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.
Roundup on Monday, 10 September 2018 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, 7 September 2018.
Unprotected strike halts production at Vametco vanadium mine
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Mining Weekly reports that Bushveld Minerals reported on Friday that production had been temporarily stopped at the Vametco vanadium mine, near Brits, in the North West, owing to unprotected industrial action.
Sasol executives score R106m in share options
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Moneyweb reports that petrochemicals giant Sasol has granted executives share options under its long-term incentive plan worth over R106 million at current prices.
Scores of Gauteng government workers don’t know where to report on Monday for duty
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City Press reports that scores of government workers in Gauteng do not know whether or not to report for duty today – or where to report to.
Protect our teachers from pupils‚ says Sadtu
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Timeslive reports that a principal at a secondary school in the Eastern Cape suffered a large gash on the forehead‚ above his left eye‚ after being attacked by a pupil.
Health department calls for police to act on sabotage at its Civitas HQ building
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Timeslive reports that the national health department on Friday condemned acts of sabotage at its Civitas Building head office in Pretoria.
Rheinmetall Denel Munition reassures community about safety of Somerset West site
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Timeslive reports that Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) has reassured residents that the company’s Somerset West site‚ where eight people were killed in an explosion last Monday‚ presents “absolutely no risk” to the surrounding area and communities.
Wild Coast special economic zone in Mthatha could create thousands of jobs
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City Press reports that thousands of jobs are on the cards for the Eastern Cape, with plans to develop the Wild Coast special economic zone in Mthatha now gaining momentum.
Older doctors walk away from public health service
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City Press reports that the public health sector is bleeding older healthcare professional providers (HPPs), who are leaving the state to practice in the private sector.
CCMA seeks to intercede in Solidarity’s strike at Sasol
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Fin24 reports that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) wants to assist in defusing the strike by trade union Solidarity at Sasol over the company’s empowerment share scheme.
Pikitup resumes refuse collections with police escorts
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News24 reports that Pikitup has resumed refuse collection around Johannesburg and Soweto with armed escorts protecting employees who had their lives threatened last week amid a row over hiring practices.
Jobs at MultiChoice on the line as DStv struggles
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Business Times reports that MultiChoice, grappling with new competition in the form of streaming services such as Netflix, is considering job cuts as part of its plan to create a "leaner" business.
Exhausted Joburg firefighters suffer trauma after colleagues’ deaths
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The Citizen reports that the trauma of losing three of their colleagues in Wednesday’s fatal fire in Johannesburg has led to more firefighters being hospitalised. In addition to the deaths, about eight firefighters were hospitalised for injuries and smoke inhalation on Wednesday.
Solidarity workers protest on Thursday over Sasol empowerment scheme
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AFP reports that about 2,000 members of Solidarity protested on Thursday against a plan by petrochemical company Sasol to allocate shares only to its black employees.
‘Support for transition away from coal should aid workers and communities, not Eskom’
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Engineering News reports that a new report into SA’s coal sector argues that any subsidies set aside for the country’s “inevitable” transition away from coal in electricity production should be tailored to protect workers, their dependants and communities, rather than Eskom, or the coal sector as a whole.
Transnet suspends two senior executives, CEO Siyabong Gama also nears end of the line
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BusinessLive reports that two senior Transnet officials, implicated in the dodgy procurement of 1,064 diesel and electric locomotives, have officially been suspended, with embattled CEO Siyabonga Gama expected to follow soon.
Killer of Kimberley cop gets life in prison
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News24 reports that cop killer Mzwandile Majosi has been sentenced to life in prison for stabbing off-duty Constable Lentswe Mogorosi to death, the Hawks said on Thursday.
Names released of the three firefighters who died in Joburg blaze
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News24 reports that the names of the three firefighters who lost their lives on Wednesday in a blaze at a building in Johannesburg have been released by Public Safety MMC Michael Sun.
Search on for cause of deadly Rheinmetall Denel depot blast
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News24Wire reports that emergency agencies and government authorities are working with Rheinmetall Denel Munition to identify the cause of a deadly blast that claimed the lives of eight people, the company said on Wednesday.
Five nabbed for allegedly dousing Pikitup manager with petrol, threatening to set him alight
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News24 reports that five suspects accused of dousing a Pikitup general manager with petrol and threatening to set him alight have been arrested. A Gauteng police spokesperson confirmed on Thursday that the suspects would appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court "in due course".
Protect the poor and leave the constitution alone, says Cosatu
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Bloomberg reports that Cosatu sees no need to change the constitution to make it easier to expropriate land without compensation — and thinks the poor need the protection offered by the constitution as it stands.
Amplats’ sustainable development reporting lacking, says Bench Marks Foundation
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The Citizen reports that independent nongovernmental organisation the Bench Marks Foundation (BMF) on Wednesday called on Anglo American Platinum Corporation (Amplats) to develop a comprehensive accounting model that fully disclosed all benefits to employees and local communities.
Employee who was 'in the room' where fatal fire started could provide answers about the cause
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Timeslive reports that a government employee who was “in the room” where a fatal fire broke out in downtown Johannesburg on Wednesday will be interviewed‚ Gauteng Premier David Makhura indicated.
White staff at Eastern Cape psychiatric hospital claim racial abuse
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SowetanLive reports that a group of 27 white health and administration staff at the Eastern Cape's premier psychiatric hospital, Fort England in Grahamstown, have alleged they are victims of racial discrimination, abuse and hate speech.
Families of victims of Denel explosion to receive continuous support
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ANA reports that munitions company Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) on Wednesday pledged to provide “continuous support” to families, employees and community members affected by the explosion at its factory in Macassar‚ Western Cape‚ which left at least eight people dead.
Trial of police captain accused racially abusing black colleagues continues on Thursday
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ANA reports that the legal representative for a police captain accused of racially abusing black police officials and using the k-word told the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday that a witness was not present when the commissioner of oaths signed her statement.
‘Political forces’ behind interruptions to Pikitup services, claims Herman Mashaba
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BusinessLive reports that Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba says interruptions to the city’s refuse removal services over the past two weeks have been "politically motivated".
Telkom, three universities launch SA4IR to develop a national Fourth Industrial Revolution agenda
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Engineering News reports that telecoms company Telkom and the universities of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg (UJ) and Fort Hare on Wednesday launched SA4IR, a national response to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Solidarity members protest at Sasol plant on Wednesday over black staff share scheme
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Reuters reports that about a hundred workers from trade union Solidarity staged a brief protest outside Sasol’s chemicals plant in Sasolburg on Wednesday over a share scheme offered exclusively to black staff.
Parliament's portfolio committee on labour calls for speedy probe of deadly Denel explosion
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BusinessLive reports that Parliament’s portfolio committee on labour has called for a speedy investigation of the deadly blast on Monday at a Denel plant in the Western Cape.