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.
SA in danger of losing its tobacco-growing industry, with 10,000 direct jobs at risk
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BusinessLive reports that SA is at risk of losing its tobacco-growing industry following notification by British American Tobacco Southern Africa (Batsa) to the country’s only tobacco processor that it might have to consider buying foreign tobacco should the illicit industry gain further traction.
SABC job cut process on hold as talks with stakeholders continue
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BusinessLive reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), which remains in a dire financial situation, has suspended its staff retrenchment process amid pressure from the government, labour and other stakeholders.
Aurora’s Khulubuse Zuma sequestrated
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Netwerk24 reports that Khulubuse Zuma, ex- director of Aurora Empowerment Systems and nephew of former president Jacob Zuma, was provisionally sequestrated on Wednesday in the Durban High Court.
Port Elizabeth bookkeeper sentenced to 13 years in prison for defrauding employer of R4m
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News24 reports that a 45-year-old woman, who worked as a bookkeeper, has been given 13 years behind bars for defrauding her former employer of R4-million.
Harmony, Gold Fields selected for 2019 Bloomberg Gender Equality Index
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Mining Weekly reports that gold miners Harmony Gold and Gold Fields have been selected for the 2019 Bloomberg Gender Equality Index that distinguishes companies that are committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality.
Edcon closing in on rescue package, to the relief of its thousands of employees
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Business Times reports that Edcon has secured a deal in principle to recapitalise the business, averting the possible sell-off of the retailer's brands or closure of the country's largest non-food retailer.
Tensions between Sibanye-Stillwater and Amcu rise as secondary strike at company’s platinum mines looms
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City Press reports that the standoff between Sibanye-Stillwater and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) appears nowhere near to being resolved.
ANC’s talk about prescribed pension fund assets makes public sector unions, fund managers nervous
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Fin24 reports that the ANC’s commitment in its general election manifesto to investigating prescribed pension fund assets has public sector unions and financial institutions nervous that the party wants to use pension funds to feed Eskom and other troubled state-owned entities.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Thursday, 17 January 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, 17 January 2019.
Labour federation Saftu supports Amcu’s Sibanye wage strike
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Mining Weekly reports that the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) on Wednesday declared its support for the striking mineworkers employed at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations, as well as those who plan to undertake a secondary strike at the miner’s South African platinum operations, which is due to start next week.
Sibanye-Stillwater stares down Amcu in gold wage strike
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BusinessLive reports that Sibanye-Stillwater has so far weathered the strike that commenced at its local gold mines on 21 November 2018 fairly well.
Sadtu demands answers following suspension of Schweizer-Reneke teacher at centre of racism row
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News24 reports that the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) in the North West is demanding answers from the provincial department on why a teacher, who allegedly captured and shared a controversial image taken at Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke in the province, was suspended.
Tragic data shows capital fleeing from SA along with millions of jobs
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Well-known economist Mike Schüssler writes that South Africa attracts far less fixed investment as a percentage of GDP than any other emerging market.
North West MEC holds off on report into Schweizer-Reneke school saga to allow procedure to be followed
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TimesLIVE reports that North West education MEC Sello Lehari did not on Thursday release a preliminary report into the Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke saga as had been expected.
Agrizzi claims Bosasa used NUM boss to get catering contract at Gold Fields
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ANA reports that Angelo Agrizzi, the former marketing co-coordinator of Bosasa Facilities Management, on Wednesday spilled the beans about the inner workings and political links of the controversial company.
Government puts spanner in works with offer to nationalise Optimum Coal Mine
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David McKay writes that the government put a spanner in the works on Thursday after it said its African Exploration & Mining Finance Corporation (AEMFC) was participating in a consortium that would effectively nationalise Optimum Coal Mine.
Parliament’s labour committee begins process to correct error in national minimum wage law
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BusinessLive reports that Parliament’s labour committee on Wednesday resolved to introduce an amendment bill to correct an error in the national minimum wage law that possibly leaves workers vulnerable to employers who intend to circumvent regulations.
Former Bosasa COO says chemical union head took groceries as bribe to secure Sasol contract
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BusinessLive reports that the state-capture inquiry heard on Wednesday that facilities management company Bosasa gave a former union boss grocery parcels amounting to R15‚000 a month for him pressuring petrochemical giant Sasol to give the company a contract.
More protests against municipalities in 2018 than in the past 13 years
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BusinessLive reports that there were more municipal protests in 2018 than any other year since 2005, but analysts are worried that there could be another spike this election year.
Union membership verification at Sibanye’s gold operations suspended by Amcu
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Mining Weekly reports that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) on Wednesday suspended the process of verifying union membership at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations.
With more than half the original exec team gone, Alexander Forbes turns attention to rebuilding confidence
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BusinessLive reports that two more executives have resigned at Alexander Forbes (AF), bringing the number of those who have left since the unceremonious axing of CEO Andrew Darfoor in September to seven.
Transnet takes former executives to court over R1.3bn lost to corruption
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BusinessLive writes that state-owned freight and rail company Transnet has lost about R1.3bn through dodgy dealings and malfeasance and is in the process of recovering that money through lawsuits against former officials such as Siyabonga Gama and Brian Molefe.
Poultry industry could create 30,000 new jobs immediately in the right environment, says organisation
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BusinessLive reports that according to the SA Poultry Association (Sapa), if the right support measures were put in place by the government, including curbing cheap chicken imports, the sector could immediately create 30,000 new jobs.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 16 January 2019
- Details
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Wednesday, 16 January 2019.
Mathunjwa is fighting for Amcu’s future as reality of a new boss at Lonmin dawns
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David McKay writes that the strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold mines, due to be extended to its platinum group metal mines in Rustenburg in a secondary strike, feels like an important moment for both the company, and the Association of Mineworkers & Construction Union (Amcu).
Parliament’s labour portfolio committee to fix technical glitch in national minimum wage legislation
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EWN reports that Parliament’s labour portfolio committee has agreed to fix a technical glitch affecting the new National Minimum Wage Act by way of an amendment bill, while at the same time stressing that the new legislation was in full force and effect.
Sibanye-Stillwater undeterred by Amcu’s appeal against its takeover of Lonmin
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Moneyweb reports that Sibanye-Stillwater will have to wait longer for the conclusion of its long overdue all-share takeover of Lonmin following an eleventh hour appeal filed by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) against the Competition Tribunal’s approval of the transaction.
Transport department has backlog of 324,000 driving licence cards due to labour dispute
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TimesLIVE reports that the Department of Transport has a backlog of 324,000 driving licence cards that have yet been printed following delays caused by a labour dispute.
Implementing proposed tariff hikes could be Eskom’s death knell, Cosatu warns
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Business Report writes that Eskom’s proposal of a tariff increase of 15% for three years has been met with harsh criticism, with Cosatu warning the state-owned power utility that this could very well be its the death knell.
Suspended Schweizer-Reneke teacher vows to fight to clear her name
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Independent News reports that Elana Barkhuizen, the suspended teacher at the centre of the racism row that hit North West’s Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke last week, is determined to clear her name with the help of trade union Solidarity.