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.
New Transnet CEO ready to clean up the ‘rot’, says she won't hamper investigations against her ex-husband Brian Molefe
- Details
Fin24 reports that in an interview with Sunday Times, newly appointed Transnet CEO Portia Derby promised to clean up what she referred to as the "rot" at Transnet.
Toyota’s injection of R4.28bn into SA’s economy will create more than 1,500 jobs
- Details
Moneyweb reports that Toyota SA Motors (TSAM) is investing R4.28 billion in SA between October last year and this year, including R2.43 billion for the production of a new passenger model at its manufacturing plant in Prospecton near Durban.
Cosatu 'ready for a fight' as it presents its R254 billion Eskom rescue plan on Monday
- Details
Bloomberg reports that Cosatu will present its proposal to rescue state-owned power utility Eskom to senior members of government and the business community on Monday.
Organised business calls for halt to recruitment drive at Emfuleni municipality where general workers earn R19k per month
- Details
Vaal Weekblad reports that amid a worsening revenue crisis and failure to pay service providers, general workers at Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) reportedly earn R19,000 per month.
Nine Lesotho nationals stoned to death in Matholeville near Roodepoort, allegedly by fellow zama-zamas
- Details
News24 reports that the police have launched a massive manhunt for suspects who stoned nine Lesotho nationals to death in Matholeville informal settlement, near Roodepoort, on Friday.
Amathole municipal union leader and whistle-blower shot dead outside home on Wednesday
- Details
DispatchLIVE reports that Amathole union leader and whistle-blower Simphiwe Mdingi died in a hail of bullets in the driveway of his Amalinda home in East London on Wednesday night.
Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital has lowest staff attendance rate among Gauteng's largest hospitals
- Details
News24 reports that Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital has the lowest staff attendance of the seven largest hospitals in Gauteng, having recorded a rate of 72% last year.
Policeman and security guard killed in ambush in Tembisa on Saturday
- Details
News24 reports that an Ivory Park policeman and a security guard were fatally wounded in an apparent ambush in Tembisa on Saturday.
Seven Chinese citizens accused in human trafficking case also owe labour department millions
- Details
News24 Wire reports that seven Chinese citizens accused of human trafficking and kidnapping allegedly owe the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) more than R7 million, and the department wants them to face additional charges.
SAA cancels close to 100 domestic and international ‘low demand’ flights to cut costs
- Details
Moneyweb reports that South African Airways (SAA) has cancelled 53 domestic and 46 international “low demand” flights in February in order to cut costs for the national carrier, which is undergoing business rescue.
Numsa’s illegal strike at Durban plant costing Toyota 500 vehicles a day
- Details
BusinessLive reports that Toyota SA president and CEO Andrew Kirby hopes a week-long, illegal strike which has brought the company’s Prospecton, Durban vehicle assembly plant to a standstill will be over “very soon”.
Retired Lesotho miner accuses Metropolitan of trying to trap him in SA by paying his annuity monthly rather than in a lump sum
- Details
The Star reports that a Lesotho retired mine worker has accused Metropolitan of trying to trap him in South Africa after the financial services firm allegedly “refused” to give him the rest of his savings.
Former MICT-Seta boss in R14.6m scandal
- Details
The Star reports that a report by Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has revealed how an ex-Seta boss channelled millions of rand to a company owned by his nephew using his official laptop.
Estranged spouse who claimed he and wife were reconciling loses second battle for R4m death benefit
- Details
The Mercury reports that for the second time in a year, a Durban man separated from his late wife has failed in attempts to receive a benefit of almost R4-million following her death in June 2016.
Cosatu want private pension funds to fund infrastructure
- Details
Bloomberg reports that in addition to suggestions Cosatu made in a November document that civil servants’ pensions and a state-run unemployment fund be used to cut Eskom’s debt, the labour federation wants the government to consider making it mandatory for private pension funds to invest part of the money they control in infrastructure.
Translux, City to City employees finally paid their full January salaries on Thursday
- Details
SowetanLive reports that Translux and City to City employees were on Thursday finally paid the outstanding half of their January salaries.
KZN man 'caught red-handed' printing security, matric and tertiary certificates
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that a man in northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) was arrested on Wednesday after being “caught red-handed” printing fake security, matric and tertiary certificates.
Compensation Fund’s failure to pay health providers since October 2019 bodes ill for NHI
- Details
BL Premium reports that in a failure that could intensify concerns about the administration of the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI), the Department of Employment and Labour’s Compensation Fund has not settled most of its bills since October 2019.
Brian Molefe could pay back reduced figure to Eskom pension fund after Transnet set-off
- Details
BL Premium reports that former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe could pay back less than the R10m the courts ordered him to return to the state-owned power utility’s pension fund.
In addition to its proposed Eskom rescue package, Cosatu proposes wider economic reforms
- Details
BL Premium writes that trade union federation Cosatu is pushing for a series of economic interventions, alongside its plan to help stabilise the finances of beleaguered power utility Eskom.
Principal removed from post as probe continues into horrific death of Grade 9 pupil Laticia Jansen
- Details
News24 reports that the principal of the Graceland Education Centre, which was attended by murdered Grade 9 pupil Laticia Princes Jansen, has been moved to another post.
Unions slam proposed 5% increase to national minimum wage and want 12.5% instead
- Details
Fin24 reports that trade union federations have slammed a proposed increase to the National Minimum Wage (NMW) of 5%, branding it "totally unjustifiable".
Kudos from Amcu for Sibanye’s safety improvement at gold operations
- Details
Business Day comments that from being one of SA’s worst performers on the mining safety front in 2018, Sibanye-Stillwater has reached 10-million fatality-free shifts on its gold operations, which is no small achievement.
Court dismisses bid to halt sale of Gupta’s Koornfontein coal mine
- Details
BL Premium reports that a court application by an unsuccessful bidder to stop the R300m sale of the Gupta’s Koornfontein coal mine to another party has been dismissed.
Numsa signs three-year wage deal in automotive components, motor retail sector
- Details
Engineering News reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), which represents about 306,000 employees at automotive components companies, petrol stations and car dealerships, has signed a three-year wage agreement with employers.
Rise in liquidations in 2019 shows just how tough trading conditions are for business
- Details
BusinessLive reports that it’s still unclear whether SA scraped by with any growth in 2019, the year’s liquidation figures reflect just how tough conditions have become for businesses.
Cash-strapped Autopax to pay balance of January salaries by Wednesday
- Details
BusinessLive reports that according to the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu), employees of state-owned bus company Autopax will get the rest of their salaries on Wednesday.
Fewer work opportunities for LGBTIQ candidates
- Details
City Press reports that discrimination by employers towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people results in higher unemployment rates and longer job search periods, as well as their self-elimination from the paid labour force.
Ekurhuleni waste removal workers ‘labouring under risky, hazardous conditions’
- Details
The Citizen reports that in one of the worst cases of apparent exploitation in contravention of the Labour Relations Act (LRA), workers employed to remove waste in various parts of Ekurhuleni have for some months been “labouring under risky and hazardous conditions”.
Gwede Mantashe says government aims to set up artisanal mining sector
- Details
BL Premium reports that according to mineral resources & energy minister Gwede Mantashe, his department will soon start compiling fatality and injury statistics of illegal miners to give society a hard look at the human cost of the activity.