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.
Clothing manufacturing workers become the first to be paid out from UIF’s Covid-19 relief fund
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BusinessLive reports that thousands of workers in the clothing manufacturing industry became the first in SA to receive payouts from the Covid-19 relief fund run by the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
More than 73,000 additional soldiers to be deployed in fight against Covid-19 pandemic
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BusinessLive reports that as the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic intensifies, President Cyril Ramaphosa is seeking to increase the number of soldiers on SA streets more than twenty five-fold.
Amcu changes tack on mining lockdown exemptions
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BL Premium reports that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has backed off the urgency of its court case to force the state to rescind the lockdown exemptions of 129 mines.
Unions and state to meet next Tuesday for conciliation talks over public sector salary increases
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BusinessLive reports that Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) Minister Senzo Mchunu will face off with angry union leaders next Tuesday at a meeting aimed at averting a potential wage strike by about 1.3-million public servants.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 21 April 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
Tuesday, 21 April 2020.
Six doctors and 17 staff members at Life Eugene Marais Hospital in Pretoria self-isolate after exposure to coronavirus
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The Star reports that the Life Healthcare Group has confirmed that 17 staff members and six doctors from Life Eugene Marais Hospital in Pretoria, who were exposed to the coronavirus, are isolating at home.
Jobs bloodbath looms as lockdown stoppages due to pandemic start to bite
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SowetanLive reports that SA is facing a massive jobs bloodbath with dozens of companies across various sectors serving employees with retrenchment notices.
Bidvest forces 70,000 workers to take annual leave or unpaid leave during lockdown
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Business Insider SA reports that Bidvest, one of the largest companies in SA, has forced 70,000 of its staff, who can’t work during national lockdown, to take leave. If they don’t have enough annual leave days available, the leave will be unpaid.
Khayelitsha metro police branch temporarily closed after employee tests positive for Covid-19
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News24 reports that an employee at the Khayelitsha office of the Cape Town Metro Police has tested positive for Covid-19, as the Western Cape's latest number of confirmed cases increased to 905.
SACP warns its staff to expect late salary payments in April
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News24 reports that SA Communist Party (SACP) staffers at both its head office and provincial offices have been warned to expect late payments in April after the party failed to pay salaries last month.
Fidelity guards in Lonehill lament inhumane conditions bosses subject them to
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The Star reports that security guards working as essential staff for Fidelity Security under Covid-19 regulations have lamented the inhuman conditions they are subjected to.
No Covid-19 protective gear, no work, Nehawu proclaims
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BusinessLive reports that SA’s largest public service union, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), has called on public and private healthcare sector workers to not perform their duties if employers do not provide protective equipment to shield them against Covid-19.
Health authorities get new powers to redeploy state medical staff
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BL Premium reports that Health Minister Zweli Mhize has published new regulations that give the government sweeping powers to redeploy doctors, nurses and other health-care personnel to combat SA’s Covid-19 epidemic.
SAA unions, including Numsa and Sacca, to meet government on Tuesday over future of airline
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BusinessLive reports that trade unions representing employees at SA Airways (SAA) are expecting to meet the Department of Public Enterprises and Minister Pravin Gordhan on Tuesday on the future of the state-owned airline.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Monday, 20 April 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, 20 April 2020.
Amplats paying employees in full, 30% of top pay to go to Covid-19 relief
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Mining Weekly reports that newly-appointed Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) CEO Natascha Viljoen said on Monday that “thankfully” the company was able to pay all of its employees their full fixed basic salaries, pension and medical benefits, as well as housing allowances where applicable, for the full 35 days of the Covid-19 lockdown period.
Sars to jump in should UIF systems crash because of the high volumes of Ters claims
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TimesLIVE reports that Department of Labour and Employment (DEL) Minister Thulas Nxesi advised on Monday that the SA Revenue Service (Sars) would help with payments of Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) claims should the DEL’s systems crash because of the high volumes of Covide-19 claims received.
KZN department of health gives St Augustine's hospital in Durban a week to move dialysis patients
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TimesLIVE reports that the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) health department has given St Augustine's hospital a week to move dialysis patients out of its centre after several patients there tested positive for Covid-19.
Johannesburg pub turns to crowdfunding to keep staff in jobs
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TimesLIVE reports that the Jolly Roger, a pub in Parkhurst, northern Johannesburg, had raised R109,000 by Monday in a crowdfunding drive to help pay staff during the lockdown.
Construction sector pleads to be allowed to return to work
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Moneyweb reports that the construction sector has appealed to the government to allow it to return to work during the current extended coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown period.
Twelve cops arrested during weekend for lockdown violations and corruption, including five who drank at Free State tavern
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News24 reports that twelve members of the SA Police Service (SAPS), including a reservist, were arrested during the weekend in three separate incidents following their alleged violation of National Disaster Management Regulations, as well as corruption.
Unions respond to SAA severance package offer with mixed responses
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Moneyweb reports that labour representatives at SA Airways (SAA) have given mixed responses to the severance package proposal by the airline’s business rescue practitioners (BRPs).
SA Military Ombud Office has received 28 complaints since national coronavirus lockdown
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News24 reports that the SA Military Ombud Office says it has received 28 complaints to date since the start of the national coronavirus lockdown.
Several foreigners arrested for illegally residing on and operating a factory in Tongaat during lockdown
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ANA reports that several foreign nationals were arrested on Saturday for illegally residing on and operating a factory in Tongaat in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the SA Police Service (SAPS) said on Sunday.
Speeding car kills West Rand City traffic officer over the weekend
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The Star reports that James Kolo, a Rand West City traffic department officer, was killed on duty over the weekend and police have arrested a suspect.
The real cost of the liquor ban will be a jobs bloodbath and massive loss of revenue
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The Citizen reports that as the financially bleeding multibillion-rand liquor industry continues to reel from the month-long coronavirus lockdown, key players – from a family-owned bottle store to giant wine producers – have warned of a jobs bloodbath and loss of taxes.
Kumba chief executive Themba Mkhwanazi received pay package of R42.24m for 2019
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Business Report writes that Kumba Iron Ore paid its executive directors and prescribed officers R128.95-million in 2019, the company indicated in its annual report released on Friday.
Roundup on Monday, 20 April 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, 17 April 2020.
Pick n Pay workers fired over ‘strike’ they say never happened
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Mail & Guardian reports that police were called the week before last to remove Pick n Pay workers accused of striking at the retailer’s distribution centre in Philippi in Cape Town.
Use the tax system to pay out lockdown benefit, says Covid-19 Economists Group
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BL Premium writes that with work stopped for millions by the coronavirus lockdown, the quickest and simplest way to provide wage support to employees in the formal economy would be for the SA Revenue Service (Sars) to use the tax system to pay employers a portion of workers’ wages automatically.