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.
ANC MPs fail to get approval for appointment of former Msunduzi mayor to Public Service Commission
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News24 reports that opposition MPs stood up and cheered when the ANC didn't have enough MPs in the National Assembly on Tuesday to approve the nomination of former Msunduzi mayor Zanele Hlatshwayo as a Public Service Commission (PSC) commissioner.
Fochville worker dies after trench collapses, leaving him under nine tons of sand for five hours
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News24 reports that a man in his 30s has died while he was laying pipe in the bottom of a trench that collapsed on top of him alongside Danie Theron Street in Fochville in Gauteng on Tuesday afternoon.
SAA to pay 50% of November salaries and 13th cheques on Wednesday and balance on Monday
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BusinessLive reports that employees at South African Airways (SAA) will be paid 50% of their November salaries and 13th cheques on Wednesday.
Dismissed KZN sex pest teachers are just the 'tip of iceberg'
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Daily News reports that education stakeholders have welcomed the dismissal of eight KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) education department officials for sexual misconduct, but cautioned that it was only the tip of the iceberg.
Strategic privatisation of certain state assets possible, Cosatu says
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BusinessLive reports that Cosatu will hold discussions on economic policy with its political allies, the ANC and SACP, in the next two weeks, which will include identifying state assets that can be partially privatised.
Association rewards taxi driver graduate by refunding his R52,500 study fees
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SowetanLive reports that an East Rand taxi driver who graduated with a Bachelor's degree in education has been rewarded by his association with a refund of the fees he spent on his studies.
Former Public Protector COO maintains in court papers contesting her dismissal that Mkhwebane acted unconstitutionally
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News24 reports that former Public Protector operations chief Basani Baloyi stands by her claim that Busisiwe Mkhwebane abused her office and acted in her personal interests when she dismissed Baloyi.
Four injured, one critically, in explosion at factory in Wynberg, Sandton, on Monday
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News24 reports that four people were left injured on Monday afternoon, one of them critically, following an alleged explosion at a factory in Wynberg, Sandton.
Free State’s Cuban engineer scheme collapses, with only three of the original 37 technical advisers left
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The Citizen reports that the Free State province’s Cuban Technical Advisers programme, which has cost the taxpayer more than R80 million since its inception by then premier Ace Magashule more than four years ago, has apparently collapsed.
DA concerned citizens being 'misled' about NHI Bill at provincial public participation hearings
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News24 reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Monday as it delivered about 87,000 petitions about the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill to parliament that people were being misled about what the bill was really about.
Up to 27 black executives declined CEO position at Eskom
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BusinessTech reports that up to 27 black executives were approached for the position of Eskom chief executive officer, but all turned it down. The Ministry of Public Enterprises last week announced Andre de Ruyter as Eskom’s new group chief executive.
CCMA finds SAA can continue with process to retrench managers
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Fin24 reports that a retrenchment process at managerial level at South African Airways (SAA) is set to continue on 3 December this year. This was indicated by Derek Mans, Solidarity's representative at the state-owned airline, on Monday.
RBPlat concludes five-year wage deal with unions, with 7% increase in first year
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Reuters reports that Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) announced on Monday it had agreed to a five-year wage deal with its biggest trade union the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
‘Labour will be much tougher to handle at Eskom than at SAA’
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BL Premium writes that employees at SAA took a beating in last week’s strike, getting nothing more than the 5.9% they were offered on the eve of the strike. They had to throw in the towel after losing a week’s wages, but at Eskom things will not be over quite so fast.
Living conditions of Philippi farmworkers deteriorate
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GroundUp writes that Fransina Sauls has been living and working on the Bock family farm in the Philippi Horticultural Area in Cape Town for nearly a decade. The building she and her family share with several families is falling apart, but the Bock family says they can do nothing as they are battling just to keep the vegetable and pig farm going.
Harmony Gold taken to task at AGM for not having reduced fatalities
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Business Report writes that Harmony Gold Mining Company's struggle to eliminate fatalities during the year to the end of June came under the spotlight at the company's annual general meeting (AGM) held on Friday.
Roundup on Monday, 25 November 2019 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, 22 November 2019.
‘Women go unseen in the shadow of SA mining’
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BL Premium writes that the SA mining industry’s workforce is about 13% female, with the percentages being higher in more senior positions, and lower in the less skilled ones. When it comes to working underground, women have a slim chance of making the cut.
Report that SABC wants SSA to spy on staff misleading, says the public broadcaster
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News24 reports that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has hit back at the Sunday Times following its report that the public broadcaster's board resolved at a meeting in October to use the State Security Agency (SSA) to "manage leaks".
Gay ex-flight attendant in battle with Comair after being dismissed for alleged sexual harassment
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News24 reports that a former Comair flight attendant is questioning how he lost his job as a cabin crew member after engaging in what he thought was an honest conversation with a colleague.
Tzaneen municipal manager suspended for 'tough' stance against tender fraud and corruption
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Sunday Independent reports that the Greater Tzaneen Municipality in Limpopo has suspended its municipal manager, Serapelo Matlala, for taking a hardline stance against tender fraud, corruption and irregularities worth millions of rand.
Train stations vandalised, set alight in Gauteng last week after failed attempt to terminate security contracts
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GroundUp reports that last week saw several train stations and substations hit by vandalism, theft and burning in Gauteng. The affected stations included Park, Maraisburg, Doornfontein and Germiston.
Middleman's mom alleged to have intimidated witness in Popcru assassination case
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News24 reports that allegations of witness intimidation have surfaced in the bail application of three men accused of hatching a plot to assassinate senior members of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru).
With Saldanha steel plant to close, West Coast livelihoods in danger
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News24 reports that dozens of Saldanha steel workers picketed in front of the West Coast plant on Thursday chanting "We want steel, we want steel!"
SAA task team to begin its search for salary increase difference in two weeks
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EWN reports that a task team set up to find money for staff salaries at South African Airways (SAA) said on Friday it would start its work in two weeks’ time.
Two Johannesburg police officers killed on Saturday might while responding to a hijacking
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ews24 reports that national police commissioner General Khehla John Sitole has condemned the killing of two police officers who died on Saturday night.
Dutch government to invest R300m in Khayelitsha and Nyanga transport
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The Citizen reports that the City of Cape Town’s transport directorate will receive R300 million in grant funding from the government of the Netherlands over the next five to ten years, to improve public transport for commuters from two of the city’s townships, Khayelitsha and Nyanga.
Seven KZN teachers and administrator expelled for sexual misconduct
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News24 reports that seven teachers and one administrator, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct, have been expelled by the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) department of education.
SAA confirms all flights back on schedule after unions accepted pre-strike wage offer on Friday
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EWN and BusinessLive report that on Saturday South African Airways (SAA) assured passengers that flights were operating on schedule, a day after employees agreed to return to work following a crippling wage strike.
SAA won’t be able to pay staff salaries for November on normal payment dates
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BusinessLive reports that cash-strapped national carrier South African Airways (SAA) says it will not be able to pay staff salaries for November on the normal scheduled payment dates.