Today's Labour News

TOP STORY – TRANSNET WAGE DEAL

Transnet and Satawu clinch three-year wage deal, but Untu strike threat still looms

Fin24 reports that Transnet and the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) have agreed to above-inflation wage increases of 17.5% over the next three financial years for rail and port workers.   The agreement encompasses a 6% wage increase across the board for workers in the 2025/2026 financial year, a 6% wage increase in 2026/2027, and a 5.5% increase in 2027/2028. Also included are increases in pension fund contributions and housing allowances similar to the wage agreement, and access to affordable medical aid. The agreement follows a two-week cooling-off period after Transnet, Satawu, and the other transport union, the United National Transport Union (Untu), had previously been unable to agree on wage increases. With the current wage agreement set to expire on 31 March 2025, negotiations began again this week. Satawu said on Thursday it was satisfied with Transnet's revised offer.   However, the union said negotiations were still ongoing to include an agreement that protected workers against any form of restructuring that could take place at the state logistics company or any private-public partnerships. Meanwhile, Untu has rejected Transnet's latest offer, adding it was "puzzled" as to why Satawu would accept it. The union said it would declare a dispute on the wage negotiations with the CCMA. “Untu is fully prepared to take to the streets and mobilise our more than 25,000 members to secure a liveable, just and fair wage increment," it warned.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Na'ilah Ebrahim at Fin24 (subscription or trial registration required).   Read too, Transnet strikes above-inflation wage hike with Satawu, at Moneyweb. And also, Transnet and Satawu sign three-year wage deal, at BusinessLive

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

Gqeberha teacher kidnapped at school for ransom safely back home after three-day ordeal

News24 reports that three days after she was abducted from a school by three men who forced her into the back of their getaway vehicle, a Gqeberha teacher is safely back home with her family. On Thursday morning, Eastern Cape Department of Education spokesperson Mali Mtima confirmed Sumaiya Ali's return home on Wednesday night, but did not provide more details. The 45-year-old teacher at Happydale Special School in Algoa Park had barely parked her vehicle in the school's parking lot on Monday morning when a white Toyota Corolla followed her onto the premises. Three men got out of the vehicle, grabbed the victim, and forced her into the backseat before speeding away. In a video, a male staff member can be seen running to the victim's car, with the door still open, in an attempt to follow the alleged kidnappers. A close friend of the victim said the staffer drove after the men but was unable to catch up with them. The Hawks took over the investigation on Wednesday after Ali's kidnappers demanded a ransom from her family. The unit confirmed that a ransom demand had been made, but did not disclose the amount.   It is not known if the victim's family paid the ransom.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Candice Bezuidenhout at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)

LABOUR AND POLITICS

AfriForum, Solidarity Movement being probed for expropriation misinformation in the US, says Ntshavheni

News24 reports that according to Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, law enforcement agencies are investigating possible violations of SA laws by Afrikaner lobby groups AfriForum and the Solidarity Movement. This was indicated during a post-Cabinet briefing in Pretoria on Thursday.   Ntshavheni told journalists that the Cabinet had "noted with concern" continued misinformation campaigns by the Solidarity Movement and AfriForum during their recent visit to the United States. She stated: "To prevent further misinformation, the South African Police Service met with AfriForum to clarify the allegations of white genocide with reference to farm murders." The concerns are said to have come about after the lobby groups jetted off to Washington to convince the White House that there were mass land grabs in SA. Protesting against the Expropriation Act, the groups are said to have convinced US President Donald Trump that farms in South Africa were being confiscated.   The SA government has dismissed the claims as lies. Subsequently, Trump cut HIV/Aids funding and offered refugee status for Afrikaners wishing to resettle in America. Ntshavheni claimed that the two organisations conceded that the crime statistics, as released by the minister of police, were accurate, including those for farm murders. She stated: “It is common knowledge that some of the farm murders are committed by people known to the farmers, including family members. Cabinet is also aware of the false claim that there are approximately 72,000 white farmers who have signed up to relocate to the USA in response to the invitation by the US president.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Amanda Khoza at News24 (subscription or trial registration required).   Read too, Ntshavheni says AfriForum admitted farm murder stats are accurate, but Kriel accuses her of lying, at The Citizen

Solidarity says the ANC must stop its ongoing disinformation allegations

Maroela Media reports that Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, says that the time has come for the ANC to accept responsibility for the diplomatic crisis with the US the country has been plunged into due to the party’s reckless policies. Furthermore, the ANC must stop blaming Solidarity and AfriForum for the situation. “The ongoing false allegations that Solidarity and AfriForum are spreading misinformation abroad are nothing but disinformation and an attempt to make us the scapegoat for the ANC’s mistakes,” Buys cliasmed in a statement issued on Thursday. He went on to state: “Should the US kick South Africa out of the AGOA agreement, the blame must be laid squarely at the door of the Ramaphosa government. Solidarity and AfriForum’s attempts over many years, and by using authoritative research to convince the US to retain South Africa as an AGOA beneficiary are being sabotaged time and again by the ANC’s own policies and actions.” Buys added: “We want to make it clear that we have never made allegations of a “genocide” of white people in South Africa. We have not called for sanctions against South Africa. We have not requested that any funds to South Africa be cut off by the US. We have explicitly asked that South Africa not be kicked out of AGOA because it would cost thousands of South Africans their jobs. As patriotic South-Africans, we have called on the US not to punish the people of South Africa when the Trump administration is angry with the ANC.” Buys emphasized that although they had warned about the dangers of the Expropriation Act, “we have not presented allegations to the US government that large-scale expropriation without compensation is taking place in South Africa.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard in Afrikaans at Maroela Media

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Forced to run cyber scams, beaten and tortured, 23 South Africans rescued from forced labour camp in Myanmar

Daily Maverick reports that a harrowing ordeal for 23 South Africans has ended after they were rescued from a forced labour camp in Myanmar. The men and women were brought home by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) on Thursday. According to Dirco, they were lured to Thailand by false promises of employment advertised on social media but were held captive and forced to participate in illicit activities, including online scams. “These adverts promised the victims good salaries, free accommodation, comprehensive travel expenses and other lucrative benefits. Once in Thailand, they were transported to Myanmar against their will,” said Dirco. The South Africans were among 7,000 people from various countries who were rescued after Myanmar authorities raided a cybercrime compound. The department revealed the harrowing conditions endured by the victims of the human trafficking operation for more than four months, which included intimidation, physical torture and forced labour. They were forced to run cyber scams for 16 hours a day and were beaten and tortured if they refused. They were kept under 24-hour armed guard, given spoiled food and contaminated water, and denied medical treatment. Dirco said social workers from the Department of Social Development would screen the victims, after which they would be transported to health facilities for medical assessments. They will also receive psychosocial support.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lerato Mutsila at Daily Maverick. Read too, Twenty-three South Africans freed from human trafficking nightmare in Myanmar, at News24. En ook, 23 SA’ners uit Mianmar gered, by Maroela Media

DIRCO urges vetting of foreign employment agencies following rescue of 23 South Africans from Myanmar

EWN reports that following the rescue of 23 South Africans from Myanmar, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has once again urged people to vet foreign employment agencies.   The group was lured to the Asian country under the false pretense of lucrative jobs. Instead, they were taken hostage, subjected to forced labour, torture and given spoiled food for their daily meals. The South Africans were part of a group of 7,000 people rescued through an international effort by several countries aimed at combating human trafficking across the world. DIRCO spokesperson Chrispin Phiri advised that people were welcome to contact them to verify any international job agencies.   "Unscrupulous human traffickers keep changing and improving their methods in an effort to defeat and evade law enforcement agencies. These criminal syndicates are highly organised and can be very good at recruiting potential human trafficking victims," he pointed out.

Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Thabiso Goba at EWN

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT / JOB CREATION

Major investment aims to revitalise neglected Saldanha and St Helena harbours, creating thousands of jobs

Cape Argus reports that more than 600,000 jobs could be created when plans are put in motion to redevelop the Saldanha Bay and St Helena Bay harbours, which have fallen into disrepair due to crime and vandalism. Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) Minister Dean Macpherson and Saldanha Bay Local Municipality Mayor André Truter visited the harbours this week and committed to their revitalisation to boost the local economy. Macpherson and Truter said St Helena Bay and Saldanha Bay harbours should become economic hubs for their communities. “The V&A Waterfront has helped create over 60,000 jobs, and we believe this level of success can be replicated across the country, creating jobs for communities such as Saldanha Bay,” Macpherson said. “The V&A Waterfront stands as a prime example of how harbours can attract investment and create thou-sands of jobs. Small harbours like St Helena Bay and Saldanha Bay should be redeveloped to become economic engines for their communities,” he indicated. A year ago, fishing company Sea Harvest, in partnership with the national government, pledged R72 million to repair infrastructure and improve access for small-scale fishers and local businesses. Following the oversight visit to the harbours on Tuesday, Macpherson said the DPWI would develop a master plan to ensure they contribute to the local economy through fishing and tourism. Mayor Truter welcomed the Minister’s commitment, stating that the engagement was extremely positive and demonstrated a clear focus on action and timelines.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Genevieve Serra at Cape Argus

SAVING AMSA JOBS

Industrial Development Corporation IDC weighs taking majority stake in Amsa SA

Bloomberg reports that the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is considering taking a majority stake in ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) as it tries to halt the planned closure of two steel mills crucial to the nation’s manufacturing sector. The IDC, which already holds 8.2% of Amsa, is willing to inject more capital into the struggling company in exchange for boosting its holding, according to sources familiar with the matter. The plans are at an early stage and not yet public. The IDC’s plan would include a later sale to strategic investors. Amsa said it had not yet received a bona-fide offer from any potential bidder that required communication with shareholders. The IDC declined to comment on the matter. The lender and SA’s trade and industry department have engaged in talks with Amsa since the company announced in January it would go ahead with previously shelved plans to close long steel mills in Newcastle and Vereeniging, costing about 3,500 jobs. The IDC, which paid Amsa more than R1.38-billion in support in June and February, may reportedly offer a little more money to temporarily keep the mills running while further talks take place. Meanwhile, Amsa has engaged Investec to sell “certain noncore and non-strategic land assets,” but not the Newcastle plant. Amsa’s announcement of its plan to close the steel plants has prompted a number of offers for the mills and the company, but none so far have been deemed credible enough to announce to shareholders, the producer said on 19 March.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News

POST OFFICE NOT A ‘DEAD HORSE’

Mashatile says government not ready to let go of cash-strapped Post Office yet

EWN reports that Deputy President Paul Mashatile has told Parliament that government is not ready to let go of the SA Post Office (Sapo) amid calls that the cash-strapped entity be scrapped. He said the state-owned company still had a lot to offer, especially in rural communities that relied on it for crucial services. Mashatile was responding to questions on the role of SOEs and how they could help create jobs and grow the economy. The deputy president was asked by the FF Plus’s Hendrik van Den Berg whether it was not the right time to ease the load on government and let go of Sapo, calling it a "dead horse". He comment further: "The Post Office is the best example of such a dead horse being kept alive only by sentiment." But Mashatile said Sapo was not dead just yet and government was still investigating ways to save the country’s SOEs, including merging some of the companies.   "But before we can say it’s a dead horse that must be put down, we just need to go through those reports properly and look at what the challenges are," he indicated.   Mashatile concluded that Sapo had to be kept alive since many institutions like banks did not have a bigger reach in rural communities.

Read the original of the report in the above regard by Babalo Ndenze at EWN

SADC WITHDRAWAL FROM DRC

SADC's withdrawal from DRC not a sign of defeat, Mashatile asserts

News24 reports that the withdrawal of the Southern African Development Community's (SADC’s) mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – which included South African troops – "should not be seen as a sign of defeat", Deputy President Paul Mashatile told the National Council of Provinces on Thursday. Earlier this month, it was reported that SADC leaders had agreed to phase out troops attached to the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC).   The decision came after a virtual meeting to discuss the conflict in which 14 SA National Defence Force (SANDF) troops were killed earlier this year. MK Party MP Seeng Mokoena asked what specific steps had been taken to reassess SA’s role and strategy in peacekeeping missions, especially in the DRC, against the backdrop of "recurring loss of lives and limited measurable outcomes". Mashatile said SA remained committed and supportive of ongoing peacekeeping missions on the continent. He admitted that these missions had faced "serious challenges", and the deaths of the 14 soldiers was a "clear indication" of those challenges. Mashatile said the withdrawal would ensure that negotiations to resolve the conflict have a chance to succeed. "We're going to put more effort now on the negotiation side of things as the troops start to withdraw from the eastern part of the DRC," he indicated.   Mashatile conceded that the SANDF required additional funding "so that they can have proper" equipment.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Gerber at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)

ALLEGED CORRUPTION / FRAUD / WORKPLACE CRIME

No action against municipal staff whose laptops were linked to R35m theft

TimesLIVE reports that three officials from the corruption-riddled KwaDukuza local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, whose laptops are allegedly linked in the stealing of R35m from the council's Absa bank account in January, have not yet been suspended. The municipality said there was no basis to institute disciplinary proceedings against anyone despite forensic investigation findings having revealed that laptops belonging to the three officials might have been used during the commission of fraud. Allegedly the money was transferred to 15 people and companies, some with political links. The municipality has since recovered R30m of the stolen money. Municipality spokesperson Sifiso Zulu indicated:   “The report (of the investigation by Absa) calls for further investigations into what Absa has uncovered. The SAPS, through its commercial crimes unit, will continue with their criminal investigations while the municipality institutes a forensic investigation into its IT systems. It is the outcomes of these investigations that will determine whether any charges can be laid against anyone in the municipality.” Recently, provincial Cogta MEC Thulasizwe Buthelezi commissioned a forensic investigation into the affairs of KwaDukuza municipality amid the disappearance of R35m from its account. The siphoning of R35m came barely days after President Cyril Ramaphosa mandated the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), through a proclamation, to investigate allegations of serious maladministration in the administration and delivery of three tenders in KwaDukuza.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mlungisi Mhlophe-Gumede at TimesLIVE

Other internet posting(s) in this news category

• Former Eastern Cape traffic officers charged with licence fraud, at Sunday World

ARTICLE OF INTEREST

• A daily battle: Commuters still suffer from apartheid spatial planning, at Mail & Guardian