protest after complaining about allegedly being underpaid and about staff who joined a labour union being retrenched. The protest started at the lodge’s gate on 28 January. The disgruntled staff members had approached the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) on several occasions, but it failed to resolve their issues. Despite the DEL visiting the lodge, interacting with the staff and taking note of the working conditions, nothing has changed. According to the staff, they are being paid less than the national minimum wage (NMW) of R27.79 an hour. According to some payslips shown to Hazyview Herald, the staff have been earning R2,800 per month for the past five years, with no increase. The lodge’s Kavi Naidoo confirmed that some of his employees had embarked on a protest, but dismissed all the allegations and claimed his employees were all registered and that he was adhering to the NMW. “According to my knowledge, all permanent employees are registered and all of them are receiving their salaries according to what we agreed on when we hired them … As for the payslips that were shown to the publication, some staff members take advances on their salaries during the month, so they are then only paid the balance,” he said. Naidoo did not respond to questions regarding why it was not indicated on the payslips that any UIF had been deducted and also why permanent workers were not put on the pension fund. There was also no indication that money had been deducted for an advance on any salaries. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tumelo Waga Dibakwane at Mpumalanga News
Operation to retrieve two illegal miners from abandoned Roodepoort mine suspended indefinitely EWN reports that mine rescue experts have indefinitely suspended the search for two illegal miners trapped in an abandoned mine in Roodepoort. This followed safety concerns at the decommissioned gold mine. The two zama zamas are believed to have been present at the Rand Leases mine for the first time when a rope they were using snapped, trapping them underground. A rescue operation that kicked off on Monday was called off soon thereafter following safety concerns. Johannesburg Emergency Services spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi, said that a new timeline for the rescue operation had yet to be established. "We don't have a timeframe but that one will be determined by the information we get from the community in terms of which we can explore for now," he indicated. Mulaudzi also confirmed that the shaft had initially been sealed but was again blasted and tampered with by a group of illegal miners in search of gold. "The ground around that shaft is not safe. We thought to ensure the safety of the technicians and everyone who is going to be working around that area, let’s call it off and then we reconvene again," he advised. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Nokukhanya Mntambo at EWN. Read too, Families lose hope as rescue missions at Rand Lease Gold Mine face setbacks, at News24 (subscription or trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
FF Plus and ACDP call for judicial inquiry into deaths of SANDF soldiers in DRC EWN reports that at least two political parties have called for a judicial inquiry into the deaths of SA National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers who were stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald said this was necessary to avoid a repeat. Steve Swart of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) backed the call, saying the soldiers’ deaths were damaging to the SANDF's reputation. The National Assembly on Monday debated the matter at the behest of the Democratic Alliance (DA), which called for Minister Angie Motshekga's head. Not since the deaths of 15 soldiers in the Central African Republic in 2013, has the SANDF suffered such a major loss of life during a peacekeeping mission on the continent. Groenewald said that this could in part be attributed to the recommendations of past defence reviews having been ignored. "We can participate in peace missions in Africa, but then we must be sure we are equipped and properly prepared to do that," he noted. ActionSA's Athol Trollip agreed, saying the soldiers had been set up for failure and ultimately death. "Minister Angie Motshekga must resign or be fired by the end of the day. Our troops must return before the end of this month," he demanded. Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema termed the deployment reckless and the conflict senseless. But the MK Party's Edward Ntshingila said the troops should continue to play a meaningful role in bringing about a ceasefire in the area. Read the original of the report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN. Read too, Political parties call for Motshekga to resign, say SANDF were ‘ill-equipped’ for DRC conflict, at The Mercury Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Solidarity urges Trump to continue pressuring SA until 'race-based laws' are abolished News24 reports that trade union Solidarity has urged US President Donald Trump to intensify pressure on SA to repeal "race-based" laws. In a 12-minute video posted on YouTube on Tuesday, Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann lambasted the ANC government and "race-based" laws such as affirmative action and broad-based black economic empowerment. Referring to Trump's executive order that cut off aid to SA, Hermann said: "They (ANC) packaged their race laws in beautiful words like equality, equity and inclusivity. But here comes President Trump, and with one order he ripped off the cotton wool. He said, 'race laws are bad'. He's right – racial laws are bad. He has exposed and disrupted the ANC, but now it is our responsibility to build and fight further. And Solidarity is going to do that. And we are going to do it on an even larger scale than before." Hermann said Solidarity's board had decided to launch a comprehensive campaign against the laws, which would include requesting Trump to continue pressuring SA until they were repealed. Solidarity welcomed President Trump's focus on this issue and demanded that the SA government should, before the G20 summit, indicate how and when racial laws would be ended. The trade union said it would also contact G20 countries about the laws. The G20 summit will be held in SA later this year. "After 30 years of economic stagnation, South African workers deserve substantial, sustainable growth. Racial laws directly hinder this, making our country and each one of us poorer," Hermann argued. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24 (subscription or trial registration required). Lees ook, Wêreld se oë op SA: Raswette moet nou weg, by Maroela Media Relief for over 15,300 healthcare jobs as Pepfar projects are exempted from Trump’s ban on aid for SA BusinessTech reports that the confirmation that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) is exempt from US President Donald Trump’s executive order to halt foreign aid to SA has come as a huge relief for thousands of healthcare workers whose jobs were at stake. The decision to freeze aid cast uncertainty over many programmes, including those supported by Pepfar, a critical source of funding for SA’s battle against HIV/AIDS. The programme is the largest foreign donor to SA’s HIV/AIDS initiatives, having contributed more than R140 billion over the past two decades. In the 2023/24 financial year, the US contributed around 17% of SA’s R44.4 billion HIV/AIDS budget. However, Trump’s broader executive order against SA on Friday cast doubts over the programme’s future in the country. Following backlash for the decision, a waiver signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for “life-saving and humanitarian” aid has allowed some Pepfar-supported activities to resume. The US embassy has confirmed that Pepfar remains covered under Rubio’s waiver. The waiver does not extend to abortion services, family planning, gender and diversity programmes, or transgender surgeries. Although the initial freeze already caused significant disruptions, the exemption was good news for over 15,300 healthcare professionals who were facing job uncertainty. These workers include doctors, nurses, pharmacists, data capturers, and technical experts—many of whom operate in districts hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Malcolm Libera at BusinessTech. Read too, Pepfar projects are exempted from Trump’s ban on aid for South Africa, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). And also, Embassy confirms Pepfar projects will restart, despite Trump aid ban, at Mail & Guardian Email server crashes as over 20,000 white South Africans query US resettlement AFP reports that a deluge of more than 20,000 queries crashed the email server of the SA Chamber of Commerce in the United States (SACCUSA) after President Donald Trump said he would prioritise white South Africans in a refugee programme. Trump and Pretoria are locked in a diplomatic row over a land expropriation act that Washington says will lead to the takeover of white-owned farms. Trump, whose tycoon ally Elon Musk was born in South Africa, said on Friday the law signed in January would “enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation”. Neil Diamond of SACCUSA told AFP in an email: “Our email server crashed over the weekend just due to the sheer volume of inquiries we have received. Given the scale of interest, SACCUSA estimates that this figure could represent over 50,000 individuals looking to leave South Africa and seek resettlement in the United States.” Diamond warned that this could lead to a skills shortage in SA that would impact agriculture and other sectors of the economy. “If we look at the EB-5, which is an investor visa, you need roughly about 15 to 20 million South African Rand to be able to immigrate… What is alarming to us is the large volume of people that is interested in taking up this opportunity,” he indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by AFP/Witness Reporter at The Witness. Read too, We are going nowhere, says AfriForum’s Kallie Kriel, at SABC News US issued record number of temporary farmworker permits to South Africans in 2024 Bloomberg reports that the US issued a record number of visas to South Africans doing seasonal work on American farms last year. Such workers received 15,159 permits in the US fiscal year through September, 19% more than a year earlier, Department of State data show. The vast majority of South African agricultural guest labourers in the US were white. While SA’s citizens were the second-biggest recipients of these so-called H2-A visas, they garnered far fewer permits than people from Mexico, to whom the US issued 285,919 in the period. In an executive order on Friday, President Donald Trump said that the US would promote the resettlement of Afrikaners and their families as refugees. He issued the directive after claiming that the South African authorities were confiscating private property under new land legislation. The order stated that the Expropriation Act, signed in December, enabled the government "to seize ethnic-minority Afrikaners' agricultural property without compensation," and followed "countless government policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business, and hateful rhetoric and government actions fuelling disproportionate violence against racially disfavoured landowners." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ana Monteiro at Fin24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
KZN education department distances itself from ‘job for money’ scam The Witness reports that the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Basic Education (DBE) says it has noted with serious concern allegations of fraud involving an individual known as Amahle Nene-Sishi, who has been accused of scamming job seekers by offering teaching jobs in exchange for money. DBE spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said the department categorically distanced itself from this person and strongly condemned any fraudulent activities that sought to exploit job seekers under false pretenses. He explained further: “It has come to our attention that the alleged fraudster has used photographs taken with senior officials, including the MEC for Education in KwaZulu-Natal, Sipho Hlomuka, to mislead victims into believing she has the authority to facilitate employment within the Department.” Mahlambi indicated that the MEC has made it clear that neither he nor any official within the department was involved in such criminal activities. “The Department has already escalated this matter to law enforcement agencies for urgent investigation, and we will fully cooperate to ensure that justice is served,” said Hlomuka. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khethukuthula Xulu at The Witness Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Eighteen Limpopo traffic officials in court for fraudulently issuing driver's licences News24 reports that eight additional traffic officials in Limpopo, accused of fraud and corruption, have appeared in the Thabazimbi Magistrate's Court. They were apprehended on Monday during a takedown operation targeting fraud and corruption associated with the issuing of driving licences in the province. This brought the total number of arrests related to this offence in Limpopo to 18 since last week, with other arrests having taken place at the Lephalale licensing department. The operation was a joint effort by the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation unit and the National Road Traffic Management Corporation and was conducted at the driving licence testing centre in Thabazimbi on Monday. Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa said successful investigations to identify officials issuing learner's and driver's licences improperly in exchange for bribes have been ongoing since 2021. During the arrests, the Hawks seized devices believed to be pertinent to the investigation. All 18 suspects, released on R3,000 bail, are scheduled to return to court on 3 June to face charges of fraud, corruption, and violations of the National Road Traffic Act. More arrests are expected. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24 (subscription or trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Two more suspects nabbed for torching of 51 Putco buses in Mpumalanga The Citizen reports that two more suspects have been arrested in connection with the torching of 51 Putco buses at four depots in Mpumalanga. Two weeks ago, a fleet of Putco was set alight at the company’s depots in the Nkangala District Municipality. The violent incidents left two employees injured – one was shot in the leg, and another was struck on the head with a chair. Tuesday’s arrest of the suspects aged 31 and 33 brought the total number of arrested suspects to four Police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli said the duo were handcuffed at Siyabuswa and were charged with malicious damage to property. The suspects are believed to have been involved in the coordinated attack on the bus fleet, causing significant damage to the vehicles and posing a threat to public safety. Both suspects are scheduled to appear at the Mdutjane Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 12 February 2025. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Faizel Patel at The Citizen. Read too, Two more suspects held for torching of Putco buses in Mpumalanga, at TimesLIVE Train services between Nyanga and Khayelitsha suspended due to fire, but should be restored within days GroundUp reports that train services were suspended between Nyanga and Nolungile, Khayelitsha, after an electrical fault led to a fire near Nolungile and Mandalay. The train runs on the Central Line, which is one of the busiest routes in Cape Town. The incident resulted in damage to a train on Monday afternoon after the contact wire responsible for supplying power had failed. Metrorail Western Cape spokesperson Zinobulali Mihi indicated that no commuters or train crew were injured. “The Occupational Health and Safety Environment switch was activated, and the fire department was on the scene to assist,” she said. A technical investigation is currently underway. Mihi said no trains would run from Cape Town to Nolungile while technicians and engineers attended to the damage. She added that Metrorail aimed to restore services within two days, but urged passengers to make alternative travel arrangements in the meantime. The disruption left thousands of commuters stranded, forcing them to rely on alternative transport such as buses and minibus taxis. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sandiso Phaliso at GroundUp
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page