Today's Labour News
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.
Fifty cash-in-transit security guards who tested positive for Covid-19 blame their company for infections
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SowetanLive reports that a group of 50 cash-in-transit employees who have tested positive for Covid-19 are blaming their company for being responsible for their infections.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula flees Soshanguve as taxi operators ‘arm wrestle’ government for more funds
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The Citizen reports that Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula was forced to flee from Soshanguve in Pretoria on Monday after disgruntled taxi operators demanding that government dig deeper for a R20,000 relief subsidy wouldn’t let him speak.
Unemployment rate rose to highest level on record of 30.1% in first quarter of 2020
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BusinessLive reports that SA’s unemployment rate rose to 30.1% in the first three months of 2020, reaching its highest level on record.
SA's front-line doctors at risk of burnout due to Covid-19 pandemic
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TimesLIVE reports that according to SA's front-line doctors, their mental health has deteriorated in recent weeks, which has prompted a medical defence body to warn about the risk of burnout.
Eskom unbundling ‘under threat’ over lack of consultation with trade unions
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City Press reports that the unbundling of Eskom into three separate companies may be derailed over trade union grievances about a lack of consultation.
Court gets tough on UIF relief fund fraud, freezes millions allegedly paid fraudulently into individual’s bank account
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The Star reports that North Gauteng High Court has sent a strong message that Covid-19 relief fund fraud will not be tolerated by freezing millions of rands allegedly fraudulently paid into in a bank account.
Amazon’s new hiring spree boosts SA as global call-centre destination
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Business Times writes that Amazon's announcement last week that it plans to hire 3,000 people in its local customer service division has provided a powerful boost for SA’s credentials in business process outsourcing (BPO).
PIC seeks clarification over AngloGold CEO’s repayment of joining bonus
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Bloomberg reports that the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), which is one of AngloGold Ashanti’s (AGA’s) top shareholders, has asked the gold producer to say what action it will take after chief executive officer Kelvin Dushnisky returned a bonus he had received for joining.
President Ramaphosa warns of more job losses and difficult decisions ahead
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Bloomberg reports that in his weekly newsletter on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned of widening job losses as the effects of the national shutdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus batters the SA economy.
Approval of Edcon business rescue plan means a ‘significant’ number of jobs could be saved
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BL Premium reports more than 75% of Edcon's creditors approved the company’s business rescue plan at a meeting on Monday. Some creditors who tried to stop the process were successfully warded off.
Employment in agriculture sector to be spared heavy job losses despite Covid-19
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BL Premium reports that SA’s agricultural sector is likely to be spared from the heavy job losses anticipated in most sectors due to the economic shock of Covid-19 because it mostly remained open during the lockdown and expects a bumper grain harvest.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Monday, 22 June 2020
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In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Monday, 22 June 2020.
Covid-19 ‘jackpot’ bonanza exposed as huge UIF ‘fraud’ comes to light
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Sunday Times reports that nearly R6m in Covid-19 relief funds, which was intended for 200 workers, were diverted to one man in what Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) investigators have called a glaring instance of fraud and money laundering.
Return of foreign mineworkers will be delayed
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Reuters reports that the Minerals Council SA (MCSA), previously called the Chamber of Mines, has flagged that the process of facilitating the return of foreign mine workers as lockdown restrictions ease will take longer than expected due to delays at the Mozambique and Lesotho border posts.
Get the right cadre for the job because service delivery ‘leaves much to be desired’, Dlamini-Zuma tells municipalities
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The Citizen reports that Minister of Local Government and Traditional Affairs and ANC National Executive Committee member Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma had laid down the law by asking the ANC to appoint the right cadres with the right skills to do the jobs in municipalities.
Stats SA hobbled by high staff vacancies, with quality of the data being compromised
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BL Premium reports that more than one in five vacancies are unfilled at SA’s official data collection agency, Stats SA, potentially putting the credibility of national statistics used by policymakers and business leaders at risk.
Steve Tshwete municipal manager gets 48% increase amid lockdown
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The Citizen notes that it was reported last week that the City of Johannesburg plans to vote a 6.4% pay increase for its councillors, much to the outrage of residents. But, Steve Tshwete Municipality in Mpumalanga has gone one better.
Taxi strike on Monday hits Gauteng commuters hard
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TimesLIVE reports that thousands of commuters across Gauteng were left stranded on Monday morning after the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) embarked on a strike to protest against the R1bn government relief package for the industry.
Mboweni faces battle with trade unions if he stands firm on plans to cut state wage bill
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City Press writes that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni seems headed for another major clash with trade unions if he stands firm on plans to cut the public sector wage bill when he tables his emergency budget in parliament on Wednesday.
Business up in arms over ‘grossly unreliable’ Covid-19 relief fund administrative process
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BL Premium reports that business lobby group Business for SA (B4SA) said on Friday that the administrative process to access Covid-19 relief benefits has proved to be “grossly unreliable” and cumbersome.
Glencore and Merafe begin retrenchment consultation process affecting various operations
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Mining Weekly reports that the alloys division of Glencore Operations SA and Merafe have commenced a consultation process in terms of sections 189 and 189A of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) with employee representatives and recognised trade unions.
Far-reaching judgment declares BEE criteria used for granting Covid-19 relief to businesses ‘vague’ and thus invalid
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BL Premium reports that in a far-reaching ruling that will have significant implications for the government’s Covid-19 economic relief programmes, the High Court in Pretoria has ruled that “race, gender, youth and disability” must be taken into account in the awarding of state relief to businesses stricken by the pandemic.
Cosatu wants finance minister to announce a huge stimulus plan in supplementary budget
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BusinessLive reports that trade union federation Cosatu wants finance minister Tito Mboweni to significantly increase spending when he tables his supplementary budget in parliament on Wednesday.
Several labour centres shut after employees tested positive for Covid-19
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BusinessLive reports that the Department of Employment & Labour (DEL), which administers the Covid-19 relief funds, has had to shut several offices after employees tested positive for the virus.
New structure for public protector’s office will see number of unfunded posts cut by 125 and R48m saved
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BL Premium reports that the Office of the Public Protector has developed a new organisational structure which will result in a reduction of 125 posts and save R48m.
Roundup on Monday, 22 June 2020 of weekend labour reports
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In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 19 June 2020.
80% of staff at restaurants unemployed due to Covide-19 lockdown
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The Citizen reports that the Covid-19 lockdown has severely crippled the restaurant business and despite partial reopening of the industry, the daily closures of restaurants have left 80% of workers unemployed.
Police hunting for gunmen after two illegal miners killed and other wounded in Florida on West Rand on Thursday
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The Citizen reported on Saturday that police were searching for three gunmen after two people were murdered and six others wounded in an open veld in Florida, west of Johannesburg, on Thursday.
Numsa and Sacca plan to ground Thursday’s meeting of SAA creditors on business rescue plan
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Business Report writes that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the SA Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) on Friday said they were planning to interdict Thursday’s scheduled meeting of creditors to adopt the SA Airway (SAA) business rescue plan.
Still no Covid-19 regulations for the reopening of restaurants
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Maroela Media reports that while the personal care services sector is celebrating that it can resume work after some three months, restaurants that offer sit-down meals are still waiting for the publication of Covid-19 safety regulations.