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.
Sans Souci teacher and pupil’s mother each open assault cases after slapping incident
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that police confirmed on Wednesday that the Sans Souci Girls' High teacher who was filmed slapping a learner in a heated altercation has opened a case of assault against the pupil.
Staff picket at Eskom’s HQ over potential job cuts
- Details
Reuters reports that several dozen Eskom employees picketed at the state-owned power utility’s headquarters on Wednesday protesting against potential job cuts and a proposal to split up the ailing company.
Patients victims of Leratong hospital strike with many unable to leave or enter during protest
- Details
The Star reports that a new mother was among a large number of patients who were barred from either entering or leaving Leratong Hospital on the West Rand due to a strike over staff shortages and alleged nepotism.
Illegal miner killed in gas explosion at Gloria Mine, undetermined number still trapped underground
- Details
News24 reports that one man, believed to be an illegal miner, has died after an explosion at the shuttered Gloria Coal Mine in Mpumalanga.
Cosatu readies for national strike on 13 February against job losses, reiterates calls for VAT rate reduction
- Details
Fin24 reports that trade union federation Cosatu is gearing up for a national strike on Wednesday, 13 February, with protests planned in all nine provinces over the coming weeks.
Cape Town overtakes Johannesburg as SA city with most and best-paying jobs
- Details
Cape Argus reports that jobs search engine Adzuna has found that Cape Town is now the city in SA with the most job opportunities, with 14,023 jobs advertised on the site in January 2018.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 6 February 2019
- Details
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Wednesday, 6 February 2019.
Malema’s lawyer Tumi Mokwena acquitted of the attempted murder of four Zebediela farmworkers
- Details
SowetanLive reports that EFF leader Julius Malema's lawyer Tumi Mokwena has been acquitted on four counts of attempted murder by the Polokwane High Court.
Minister institutes probe into workplace bullying of junior employees in the public service
- Details
News24 reports that Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) Minister Ayanda Dlodlo has ordered an investigation into allegations of workplace bullying and unfair treatment of junior employees in the public service.
GDE investigating allegations of sexual assault by male teacher at Centurion primary school
- Details
ANA reports that the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) said on Wednesday that it was aware of sexual assault allegations levelled against a teacher at Valhalla Primary School in Centurion.
Fedusa places general secretary on special leave, says he had no mandate to purchase AYO shares
- Details
Fin24 reports that trade union federation Fedusa has placed its general secretary Dennis George on special leave pending a probe into the purchase of shares in AYO Technology Solutions.
Twenty-two people intent on stealing cables trapped in Mpumalanga mine shaft
- Details
The Citizen reports that a group of 42 Lesotho nationals, who allegedly went underground at a Mpumalanga mine in an attempt to steal cables, were impacted when a gas explosion took place on Wednesday.
Sometimes a strike is necessary to sort out underlying relationship issues, says Sibanye boss
- Details
Business Report writes that Sibanye-Stillwater chief executive Neal Froneman on Tuesday told investors that the protracted Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) strike was necessary to address underlying relationship issues as attitudes between the company and the unions harden. 
New owners of Lily Mine could start recruiting employees as early as March
- Details
ANA reports that the new owners of the ill-fated Lily Mine, Siyakhula Sonke Empowerment Corporation (SSC), said on Tuesday that the mine would soon resume operations following the recruitment of new employees.
Sibanye-Stillwater says children burnt in firebombing as violent gold strike rumbles on
- Details
Miningmx reports that innocent by-standers including children were injured in the violence triggered by the 12-week strike by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations, its CEO Neal Froneman said on Monday.
More staff suspensions likely as Transnet works through forensic report backlog
- Details
Fin24 reports that further provisional suspensions of staff might be on the cards at Transnet as auditors at the state-owned port and freight rail operator continue to comb through past forensic reports.
Auditors raise concerns about effectiveness of public-sector lifestyle audits
- Details
BusinessLive reports that speakers at the Public Sector Forum said on Tuesday that performing lifestyle audits on public-sector employees was unlikely to make a meaningful impact on corruption.
Most residents feel mines do not benefit nearby communities, ActionAid survey finds
- Details
BusinessLive reports that most residents of eight mining communities that were surveyed by ActionAid SA said that they derived no benefit from having a mine in their area and that its proximity brought health and environmental problems instead.
Cosatu laments poor oversight of PIC by Government Employee Pension Fund trustees
- Details
BusinessLive reports that according to Cosatu, the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) could have exercised better oversight over the scandal-ridden Public Investment Corporation (PIC).
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 5 February 2019
- Details
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Tuesday, 5 February 2019.
Wage strike at RCL Foods’ Millbake operation looms
- Details
The Citizen reports that a National Trade Union Congress delegation is due to meet with RCL Foods on Wednesday in a final bid to avert a bread and flour strike.
Unbundling Eskom won't solve its debt woes, says Cosatu
- Details
Reuters and Business Report write that trade union federation Cosatu said on Tuesday that it opposed a proposal to split up state-owned Eskom into three different entities, noting that it would not solve the struggling power utility's governance and debt problems.
SA Medical Association tells medical interns not to go to work until salaries paid
- Details
EWN reports that the SA Medical Association (Sama) has called on all medical interns and community service doctors who have not yet received their January salaries to not report to work until they have been paid.
Cape Town Speaker declines to act against JP Smith in ‘jobs-for-pals’ top cop hiring
- Details
Cape Argus reports that City of Cape Town Speaker Dirk Smit has decided not to act against JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, over the alleged irregular appointment of Robbie Robberts, the director of policing and enforcement services.
Samwu union leaders in Limpopo flee homes after suspected VBS killings
- Details
City Press reports that fearing for their lives, union bosses have allegedly gone into hiding following the recent murder of Roland Mani, deputy secretary of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) in Limpopo.
Gauteng health portfolio committee to assess impact caused by late payment of intern doctors
- Details
News24 reports that Gauteng's Portfolio Committee of Health has welcomed Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa's intervention after her department failed to pay medical interns on time.
Unemployed youth spend over R900 a month looking for a job
- Details
Lauren Graham and Leila Patel, researchers at the University of Johannesburg, write that young South Africans spend on average R938 a month looking for work.
Minimum wage exemptions will leave workers worse off than under existing sectoral determinations
- Details
BusinessLive reports that according to the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group, the exemptions provided for in regulations under the National Minimum Wage Act mean that workers in some sectors will, in effect, be earning poverty wages.
Industry, labour warn Nersa of Eskom death spiral should its tariff application be granted
- Details
BusinessLive reports that Eskom, which is facing a net loss of R20bn in the current financial year and is burdened by R419bn debt, says it needs multi-year increases well in excess of inflation to return to sustainability.
Private hospitals warn draft NHI legislation threatens up to 132,000 jobs
- Details
BusinessLive reports that according to SA’s private hospital groups, National Health Insurance (NHI), which the government is pushing as the solution to the country’s health crisis, could lead to the loss of up to 132,000 jobs.