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.
Comair business rescue puzzles ex-CEO Erik Venter, who thinks it’s unnecessary
- Details
Business Times reports that former Comair CEO Erik Venter is "surprised" at the airline's decision to go into business rescue, which he thinks is unnecessary.
Numsa and Sacca win fight to stop SAA retrenchments
- Details
BusinessLive reports that two trade unions at SA Airways (SAA) won a crucial victory in the labour court on Friday when Judge André van Niekerk set aside the retrenchment notices issued to employees by the business rescue practitioners (BRPs).
Denel can’t pay employees’ April pensions, taxes or UIF contributions
- Details
BL Premium reports that state-owned arms maker Denel has told its staff that due to cash-flow problems it cannot pay their April pensions, taxes and unemployment insurance fund (UIF) contributions.
Judgment reserved at Mining Charter judicial review hearing
- Details
Mining Weekly reports that a full bench has heard the application for a judicial review of certain aspects of the Mining Charter gazetted in September 2018.
Harmony Gold targeting Covid test facilities on own mine premises
- Details
Mining Weekly reports that gold producer Harmony Gold is targeting the establishment of coronavirus testing facilities at its own premises to speed up the current two-day turnaround time.
Talks to be held over essential service workers in municipalities receiving Covid-19 danger pay
- Details
The Star reports that thousands of municipal employees designated as essential service workers could soon be paid a danger allowance related to Covid-19.
Public service monitoring commission not listed as an essential service
- Details
News24 reports that the body that monitors the public service, namely the Public Service Commission (PSC), has not been classified as an essential service and will subsequently have difficulty finalising complaints against errant officials.
EMS workers in Khayelitsha resort to making their own Covid-19 protective equipment
- Details
GroundUp reports that emergency medical services (EMS) workers in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, resorted to using plastic sheets, duct tape and bed covers to protect themselves while transporting patients at the weekend.
Business for SA urges urgent opening of economy to avoid jobs bloodbath of between one and four million
- Details
BusinessLive reports that Business for SA (B4SA) estimates that between one-million and four-million jobs in the formal and informal sectors could be lost due to the Covid-19 crisis and that economic activity will again reach pre-lockdown levels only in three to five years’ time.
Questions asked about R439m for 217 doctors brought in from Cuba
- Details
BL Premium writes that mystery surrounds the SA government’s apparent decision to pay R439m to bring in 217 health-care professionals from Cuba.
Government scraps 'grace period' which allowed a one-hour drop off period for public transport passengers
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that the government has removed a one-hour "grace period" for taxis and other public transport vehicles, thereby changing when they may operate under level 4 lockdown rules.
Numsa and Sacca head to court on Thursday to stop SAA job cuts
- Details
BusinessLive reports that the court application by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the SA Cabin Crew Association (Sacca) to stop the retrenchment of employees by the SA Airways (SAA) business rescue practitioners (BRPs) will be heard in the labour court on Thursday.
Health minister says 511 health workers have tested positive for Covid-19 and two have died
- Details
BusinessLive reports that Health Minister Zweli Mkhize tweeted on Wednesday that 511 health workers have tested positive for Covid-19 and two have died.
Prasa and angry unions to meet on Friday over plan to cut jobs through voluntary severance packages
- Details
BusinessLive reports that Bongisizwe Mpondo, the administrator of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), will meet disgruntled trade unions on Friday over the utility’s proposal to retrench workers.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 6 May 2020
- Details
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Wednesday, 6 May 2020.
Eskom says operations at Koeberg not affected after employee tests positive for Covid-19
- Details
EWN reports that Eskom has advised that a staff member at the Koeberg Power Station tested positive for Covid-19, but that its operations have not been affected.
Covid-19 batters SA print media industry
- Details
DFA reports that the SA print media industry has taken another hard blow following the announcement that Caxton & CTP Publishers & Printers plans to completely withdraw from magazine publishing.
Data shows inexplicable decline in number of Limpopo public school teachers
- Details
The Star reports that official data shows that the number of teachers employed at public schools in Limpopo has inexplicably declined over the past decade.
Harmony Gold workers panic about being laid-off after being informed to stay at home if not recalled
- Details
The Citizen reports that mineworkers at Harmony Gold mines started to panic after the company issued a notice informing them not to return to work unless recalled by management.
Gautrain back on track with reduced services as national lockdown eases
- Details
The Star reports that the Gautrain, which has not been operating since the start of the national Covid-19 lockdown, has resumed a reduced service for passengers during peak hours.
Workers should down tools if employers don’t provide them with masks and other protective gear, says Cosatu
- Details
SowetanLive reports that workers want to be allowed to down tools if their employers fail to provide them with masks and other protective gear in line with the national lockdown level 4 regulations aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus in the workplace.
Assore’s Dwarsrivier chrome mine suspends production after worker diagnosed with Covid-19
- Details
Reuters reports that Assore suspended production at its Dwarsrivier Chrome Mine this week after an employee tested positive for Covid-19.
Two inmates die of Covid-19 in East London prison, both of whom had underlying comorbid conditions
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that two inmates have died of Covid-19 in an East London prison, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) advised on Tuesday.
High Court in Limpopo dismisses challenge to 1 June school reopening
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has welcomed a Limpopo High Court order dismissing a challenge to the planned opening of schools on 1 June.
Some Eastern Cape shop owners refusing prison staff entry over coronavirus fears
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that with coronavirus infections and the death toll due to the disease on the increase in prisons, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) says its employees are being ostracised by the community.
Harmony Gold shares its Covid-19 return to work measures
- Details
Mining Weekly reports that Harmony Gold has published a document outlining the measures it has implemented to protect returning employees from contracting or spreading Covid-19.
New index ranks physical-interaction dimensions of Covid-19 transmission risk across occupations
- Details
Mining Weekly reports that a new index has been created to provide an empirical basis for ranking the physical-interaction dimension of the Covid-19 transmission risk for various occupations in SA.
Bid to get real estate agents back to work
- Details
Business Report writes that the estate agency sector has appealed to the government to allow estate agencies to begin operating.
Mboweni says state should support all viable businesses, irrespective of race, but with a bias towards emerging black business people
- Details
Fin24 reports that according to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni, businesses, regardless of race, should receive state support with a "bias towards emerging black business people", as the impact of the coronavirus pandemic continues to batter SA’s struggling economy.
Basic education department to present schools’ re-opening plan to NCCC, with details in two weeks
- Details
News24 reports that as SA wrestles with the Covid-19 pandemic, more clarity on when schools will be reopened may be available in two weeks.