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.
Bosasa workers turn to Correctional Services for jobs as firm sinks
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Sunday Tribune reports that workers at African Global Operations (AGO), formerly known as Bosasa, have appealed to the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to employ them.
Eight people arrested on Friday as Nehawu members, TVET students storm Durban ICC
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Sunday Tribune reports that the police arrested at least eight people on Friday afternoon when union members and students protested outside the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
Roundup on Monday, 25 February 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 February 2019.
Companies scramble for interdicts to block Amcu’s secondary mine strikes
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BusinessLive reports that urgent applications lodged in court by 15 mining companies to prevent Thursday’s seven-day secondary mining strikes called by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) might stop the action before it starts.
Gloria coal mine death toll rises to 18 with the recovery of 13 more bodies
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ANA reports that rescue and body retrieval workers on Friday afternoon brought to the surface 13 more bodies of suspected copper cable thieves from the underground area at Gloria coal mine in Mpumalanga.
Amcu’s sympathy strike campaign suffers blow as it retracts notices at some mines
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Miningmx reports that efforts by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) to increase pressure on Sibanye-Stillwater through a seven-day campaign of secondary strikes suffered a setback over the weekend after it was advised by its lawyers to retract strike notices at a number of companies.
Amcu sympathy strike to spread to at least 15 producers, warns Minerals Council
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Reuters reports that the Minerals Council SA (MCSA - previously known as the Chamber of Mines) said on Friday that at least 15 mining firms had received notices of strikes to be held this week in support of industrial action at Sibanye-Stillwater, where workers are on strike over wages and job cuts.
Sanco fights for overworked Baragwanath employees
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Sowetan reports that a civic organisation has called on the Gauteng government to hire more staff members at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (Bara) or face the wrath of the masses.
Jobs-for-sale scandal rocks SABC radio station Thobela FM
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SowetanLive reports that SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) radio station Thobela FM in Limpopo has been rocked by allegations of a jobs-for-sale scandal.
Union survey indicates that at least 70 schools in SA are ‘death traps, on verge of collapse’
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The Citizen reports that according to a report on a survey conducted by the Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie (SAOU), thousands of pupils throughout the country were facing the danger of school buildings collapsing on them.
ANC’s Zizi Kodwa accused of rape
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City Press reports that a woman has accused head of the ANC’s presidency office and the party’s acting spokesperson, Zizi Kodwa, of drugging and raping her at a hotel room in Sandton in April last year.
Unions slam SAA’s proposed plan to restructure into three business units
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The Sunday Independent writes that SA Airways (SAA) and organised labour are not on the same plane when it comes to SAA’s proposed turnaround strategy.
Nehawu’s battle at TVET and CET colleges over wages and employment conditions rages on
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The Sunday Independent reports that the impasse between the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) at colleges continues, with the strike over salaries and working conditions having entered its second week.
Public service unions threaten ‘rolling mass action’ against austerity budget
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BusinessLive writes that trade unions are seething with anger following Wednesday’s national budget speech, with a number of them threatening to go on strike in response to the government’s austerity plans.
With curse of South Deep still haunting Gold Fields, benefits of massive job cuts remain elusive
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Financial Mail reports that in the year ended December 2018, production across Gold Fields globally slipped 3%, revenues were 7% lower and losses for the year slid to $348.2m, compared to $19m the year before.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Thursday, 21 February 2019
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In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Thursday, 21 February 2019.
Sugar tax increase will shrink the industry further, says South African sugar association
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ANA reports that the South African Sugar Association (SASA) said on Thursday it was disappointed by the announcement that there would be an increase in the Health Promotion Levy (HPL), commonly known as the "sugar tax".
Robbers flee with three kidnapped guards
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Sowetan reports that three security guards were kidnapped and then later dropped off on the highway early on Tuesday morning after a failed break-in at a mall in Alberton. The suspects had tried to break in at the Baby and Company shop at West Pack Lifestyle Alberton.
Unions tell Mboweni to cut costs at level of high-earning top
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The Citizen reports that labour federation Cosatu and its public service union affiliates are up in arms over Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s plan to cut the public service wage bill by R27 billion over the next three years.
New Carbon Tax gets roasted by AA, Cosatu
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Fin24 reports that there has been largely negative reaction to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's announcement on Wednesday that a Carbon Tax - which forms part of government's efforts to deal with climate change - will be instituted in early June on petrol and diesel.
ANC spokesman’s former PA hits back at outcomes of sexual harassment complaint
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News24 reports that as the ANC’s spokesman Pule Mabe returns to work after being cleared of sexual harassment, his former personal assistant who lodged the complaint against him, has come out in public and rejected the findings.
Unspent NHI funds shifted to provinces so they can fill critical public healthcare posts
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BusinessLive reports that in a pragmatic move to tackle one of the most pressing problems confronting public healthcare, the Treasury has shifted unspent National Health Insurance (NHI) funds to provinces so they can fill critical posts.
Cutifani confirms 27 February Amcu strike at Amplats, hard on heels of Harmony, AngloGold notices
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Miningmx reports that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has reportedly issued seven-day sympathy strike notices to AngloGold Ashanti and Harmony Gold, with its members set to down tools on 27 February.
Popcru calls for calm as police attacked, officers' houses torched in Bloemhof protest
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TimesLIVE reports that three houses were torched, a police station was damaged and officers were attacked after violence erupted on Wednesday evening in Bloemhof, in the North West.
Maritime safety authority wants know what triggered deadly blaze at ship in Durban harbour
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TimesLIVE reports that according to the SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa), a preliminary investigation was underway into what started a fire that claimed six lives at the Durban port last Thursday, with outcomes expected at the end of the week.
Failed bid by three guards involved in Clifton beach saga for registration reinstatement
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News24 reports that the Clifton beach saga resurfaced on Wednesday with a court dismissing an application to have the suspended registration of three private security guards reinstated by the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA).
Lonmin gets notice from Amcu of sympathy strike in support of Sibanye gold industrial action
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Fin24 reports that platinum producer Lonmin has received notice of a sympathy strike from the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) in support of its ongoing industrial action at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations.
Cosatu draws line in the sand over trimming of public sector, Eskom's unbundling
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The Star reports that Cosatu has drawn a line in the sand over government’s plans to trim the public sector and unbundle troubled power utility Eskom.
ANC pleads with banks for Bosasa workers
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SowetanLive reports that the ANC has called on banks to keep the accounts of Bosasa open to allow employees to receive their salaries.
Parliamentary committee corrects error on National Minimum Wage Act
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EWN reports that Parliament's portfolio committee on labour has moved to correct a technical error in the National Minimum Wage Act, which came into effect on 1 January.