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.
Expert wants clearer guidelines to justify refusal of health workers to treat Covid-19 patients
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EWN reports that according to a medical law and ethics expert, clearer guidelines for healthcare workers were needed when it came to the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
Clive Eksteen, who was fired on Sunday, takes Cricket SA to CCMA for unfair dismissal
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BusinessLive reports that Cricket SA’s former head of sales and sponsor relations Clive Eksteen is taking the governing body to the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) for unfair dismissal just days after his sacking.
Public sector unions adamant that their fight for wage hikes is not unpatriotic
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BL Premium reports that two days before finance minister Tito Mboweni tables his special adjustments budget on 24 June, the state will begin pre-arbitration hearings with Cosatu-affiliated unions relating to the dispute over the government’s failure to pay the last leg of wage increases agreed to in the 2018 multiyear wage agreement.
Eastern Cape healthcare workers wait up to a month for Covid-19 test results
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News24 reports that Eastern Cape healthcare workers are waiting nearly a month for their coronavirus test results from public sector laboratories and they fear that they may be exposing patients and colleagues to the infection.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize warns of spike in Covid-19 infections and deaths in coming days
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News24 reports that according to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, SA would in coming days see a rise in Covid-19 infections, more people would be hospitalised, and many would lose their lives.
Re-testing people previously diagnosed with Covid-19 before they return to work is 'nonsense', says scientist
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News24 reports that according to a top professor, testing of people previously diagnosed for Covid-19 to ensure they were no longer infectious before returning to work was "nonsense and must stop".
Auditors appointed to probe claims of some employers having stolen UIF Covid-19 payouts for workers
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Business Insider SA reports that amid reports of companies stealing Covid-19 payouts meant for workers, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has appointed auditors to “follow the money trail”.
As Covid-19 cases spike, Nehawu members create chaos at Eastern Cape’s Livingstone Hospital over non-payment of overtime allowances
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Financial Mail reports that as Covid-19 cases began to spike in the Eastern Cape, the state-run Livingstone Hospital became the site of a trade union-led laundry war.
State to fork out R26bn for a new SAA employing 1,000 of the existing staffers, with the rest to be laid-off
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BL Premium reports that the business rescue plan for SA Airways (SAA), which was published on Tuesday night, envisages a restructured airline that will begin flying in the near future due to a new bailout from the government.
Minerals Council wants more border openings for returning foreign workers
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Mining Weekly reports that more border openings are wanted by the mining industry for returning foreign mineworkers. As of Thursday last week, not a single foreign mineworker had re-entered SA from neighbouring foreign countries.
Two security guards escorting Eskom technicians shot dead in Cape Town on Monday
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News24 reports that two security guards were shot dead in Philippi East, Cape Town, on Monday afternoon while escorting Eskom technicians out of the area.
Roundup on Monday, 15 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, 12 June 2020.
Government labelled 'irresponsible' by Restaurant Association for not allowing eateries to fully reopen under level 3
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Saturday Star reports that the Restaurant Association of SA (Rasa) has labelled the government “irresponsible” for not allowing eateries to fully reopen under level 3 lockdown regulations.
Johannesburg city councillors want to give themselves ‘outrageous’ 6.4% salary increases
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Moneyweb reports that Johannesburg city councillors have proposed awarding themselves a 6.4% pay increase this year, even as multiple surveys show that most South Africans are bleeding as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown.
Hairdressers' court challenge to lockdown ban postponed to 22 June, DA blames Dlamini-Zuma for delay
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SowetanLive reports that the much awaited legal showdown between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and co-operative governance & traditional affairs minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma over the closure of hair and beauty salons got off to a false start on Friday.
Safa begins retrenchment process on a major scale, citing operational cost-cutting
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City Press reports that SA Football Association (Safa) has begun a section 189 process as the embattled organisation plans to implement retrenchments on a major scale, citing operational cost-cutting.
Netcare’s intention to effect changes to conditions of service at Medicross a major concern for Solidarity
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Solidarity reported on Friday that it had received a letter from Netcare indicating that the private hospital group intended to commence with a process at its primary care division, Medicross that will apparently affect the conditions of service of approximately 926 members of staff.
Cele reports that over 1,600 police officers have tested positive for Covid-19, with 14 deaths
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News24 reports that as of 13 June, there had been 14 Covid-19 related deaths in the SA Police Service (SAPS), while a total of 1,685 police officers had tested positive for the virus.
Another Gauteng ambulance broken into as EMS crew respond to emergency in Soweto on Sunday
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News24 reports that the Department of Health in Gauteng is concerned about the rising number of attacks on the province's Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Nupsaw vows to shut down Dis-Chem warehouse over ‘multiple’ Covid-19 cases
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News24 reports that the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) has vowed to temporarily shut down Dis-Chem’s retail warehouse in Midrand, Gauteng, following multiple positive Covid-19 cases.
Ramaphosa appoints presidential council to reform state-owned enterprises (SOEs)
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BusinessLive reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a presidential state-owned enterprise (SOE) council that will support the government's repositioning of SOEs as effective instruments for economic development.
Despite huge revenue losses at municipalities, councillors will still get backdated pay rises
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Mail & Guardian reports that at a time when hundreds of thousands of people are battling to cope with salary cuts and job losses because of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown measures, town and city councillors are to get a 4% salary increase, backdated until 1 July last year.
Taxi council does U-turn on 22 June shutdown plan, while ‘unrealistic’ 172% Alexandra fare hike won’t come in
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Moneyweb reports that the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) has made a U-turn on its plans to stage a shutdown in Gauteng on 22 June to demonstrate its opposition to the Covid-19 lockdown regulations that are limiting taxi operators’ ability to operate and make ends meet.
Rustenburg traffic department offices closed due to Covid-19 case
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ANA reports that the Rustenburg municipality advised on Thursday that its traffic department was closed after a municipal worker tested positive for Covid-19.
Business calls for full opening of economy, but Cosatu says not enough being done to protect people using public transport
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BL Premium reports that as the cabinet considers lifting restrictions on more sectors earlier than originally planned, business has called for a full opening up of the economy, with a few exceptions such as nightclubs and bars.
Full re-opening of borders between SA and neighbouring states delays return of foreign mineworkers
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Miningmx reports that delays in re-opening borders between SA and neighbouring states has meant that foreign mineworkers will be unable to return to the country this week.
Covid-19 forces closure of 20 schools in Buffalo City in first week
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DispatchLive reports that twenty schools in Buffalo City Metro (BCM) have been forced to close in the first week of the government's plan to return pupils to class.
FNB warns of 8% contraction in 2020 and almost 800,000 job losses
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Business Report writes that First National Bank (FNB) warned on Wednesday of a dire economic outlook for 2020 and predicted that gross domestic product (GDP) could contract by 8% due to the impact of Covid-19.
Three more Shoprite stores in Soweto closed after staff test positive for virus
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The Star reports that three more Shoprite stores were forced to close in Soweto after a visit from a regional manager who allegedly tested positive for Covid-19.
Teacher union loses court bid to stop reopening of schools
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The Star reports that on Wednesday at the North Gauteng High Court, the 27,000-member Educators Union of SA (Eusa) lost its urgent application against Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga to interdict the reopening of schools.