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 Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Judge orders paint company to compensate pregnant chemist placed on extended unpaid leave TimesLIVE Premium reports that a chemist employed in the laboratory of a KwaZulu-Natal paint manufacturer was unfairly discriminated against when placed on extended unpaid leave because she was pregnant, a Durban Labour Court judge has ruled. Judge Kelsey Allen-Yaman ruled that Induradec Coatings must pay Daisy Moleme the equivalent of 11 months’ salary – more than R700,000 – after she was forced to resign to move back to her family because she had effectively lost her job. Allen-Yaman said the firm had not obtained the services of a health and safety expert to conduct the required investigation into the possible impact of her continuing to work in the lab, though she was pregnant. Instead, she said the firm had acted in its own “financial interests”, rendering Moleme unable to support herself or meet her financial obligations. Moleme was employed as a chemist to develop products in October 2021. She notified the company she was pregnant in March 2023, saying she was concerned about her exposure to chemicals and requested she be moved out of the lab. She was then moved into an office, but was not given anything to do. She was later given a “respirator” and a letter addressed to her doctor and her gynaecologist asking if it was sufficient for her to use in the lab. Both responded they were not qualified to give an opinion. The company then put Moleme on extended, unpaid maternity leave from May 2023. When she was due to return to work in January 2024, she resigned. In a letter she said she had lost her home and car and her credit record was tainted. She said she had to relocate back to her family home in Joburg because of loss of income. In her ruling, Allen-Yaman referred to the Code of Good Practice on the protection of employees during pregnancy and after the birth of the child, which she said identified legal requirements relevant to health and safety, the methods for assessing and controlling the potential hazards and risks, and steps to be taken to ameliorate those risks. “What was required by the company was that it obtain the services of an expert in the field of health and safety. Without such an investigation, it remained uncertain whether any adjustments to her working conditions within the laboratory could have been made which would have enabled her to continue to perform her job for the remainder of her pregnancy,” the judge found. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tania Broughton at TimesLIVE Premium (subscriber access only)
SAPS hunting for gunmen who fired shots at Kleinvlei Police Station damaging the building structure EWN reports that according to Western Cape SA Police Service (SAPS) Commissioner Thembisile Patekile, police are hot on the heels of gunmen who shot at a police station in Cape Town just before midnight on Wednesday night. Unknown gunmen opened fire at the Kleinvlei Police Station from the outside, damaging the building structure. Police believe this was a retaliatory attack sparked by the arrest of three alleged gang members linked to four murders in Kleinvlei recently. General Patekile and his deputies were among senior officials who visited the crime scene on Thursday. Patekile said that security had been beefed up since the attack. "What we are not going to accept is an attack on a police station. We have given an instruction to our members that they must defend our police station with all the might that they have and the people that are responsible for this must be found," the provincial police commissioner indicated Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Ntuthuzelo Nene at EWN. Read too, ‘Brazen lawlessness’: Cape police station targeted in late-night attack, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Calls for heightened security at Gugulethu clinic following recent hijackings and robberies GroundUp reports that staff and patients at the Gugulethu Community Health Centre say they don’t feel safe and are demanding that police take urgent action against criminals in the area. This follows at least two recent incidents when staff and visitors were hijacked while leaving the day hospital. Last week, residents and staff from the clinic held an urgent meeting with authorities at the Gugulethu Scout Centre to discuss ways to improve safety at the state facility. Some of the recent crimes experienced by staff and patients just outside the clinic included hijackings and robberies. Last month, there were two hijackings, including one in which a staff member was taken from the facility to his home and robbed before the criminals made off with the state car he had been driving. Last year, someone was stabbed and killed during a robbery outside the clinic. Gugulethu community policing forum chairperson Deon Makiti lamented: “People get robbed just outside the clinic gates. E-hailing services have also been hijacked and robbed to the point that it’s now difficult to request e-hailing cars from the clinic.” Gugulethu police station acting station commissioner Soyiso Mantyi said crime had become a “serious crisis” in the community. He suggested that CCTV be installed in and around the clinic and at identified hotspots. He also promised that SAPS officers would communicate better with emergency medical staff to improve service delivery. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mary-Anne Gontsana at GroundUp Brawl over worker abuse between union rep waste company boss leads to assault charges IOL News reports that a North West union representative and a director-general (DG) of a waste management company have opened assault charges against each other following a viral video of the two of them involved in a tussle. A National Enterprise Works Union Ya Africa (Newuya) representative claims she was assaulted by the DG following a dispute over grievances raised by waste pickers employed by the company. She claims that while she was engaging with staff about the DG’s treatment of them, the DG entered the room and there was a confrontation. She further claims that she was assaulted and later sought medical help at a local clinic, following which she opened a case of assault. But, the DG asserted that that he did not assault the woman, adding that the video had been edited and did not reflect the truth. He claimed that he was attacked because of jealousy because he had bought a new car. North West police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said both parties had opened assault charges against each other. They were scheduled to appear in the Brits Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Simon Majadibodu and see a screenshot at IOL News PSA accuses Gauteng government of a cover up over Tembisa hospital fire SABC News reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) has accused the Gauteng provincial government of attempting to cover up the cause of last month’s fire at the Tembisa Hospital. A man accused of allegedly starting the fire is expected to appear in the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court on Friday after the court postponed his case on Monday. The trade union alleges that infrastructure and safety failures led to the incident and it has accused the provincial government of using unproven arson claims to deflect accountability and avoid urgent reforms. PSA provincial organiser Madimetja Mautla said: “The Department of Labor and Employment has also flagged that specific section of the building that burnt as one of the potential hazard areas … Nobody saw the person. And when you look at this building itself, there is no way that the person can just come and disappear without being seen, especially when they dream that they used petrol or whatever petrol bomb … there is no way.” The PSA contended that the person concerned was probably delusional (in confessing to the crime). Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News
Two men caught on R21 highway with R16m in unwrought gold out on R20,000 bail each News24 reports that two men who were arrested for the possession of suspected stolen property and possession of unwrought gold worth R16 million were each granted bail of R20,000 in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. Daniel Schubert, 61, and Adriaan Petrus du Plessis, 49, were granted bail after the State did not oppose their applications. They were arrested on 12 May after authorities were tipped off about them being in possession of unwrought gold. Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale said the Hawks’ Germiston-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit had received information about people in a grey BMW travelling from the Free State to sell gold in Gauteng. She said officers pulled the vehicle over on the R21 and discovered 80 gold bars weighing 100g each, and with an estimated value of R16 million. The two men were allegedly en route to a gold refinery in Kempton Park to test the quality of the gold after they had bought it. The matter was postponed to 8 July so that the prosecution could verify copies of the invoices produced as proof of the transaction and confirm the gold’s value. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tankiso Makhetha at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Fuel price drop in June still looks likely despite general levy hike BL Premium reports that the rand’s strength and lower oil prices could lead to a fourth consecutive month of fuel price cuts in June despite the fuel levy hike announced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. He indicated in his 2025 budget speech on Wednesday that the general fuel levy (GFL) would be increased by 16c/l for petrol and 15c for diesel when the next monthly fuel price adjustment was made on 4 June. Citing inflationary pressures as the reason for the hike, Godongwana pointed out that the adjustment – the first in three years – was the sole new tax proposal for the 2025/26 fiscal year. The increases to GFL will help fill the gap from the minister’s rejected VAT hike proposal and ease the main budget deficit. Even with the increased levy, however, fuel prices may drop in June. Yet, the AA warned that fuel levy increases would have far-reaching consequences for consumers and the economy. It said the levy adjustment came as South Africans were already contending with high food prices, elevated interest rates, increased electricity tariffs and persistently high unemployment. The Road Freight Association (RFA) also criticised the fuel levy increase, saying transporters could not absorb increases without detrimental effects on their business sustainability. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Denis Droppa at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Road Freight Association sounds warning on fuel levy hike, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Eastern Cape health department abandons hunt for Livingstone Hospital whistleblower who exposed doctor shortage News24 reports that the Eastern Cape Department of Health has made a U-turn on its decision to hunt down a staff member who wrote a letter raising the alarm about the critical shortage of doctors at Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha. The department initially said it was working to identify the letter’s author, but after a social media backlash, it announced it was no longer pursuing the person’s identity. It added that whistleblowing was encouraged. Last week, a letter purporting to be from someone in the hospital’s surgery department warned patients of a shortage of doctors at the facility’s outpatient clinics. The department’s director of communications, Siyanda Manana, then indicated in a statement that an investigation had been launched “to uncover the author”. According to a doctor at the hospital, over the past few years the hospital’s departments, including internal medical, surgery, anaesthetics, the intensive care unit, and radiology, lost at least 30% of their doctors. He claimed that very few of those doctors had been replaced, while in some departments, none had been replaced. “Those of us who remain are trying to plug the holes that have been left behind,” he lamented. The department said plans were under way to hire more doctors and specialists and to finalise the appointment of a permanent CEO at the hospital. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sithandiwe Velaphi at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Protesters from Mpumalanga picket at Eskom’s head office demanding local recruitment GroundUp reports that about 70 protesters from several districts in Mpumalanga picketed outside Eskom’s Megawatt Park head office in Johannesburg on Wednesday, demanding jobs. The protesters, from Emalahleni, Victor Khanye, Steve Tshwete and Thembisile municipalities, complained about being overlooked when new people were hired at Kendal, Kriel, Matla, Kusile and Duvha power stations. They handed over a memorandum of demands, which included a request for an urgent meeting with management. “We urgently call on Eskom to take concrete steps towards the growing unemployment crisis in Emalahleni and surrounding communities. This includes prioritising local recruitment for job opportunities ensuring transparency in hiring processes,” the memo reads. Protester Simanga Mashiana claimed that management at Eskom power stations did not hire local people. “We are tired of being told about head office every time we raise our concerns, that’s why today we decided to come here,” he explained. Zakes Mlambo from Emalahleni said even community members who were graduates were not getting jobs in the power stations in their backyards. Amos Mboweni, Eskom General Manager, received the memorandum and promised to respond within two weeks. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Silver Sibiya at GroundUp
Lesufi announces relaunch of Nasi Ispani and promises 32,000 new assistant teacher jobs IOL News reports that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced on Thursday that the province was set to relaunch Nasi Ispani in June and would be creating 32,000 jobs for assistant teachers. Speaking at a media briefing in Midrand, he explained that the “next round of Nasi Ispani” would recruit the youth across the province, marking a major boost for youth employment and the education sector. Lesufi said he was undeterred by criticism from opposition parties on the mass recruitment programme. “The people who are criticising us on Nasi Ispani understand the effectiveness of this programme. We're not doing it for political mileage, we're doing it to fight unemployment. But what they're saying now is that you have poor homes, you've got incomplete buildings, traffic lights that have gone down, roads that are not maintained, you've got grass that is not cut. On the other side, you've got youth in the townships who are unemployed. So you train them to do the work and pay them,” Lesufi stated. The Democratic Alliance (DA) and ActionSA have consistently raised concerns regarding Lesufi's approach since the programme's initial launch in 2023. Ahead of the 2024 national and provincial elections, the initiative was characterised by some as a campaign by the ANC to garner support. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kamogelo Moichela at IOL News
Undertaking between two IT companies limiting what work an employee can undertake transgresses prohibition on forced labour TimesLIVE Premium reports that a scrap between two IT companies has ended with the Joburg High Court finding that in cases where no enforceable restraint of trade agreement exists, it is against public policy for an employee’s working conditions to be altered to suit the wishes of his former employer. This related to a battle between Sourcework and Datacentrix over the employment of manager Khumo Mosiane – a highly skilled and sought-after IT manager. Mosiane was employed by Sourceworx as a manager at a time when the company entered into an agreement with competitor Datacentrix to provide IT maintenance services to Transnet. Datacentrix and Sourceworx undertook not to poach each other’s employees for the duration of the contract and for a further 12 months. Mosiane resigned Sourceworx in November 2023 and accepted an offer to work for Datacentrix. Sourceworx responded by claiming that Datacentrix had poached Mosiane and was in breach of their agreement, which was denied by Datacentrix. After Sourceworx lodged a court application, Datacentrix agreed to settle the dispute by removing Mosiane from the Transnet project. But, Sourceworx became aware of Mosiane's continued indirect involvement in Datacentrix’s work for Transnet. Joburg High Court judge Stuart Wilson then had to decide whether the undertaking by Datacentrix not to engage Mosiane on the Transnet project was enforceable, and if so, whether Sourceworx was entitled to have Mosiane removed from any involvement with Transnet work. He ruled that the undertaking was not binding and that it was inconsistent with public policy. He said trading in an employee’s work condition transgressed the prohibition on forced labour and servitude through the proposition that an employee’s labour power is a commodity that might be traded independently of that employee’s consent. “The undertaking Sourceworx seeks to enforce purports to take Mosiane’s labour power entirely out of his hands,” Wilson pointed out. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Gill Gifford at TimesLIVE Premium (subscriber access only)
Lesufi confirms intention to axe several department heads after lifestyle audit findings TimesLIVE Premium reports that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has confirmed he will be making changes in his government in a process that will target a number of provincial heads, some of whom have failed lifestyle audits. It was reported earlier this month that Lesufi was believed to have been contemplating axing several provincial heads for a number of transgressions, which included failing of lifestyle audits and not meeting set targets. Lesufi on Thursday said his party, the ANC, had raised concerns about the capacity of the state in his province and had urged him to make changes. He went on to indicate that these changes were imminent, but they have had to be delayed to give the Auditor-General of SA (AG) space to conclude departmental audits. Lesufi said he would take action on the departmental heads immediately after the auditing was done. The Sunday Times had reported that a Gauteng ethics advisory council report this week revealed that several senior managers had failed lifestyle audits and were doing business with the state. According to the report, more than a third of the 19 senior managers, including chief executives and department heads, who went through lifestyle audits were either classified as high-risk or completely failed them. It also found that 152 government employees were conducting business with the state in contravention of the Public Administration Management Act, which prohibits government employees from doing so. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kgothatso Madisa at TimesLIVE Premium (subscriber access only)
Hawks get order to seize Sandton home, cars in R5m PPE scandal tied to ex-Mpumalanga health official City Press reports that the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) in Mpumalanga have obtained a preservation order to seize properties of a former provincial health department secretary embroiled in a R5 million dodgy personal protective equipment (PPE) scandal. On Tuesday, the Mpumalanga High Court in Mbombela granted the order allowing the police unit to seize a R1.5-million house in Sunninghill, Sandton, and three vehicles – a Toyota Quantum, a Hyundai truck, and a VW Golf – worth a combined R1 million. According to police, in 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic that sparked a PPE delivery feeding frenzy, the director’s secretary from the Mpumalanga department of health, Sanele Sanderson, allegedly colluded with two service providers to fake PPE purchases and deliveries. This resulted in the service providers unlawfully benefiting from the products that were never delivered. The scale of PPE corruption in SA during the pandemic was staggering, with the Special Investigating Unit reporting that more than R30 billion was spent by state institutions between April and November 2020, with R13.3 billion of that under investigation for irregularities. Investigations covered 1,774 PPE contracts, revealing widespread misconduct across various departments and municipalities. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sipho Mabena at City Press (subscription / trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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