In our roundup of weekend and recent reports,
see the following summaries of our selection of
South African labour-related articles.
|
Goodyear SA plant in Kariega closed its doors on Friday as workers accept improved payout The Herald reports that the Goodyear SA plant in Kariega shut its doors on Friday after unions secured an improved severance deal in terms of which each retrenched employee would receive R100,000, plus four weeks’ pay for every year worked. The workers will also get their August salary and 2025 bonus entitlement accrual. More than 900 people were employed at the plant, the closure of which is a significant blow to the Nelson Mandela Bay economy. The company announced in June that it would shut down its manufacturing operations in SA, retaining only its sales, distribution and Hi-Q retail presence in the country. Solidarity and Numsa represent the workers. Solidarity’s Willie Venter said the company informed union officials during settlement talks that it would no longer close down operations in phases and that no one should report for work on Monday, apart from about 60 workers, picked by the company, to stay on to perform maintenance. Venter said the union’s members accepted the improved offer as they had already accepted the previous offer. Numsa’s Irvin Jim said the union would address a media briefing on Monday. The company sent messages to employees on Friday thanking them for their service. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ntsikelelo Qoyo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Competition Tribunal gives nod to Barloworld takeover, subject to jobs and empowerment conditions Moneyweb reports that a management-led consortium and a Saudi Arabian investor group have secured the Competition Tribunal’s approval to acquire Barloworld, subject to public interest conditions on employment and historically disadvantaged person (HDP) ownership. In December 2024, Barloworld announced its intention to sell all of its ordinary shares valued at R23.3 billion to a newly‑formed holding company, Newco, comprising construction company Entsha, linked to Barloworld CEO Dominic Sewela, and Gulf Falcon Holding, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Zahid Group. The ruling follows hearings held in June, July and August 2025, during which the Competition Commission, the merger parties, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) made submissions. The tribunal also sought clarification on certain matters and considered revised conditions proposed after oral submissions by the unions. Under the ruling, the merged entity may not retrench any South African employees for two years after implementation. As a direct result of the transaction, Barloworld staff’s existing terms and conditions of employment must also remain unchanged. The tribunal’s conditions require a two-phase empowerment transaction that will ultimately give HDPs and participating employees a collective 13.5% shareholding in Barloworld. Participating employees will be permanent staff employed for at least six months, most of whom are HDPs, not serving notice, facing dismissal proceedings, or employed temporarily. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Moneyweb
KZN horror crash death toll rises to six after truck driver’s body found EWN reports that the body of a truck driver has been found following a fatal crash on Saturday on the N2 in Kwazulu-Natal, bringing the death toll to six. The collision, which occurred between Amatigulu and Dokodweni, involved a truck carrying sugar and a light motor vehicle. The truck slammed into the vehicle, crushing it and instantly killing the five occupants. MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma had initially indicated that the truck driver was unaccounted for and was suspected either to have been trapped under the truck or to have fled the scene. In a statement released by Duma, along with IPSS Medical Search and Rescue, it was confirmed that the driver was found just after 3pm trapped inside his vehicle. The jaws of life were used to remove the body from the wreck. Duma expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thandoluhle Ngcobo at EWN. Read too, N2 crash death toll rises to six as truck driver confirmed dead, by Kayla Shaw at The Witness Still no sign of missing pilot involved in crash off Durban beach on Thursday SABC News reports that sixty one-year-old Andrew Blackwood-Murray, who went missing on Thursday after his light aircraft plunged into the sea at Suncoast Beach in Durban during an airshow, is still missing. According to National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon, the search for the missing pilot off the coast of Durban is continuing. Blackwood-Murray had been performing his final display when he appeared to have lost control of the aircraft. The aerial display was part of the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Summit that was being held in Durban. The search was temporarily called off on Friday due to overcast conditions. Lambinon indicated: “Police divers are continuing to lead an ongoing search operation, and that is being assisted by multiple agencies in the ongoing search. We have appealed to members of the public that if any debris or plane parts are located or washed ashore as well as the maritime community at sea offshore at Durban’s coast to report that to police or they can call NSRI.” Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News Two more prisoners have died following Thursday’s accident on R101, bringing death toll to nine Maroela Media reports that two more prison inmates have died following Thursday's collision between a police vehicle and a truck on the R101 road between Mokopane and Mookgopong. This has brought the total death toll to nine. The police were transporting 11 prisoners from the Mokopane police station to Mookgopong where they were due to appear in court, when the accident happened. One police officer and five awaiting-trial prisoners were declared dead at the scene. Two of the prisoners who were admitted to hospital following the accident succumbed to their injuries on Friday, bring the total death toll to nine, a police spokesperson confirmed. The other injured prisoners are still receiving medical attention. The driver of the truck was uninjured. Read the full original of the Afrikaans report in the above regard by Janice du Plessis at Maroela Media City of Tshwane's response to Rosslyn tyre factory fire on Saturday criticised IOL News reports that a probe is under way to establish the cause of the devastating fire that gutted a tyre factory in Rosslyn in Pretoria North on Saturday amid claims by the DA that the City of Tshwane refused assistance from private fire fighters during the blaze. Lindsay Mnguni, spokesperson for the Tshwane Emergency Services Department, disputed the DA's claims, saying the department responded promptly to the fire and deployed sufficient resources to the scene to carry out effective firefighting operations. But, DA councillor Ally Makhafula, alleged the city’s fire engines struggled to get access to water at hydrants while the private fire brigade had a fire engine with water ready to go. Mnguni said while the emergency services department appreciated offers of assistance during large-scale incidents, all firefighting operations within municipal boundaries must adhere to established regulatory frameworks and safety protocols. In Makhafula’s view, the city should collaborate with the provincial and national government to modernise the outdated regulatory framework by establishing a clear, contemporary licensing system that enables competent private services to operate lawfully and transparently, complementing municipal responders rather than working against them. No injuries were reported during the incident and the cause of the fire remains undetermined pending further investigation. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Rapula Moatshe at IOL News. Read too, Tempers rise as DA says City of Tshwane blocked private firefighters from factory blaze, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required). En ook, Brandbestryders stuit fabriekbrand in Pretoria-Noord, by Maroela Media Appeal process suspends ECSA sanctions against engineer in George building collapse Engineering News reports that the disciplinary sanctions imposed on engineer Atholl Mitchell by the Engineering Council of SA (ECSA) following the deadly George building collapse are currently suspended pending the outcome of a formal appeal. ECSA had announced in July that its disciplinary tribunal had found Mitchell guilty of five counts of improper conduct linked to the 6 May 2024 structural collapse of an unfinished building in George, which resulted in the death of 34 construction workers and injury to many more. The tribunal imposed the maximum fine allowed under law and permanently cancelled Mitchell’s professional registration. The guilty finding was based on an investigation into the incident and Mitchell’s conduct. The tribunal ruled in his absence after he formally declined to participate in the May 2025 hearing, entering a plea of not guilty through his legal representative. Mitchell’s lawyers have since confirmed that an appeal had been lodged in terms of the Engineering Profession Act, in trms of which sanctions imposed by the tribunal cannot be implemented until the council, or the Council for the Built Environment, has decided the appeal. This means the fine and deregistration are on hold. The appeal outcome will determine whether the sanctions against Mitchell are upheld, amended or overturned. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
SAPS reports 999 arrests during nationwide Vala Umgodi operations in July EWN reports that the SA Police Service (SAPS) has reported that its nationwide Vala Umgodi operations resulted in the arrests of 999 suspects in July. Vala Umgodi is a multi-disciplinary SAPS operation in conjunction with mine security and other stakeholders to disrupt criminal enterprises involved in illegal mining activities. The suspects arrested in July in various provinces, including Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Free State, face a range of charges, including murder, attempted murder, theft of minerals, and contravening the Immigration Act. SAPS spokesperson Vincent Mukhathi said officers seized large quantities of unpolished diamonds, gold-bearing material, firearms, and mining equipment. “Among some of the items seized during Vala Umgpdi operation in July include 28 unlicensed firearms, 787 rounds of ammunition, 42 vehicles that include 11 seda, 7 bakkies, 20 trucks, 1 minibus, and 3 TLBs, 220 pendukas and 57 generators,” Mukhathi reported. He said the officers had also worked to prevent and combat crimes not directly linked to illegal mining. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thandoluhle Ngcobo at EWN Other general posting(s) relating to mining
Calls for justice echo as Marikana massacre commemorated 13 years later IOL News reports that the Marikana massacre was commemorated on Saturday amid demands for justice for the 34 fallen mineworkers killed during a strike at Lonmin Mine in Marikana, North West, 13 years ago. The day was marked by calls to declare 16 August as Marikana Memorial Day. The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) announced plans to make the koppie where the killings took place into a memorial site. Prior to the massacre on 16 August 2012, 10 people, including security guards and police officers, were also killed when workers embarked on a wildcat strike at Lonmin Mine. According to the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI), there have been no prosecutions for the deaths that occurred during the Marikana incident, and no one has been held to account for the physical and psychological injuries suffered by many individuals. “The failure to hold accountable those responsible for these deaths is a betrayal of the promise of justice. Not only does it dishonour the families of the deceased, but erodes trust in our justice system,” SERI’s Nomzamo Zondo said. The SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) expressed the lingering wounds left by the massacre. Saftu’s Zwelinzima Vavi noted that the Farlam Commission, which probed the massacre, had exposed collusion between the police, political leaders, and mining bosses to “deal decisively” with striking workers. Vavi pointed out that there has been no criminal accountability for those who ordered or executed the killings, and that only two of the commission’s recommendations on Public Order Policing reforms have reportedly been implemented in over a decade. “The state’s refusal to fully implement these recommendations confirms Saftu’s reluctance to participate in any so-called national dialogue. Dialogue without justice is a betrayal to the victims and a mockery to the working class,” he stated. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mayibongwe Maqhina at IOL News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Despite challenges, SA’s agricultural job prospects remain hopeful Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA, writes that agriculture is generally viewed as one of the sectors that still has the potential to create more employment in SA. Last week, Stats SA released its Quarterly Labour Force Survey data for the second quarter of 2025, which gives insights about agricultural jobs. The data showed that farm jobs declined mildly from the first quarter of this year by 3% to 906,000 in the second quarter. The decline was seen mainly in the livestock, some field crops, and aquaculture sectors. This could be linked to specific challenges those industries were facing, particularly the foot-and-mouth disease affecting cattle farming. Delays in the harvesting of some summer crops might have weighed on employment conditions. But there was some encouragement in that, from an annual perspective, overall farm employment was up 1% from the second quarter of 2024. The only subsectors with lower employment levels compared to a year ago were aquaculture, forestry and organic fertiliser production. The annual uptick was consistent with the robust production in field crops and horticulture. The employment of 906,000 people was far above the long-term average level of 799,000 jobs, signalling that while the sector faced challenges, employment remained at encouraging levels. From a regional perspective, the Western Cape, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng were the provinces that registered quarterly job losses, while the rest saw mild quarterly job gains. Sihlobo doubts that significant losses will be experienced as the better harvest in the various labour-intensive subsectors provides some cushion. Also, trade difficulties are concentrated on the US market, and not across all of SA’s agricultural export markets. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Wandile Sihlobo at Sunday Times (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Patricia De Lille, SA Tourism board clash over suspension of CEO Nombulelo Guliwe Sunday Times reports that Department of Tourism (DOT) Minister Patricia de Lille and the board of South African Tourism (SAT) have locked horns over the board’s decision to institute disciplinary action against the entity’s now-suspended CEO over a R4.1m prepayment to a service provider for work that investigators claim was never done. At the heart of the matter is a decision by the board to suspend CEO Nombulelo Guliwe, after the office of the Auditor-General as well as a private forensic audit found that she and two other executives no longer employed by the state-owned entity had authorised a R4.1m prepayment to Joburg-based production agency. The audit report recommended consequence management against Guliwe. Last week, the SAT board announced it had placed Guliwe on precautionary suspension due to serious allegations of misconduct. But De Lille issued a statement declaring the decision null and void, saying the board was improperly constituted as it no longer had a chair or a deputy chair after the resignation of Prof Gregory Davids. The board then immediately shot back at De Lille, reminding her she had ignored repeated requests to appoint a chair. “The delegation of authority says the board needs the minister’s concurrence to institute disciplinary action but not to suspend,” a board insider pointed out. On Saturday, a defiant De Lille stuck to her guns, saying she had obtained legal advice indicating that all decisions taken by the board on 1 August had been unlawful. De Lille said she would “apprise” the tourism sector on developments at SAT on Tuesday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Caiphus Kgosana at Sunday Times (subscriber access only) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Santaco denies imposing limits on number of passengers that private cars can carry TimesLIVE reports that the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) has denied claims that it allegedly instructed South Africans not to use private vehicles or carry their families and has labelled the reports false and misleading. This after the circulation of posts, including pictures and videos, alleging that taxi drivers were stopping and harassing motorists on the roads. The taxi operators were allegedly restricting private car operators from carrying their family members. In some provinces, parents and teachers were also allegedly being restricted from transporting their children to school. “We wish to place it on record that Santaco has never issued such a communication and has never imposed any mode of transport on the public. Any individual making such claims is not, and has never been, speaking on behalf of the council,” said Santaco spokesperson Mmatshikhidi Rebecca Phala. She said the council strongly condemned such acts in the strongest terms. “Like all other paid-for transport services, taxi operations are voluntary and remain a choice available to commuters … We encourage members of the public to report any incidents of harassment or unlawful enforcement directly to law enforcement agencies,” Phala stated. Santaco KZN also denied the claims. Last Wednesday, an e-hailing driver died after being attacked by men who shot him and set him alight inside his car at Maponya Mall. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Shonisani Tshikalange at TimesLIVE Other internet posting(s) in this news category
|
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page