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 Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Proposals emerging from Nedlac could lead to big labour law amendments BL Premium reports that SA’s labour laws are set for major revisions should proposals from the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) become law. The proposals cover wide-ranging amendments to the Labour Relations Act and its associated Codes of Good Practice, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the National Minimum Wage Act and Employment Equity Act. One of the proposals that the social partners who make up Nedlac have agreed to would limit the ability of high-paid employees to refer unfair cases to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). According to the government, this leads to lengthy disputes and overwhelms the CCMA. The new proposal is that high-paid employees should only be entitled to reinstatement in cases of automatically unfair dismissal and in other dismissals should be restricted to compensation as a remedy. The high-paid earners’ income threshold of R 1.8m per annum would be adjusted annually in line with inflation. Another proposal is to amend laws that govern large-scale retrenchments. The parties agreed to propose a new law enabling the CCMA to make rules relating to facilitations rather than for the minister of labour to make regulations as is the current position. The proposed amendments, if they carry the day, will see statutory severance pay increase from one week’s pay per annum to two weeks. The government agreed with this proposal, while business disagreed. One the proposals with support from all social partners would require representative trade unions to conduct a secret ballot of the employees covered by a closed shop agreement to determine whether that agreement should be terminated or not. It would also provide that if three years have elapsed since the commencement of the agreement or the last ballot was conducted, the agreement will lapse. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Calls for full inquiry into SANDF's DRC peacekeeping mission following soldier deaths Cape Argus reports that the call by Deputy Minister of Defence, Bantu Holomisa for a full investigation of the country's peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which claimed the lives of 14 SANDF soldiers last month, has received widespread political support. Military experts and political parties have united in demanding transparency and accountability over the country's failed DRC mission. Holomisa, speaking in his capacity as the deputy minister, made his call while addressing mourners at the funeral of 42-year-old SANDF Sergeant William Eddie Cola in the Eastern Cape on Saturday. Cola is one of the 14 soldiers who lost their lives against the Rwandan backed M23 Rebels in the DRC. Holomisa said: "It is standard practice to conduct a Military Board of Inquiry after incidents of this nature. Such an exercise helps the Commanders to make sure whatever mistakes have been made are not repeated in future operations. Judicial Commissions of Inquiry are normally conducted when there is an opaqueness on how the operation was conducted. In this case there have been clarion calls by the public and during Parliament debates for an inquiry to be conducted. Such a decision would be taken by the Cabinet." Military expert and editor of Defense Web Guy Martin said: "I think Holomisa’s comments are not just welcomed but urgently needed. The SANDF has provided little clarity on the situation in the DRC and what went wrong. There needs to be transparency and accountability, and action taken to ensure that a military disaster like this does not happen again.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siyabonga Sithole at Cape Argus
Gautrain buses back in full service after driver protests over permits BL Premium reports that the Gautrain bus service has returned to full service after a protest last week by disgruntled employees affected operations. “Workers have returned to work and the bus service has been in full operation at all stations as of this morning,” Gautrain spokesperson Kesagee Nayager said on Monday. The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) had threatened to challenge a decision by Gautrain to fire about 300 bus drivers in the courts on Monday. Samwu’s Ester Mtatyana said on Monday: “They [workers] are back at work from today. We managed to reach agreement with the employer. For the next five to seven days, Samwu will meet the management to resolve all grievances of our members.” Last week, Samwu accused Gautrain management of dismissing “tens of workers for refusing to drive buses that are unroadworthy and without permits. Workers have been illegally locked out of employer premises in Midrand, hence the delay in Gautrain buses”. According to Mtatyana’s account last week: “Plus or minus 300 workers have been fired. Our members are not on strike, they are just refusing to drive buses that are unroadworthy and lack operating permits.” Nayager had said all Gautrain buses were fully registered with “valid licences as well as roadworthy certificates”. However, “not all buses have valid operating licences and we are in discussion with the department of roads & transport to expedite the issuance of these operating licences”. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Solidarity adamant that using retirement money for budget deficit is out of the question Maroela Media reports that Solidarity warned on Monday that any attempt to use Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF) monies to fund the government’s national budget shortfall would be met with legal action. The trade union’s reaction came after a radical proposal was made by trade union federation Cosatu that retirement contributions be withheld for use to offset the R60 national budget billion deficit. Last week, the annual Budget speech was postponed to 12 March 2025 after parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) could not reach agreement on how the deficit should be dealt with. Marius Croucamp, deputy general secretary for strategy at Solidarity, commented: “It would be reckless, ill-considered and unfair to create a precedent where retirement contributions are used to make amends for the government’s mismanagement, poor policies and corruption. It is this incompetence and dishonestly that has, to a large extent, caused the budget deficit, and it is wrong to penalise pension fund members for it.” He went on to point out: “Retirement money belongs solely to pensioners and the workers who make contributions to the GEPF for their retirement. The GEPF does not belong to the ANC, nor does it belong to Cosatu or anyone else. The GEPF may only use funds in the interests of its members.” Croucamp warned that Solidarity’s legal team was ready to act if any attempt to misuse GEPF money or contributions outside the direct interests of its members was continued with. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Maroela Media. Read too, Retirement roulette – is a GEPF payment holiday a smart bet? at Daily Maverick Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Government says it’s in talks with Amsa to retain long-steel manufacturing capacity Bloomberg reports that according to the government, it is in talks with ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) to avert plans to shut crucial steel mills after previous rescue talks failed and the operating environment deteriorated. “Recognising the steel industry’s vital role in South Africa’s economic reconstruction and recovery, we would like to reassure all stakeholders that we are engaging Amsa on finding a solution to maintaining longs steel capacity in South Africa,” the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition said in a statement on Monday. Amsa indicated last week that it would be fully idling its long-steel plants in the second quarter, resulting in the loss of about 3,500 direct jobs. An initial plan to close the facilities by the end of January was postponed by a month to fulfill orders. The steel manufacturer expects to begin shutting down its blast furnaces in the first week of March and cease steel production by early April. Kobus Verster, Amas’s CEO, last month said the Vereeniging and Newcastle mills, which indirectly supported more than 100,000 jobs, supplied between 350 000 t and 400 000 t of steel products that cannot currently be manufactured by any other company in SA. The planned shutdown has alarmed companies that rely on the plants to supply steel to their own operations because imports would be too costly and less reliable. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News Solidarity to help its members after Amsa and government couldn’t prevent plant closures Maroela Media reports that following the announcement that ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) would be proceeding to close its long-steel factories in Newcastle, Vereeniging and Witbank, Solidarity indicated on Monday that it would try to help members affected by the closures, among other measures, with job placements. The announcement of the closures came despite an additional month of efforts to prevent them through further discussions between Amsa and the government. Amsa announced the final closures last Friday and the retrenchment consultations will soon come to an end. Willie Venter, deputy general secretary for the metal and engineering industry at Solidarity, commented: “The government simply stepped in too late to try to help, perhaps this was deliberately the case, and Amsa was negligent by not reviewing, repositioning or modernising its plants long ago. The challenges at Amsa’s long-steel plants have been present for a number of years already, and they have now just been brought to a head by the closure of the plants.” Solidarity intends to urgently launch an aid project in which it will join hands with members in communities such as in Newcastle, to try to find social solutions for those who have lost their jobs. “We will do everything in our power to help. Our members have skills in various specialist fields and we want to put them in touch with employers out there who need these skills. Through this aid project we will therefore focus on job placement for members affected by the closure, and on the preparation for the new opportunities. We will also assist members who are close to retirement by providing them with financial advice,” Venter indicated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard in Afrikaans at Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
ANC appoints new economic policy chief Bloomberg News reports that the African National Congress (ANC) has appointed Zuko Godlimpi as head of its economic transformation committee (ETC) in an overhaul of its internal structures. The youngest member of the ANC’s top decision-making body, Godlimpi previously served as deputy on the panel to Mmamoloko Kubayi, who has been removed as chairperson. Godlimpi, who serves as deputy minister of trade and industry in Cyril Ramaphosa’s coalition administration, has been touted as a possible future finance minister. Enoch Godongwana, the current minister, previously served as chairperson of the economic transformation committee. Kubayi was among ANC officials who last month opposed the National Treasury’s proposal to increase the value-added tax rate by two percentage points. That objection, along with opposition by the Democratic Alliance led to the postponement of the budget for the first time since apartheid ended in 1994. Kubayi asked to be “moved out of the ETC” after her appointment to the justice department in December. Read the original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News Transnet appoints chief executives for engineering and rail infrastructure divisions Engineering News reports that rail and ports operator Transnet has appointed Bessie Mabunda as Transnet Engineering (TE) CE and Moshe Motlohi as Transnet Rail Infrastructure Manager (TRIM) CE, with effect from 1 March. Made after a rigorous talent acquisition process, they are expected to enhance strategic leadership and direction at two of Transnet’s key operating divisions. TE, the manufacturing division of Transnet, offers research, design, manufacturing and maintenance services and products to the rail industry across the globe and specifically the African continent. TRIM, which is a custodian of the rail infrastructure in SA, has the core functions of managing, maintaining and developing the national rail infrastructure, besides other functions. Mabunda previously acted as TRIM interim infrastructure manager and rail network and capital projects GM. She has worked in the freight logistics business for 12 years, holding various roles in Transnet. Motlohi has been TRIM acting CE since 1 October 2024. He is an experienced executive with over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing, logistics and warehousing, corporate affairs and communications, maritime and related industries. He was a former Transnet National Ports Authority eastern region managing executive. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News Sesakho Magadla appointed as acting CEO of both PetroSA and SFF Fin24 reports that Sesakho Magadla has been appointed acting group CEO of both PetroSA and the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF), just as the state's newly established petroleum company is set to begin trading. Magadla, a long-time PetroSA employee who last year headed up the entity in an acting capacity for four months, will now head both entities as their mergers into the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) nears completion. The new SOE will merge three Central Energy Fund subsidiaries, namely iGas, the SFF, and only the trading and Ghana asset divisions of PetroSA that are considered financially viable. PetroSA is technically insolvent, with the company struggling to turn its fortunes around ever since it ran out of offshore gas feedstock for its Mossgas refinery in late 2020. The remainder of the PetroSA business that is not merged into the SANPC will form part of legacy assets, which must be turned around before they can be transferred into the new SOE. The SANPC is operational and expected to officially begin trading on 1 April 2025. Magadla's appointment, effective immediately, was made by the board that now oversees both the SFF and PetroSA. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisa Steyn at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required)
Top SA maritime official suspended on full pay for a second time TimesLIVE Premium reports that mystery surrounds the continued suspension on full salary of one of SA’s top maritime officials, who has yet to face a charge for any wrongdoing. Sobantu Tilayi, the former acting CEO of the SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa), was suspended in November in his capacity as COO. At the time Samsa said the precautionary suspension was to ensure the integrity of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities. However, more than three months later no charges have been forthcoming. He approached the High Court last week seeking an urgent interdict to stop what he considered to be an unfair labour practice. However, the court ruled the matter was not sufficiently urgent for an immediate ruling. Tilayi commented on Monday: “The point now is that I must just wait for their process, and I don’t know where it is. During the court process they had said they had appointed lawyers to conduct the investigation into the allegations, but they have still not made contact with me.” It's the second time Tilayi has been suspended by the maritime regulator. The first time he was suspended for two-and-a-half years, on full pay, only to be cleared and brought back. He returned for eight months as COO, only to be suspended on 8 November. Samsa has not yet responded to queries about the latest suspension. It remains unclear whether there are any new allegations against Tilayi other than those made during his first suspension. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bobby Jordan at TimesLIVE Premium (subscriber access only)
Court blocks former Lottery official from receiving proceeds from sale of his luxury home paid for with lottery money GroundUp reports that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) obtained an urgent interdict earlier this week to prevent an attorney from paying out the proceeds of the sale of a house linked to William Huma, an advocate and former National Lotteries Commission (NLC) board member, which was bought using Lottery funds. The Special Tribunal granted the SIU an interim interdict restraining the conveyancing attorneys from making any payments pending the finalisation of the main forfeiture application, which is set to be heard on 7 March 2025. The SIU went to court on Tuesday to launch an application to stop the disbursement of funds after it received a tip-off that the house had been sold. The order does not halt the sale, only the disbursement of the transfer of funds to Huma. “The SIU has successfully obtained an interim interdict from the Special Tribunal to preserve R10-million in proceeds from the sale of a Waterkloof, Pretoria, mansion, which is linked to an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption and maladministration involving the NLC,” a SIU statement indicated. Huma bought the house for R4-million in December 2003 and registered a bond for R8-million in 2017. This means that the actual price could have been as high as R18-million. The house is situated in a luxury private estate abutting a golf course in Waterkloof, an upmarket Pretoria suburb. It is owned by the BDH Group, a private company in which Huma is the sole director. While serving as an NLC board member, Huma allegedly misused his position to influence the allocation of NLC grant funding to entities controlled by his family, the SIU said. It claimed that over R21-million had been misappropriated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Raymond Joseph at GroundUp Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Free Wi-Fi rolled out to 25 Rea Vaya bus stations in Joburg BusinessLive reports that the rollout of free Wi-Fi in City of Johannesburg (CoJ) public spaces has reached a new milestone, with 25 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations now fully integrated. “Integrating all municipal Wi-Fi networks under Joburg Free Wi-Fi is a significant leap forward in providing uninterrupted connectivity for residents. This initiative will simplify access, improve efficiency, and contribute to a more inclusive digital economy,” said Aubrey Mochela, group chief technology officer. As part of the initiative, the city is moving towards a unified Wi-Fi network by introducing a universal Service Set Identifier (SSID) across all locations. This means that CoJ facilities, Wits University, BRT stations, Metrobus hubs, and other municipal spaces will now operate under the same Wi-Fi name, namely “Joburg Free Wi-Fi”. Once fully implemented, the universal SSID will mean that residents, students and business professionals will no longer have to reconnect when moving between Wi-Fi-enabled locations, ensuring an unbroken digital experience throughout Joburg’s public spaces. Beyond BRT stations, the initiative will extend coverage to additional public transport nodes, community centres, libraries, and government offices. Transport MMC Kenny Kunene pointed out that the cost of mobile data remained prohibitively high for many South Africans. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at BusinessLive
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