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.
Safety hits take shine off golden boy of Sibanye-Stillwater Neal Froneman
- Details
Business Times writes that Neal Froneman, hailed as the saviour of SA’s ageing and decrepit gold mining industry and well regarded by investors, now faces the challenge of rising fatalities at his Sibanye-Stillwater operations.
Solidarity welcomes resignation of Denel Group CEO
- Details
Engineering News reports that trade union Solidarity on Tuesday welcomed the resignation of Denel Group CEO Zwelakhe Ntshepe.
Calls to scrap Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems) growing
- Details
Daily News reports that calls by private doctors and private ambulances and emergency services to have the Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems) scrapped is gaining momentum.
Taxpayers won’t pay Tom Moyane’s legal bills for disciplinary hearing, Ramaphosa insists
- Details
EWN reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken a hardline approach with suspended SA Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner Tom Moyane.
Over two-thirds of active work seekers have been looking for work for more than a year
- Details
BusinessLive reports that SA’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 26.7% in the first quarter of 2018, Statistics SA indicated in the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), released on Tuesday.
No salary increases or bonuses for Eskom top management
- Details
BusinessLive reports that Eskom has frozen all new appointments as well as pay increases and bonuses for senior management as it battles to reduce its crippling operating costs.
Contractor killed and two burnt in transformer explosion at Shoprite Cape Town warehouse
- Details
Timeslive reports that an electrical contractor was killed and two colleagues seriously burnt when a transformer exploded and caught fire during an inspection at a Shoprite warehouse in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 15 May 2018
- Details
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Tuesday, 15 May 2018.
Mantashe wants mining companies to pay attention to fall-of-ground accidents
- Details
ANA reports that Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday urged mining companies to give consistent priority attention to fall of ground and seismic-related accidents.
Electioneering behind much of the opposition to minimum wage, claims Mildred Oliphant
- Details
BusinessLive reports that according to Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, some of the "propaganda" against the national minimum wage (NMW) was nothing more than electioneering and an attempt to score cheap political points.
Lonmin to shed thousands of jobs in current financial year
- Details
Business Report writes that platinum producer Lonmin, which is being bought by Sibanye-Stillwater, announced on Monday that it would cut thousands of jobs in the current financial year as part of its plans to release 12,600 workers in the next three years.
Unemployment rate steady at 26.7% in first quarter of 2018
- Details
Reuters reports that SA’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 26.7% of the labour force in the first quarter of 2018 compared with the last quarter of 2017, SA Statistics said on Tuesday.
Government faces strike action as PSA starts balloting its members over wage increases
- Details
Fin24 reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) is to start balloting its members in favour of a strike as the union grows increasingly frustrated with protracted public sector wage negotiations.
Cost of bus strike 'will linger for years to come', says bargaining council after deal
- Details
Cape Times reports that according to the SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council (Sarpbac), the bus sector would count the cost of the month-long strike for years to come as employees returned to work on Tuesday.
Case brought by Springs farm worker allegedly forced to drink faeces postponed
- Details
City Press reports that the case of a Springs farmworker who was allegedly forced to drink faeces by his employer has been postponed to 29 May.
Sactwu agrees 8% wage hike in the general goods and handbags leather sector
- Details
The Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers’ Union (Sactwu) reported on Monday that it has settled its 2018 wage negotiations for the General Goods & Handbags (GGH) leather sector.
Striking bus drivers officially back behind the wheel by Wednesday
- Details
Timeslive reports that striking bus drivers are officially expected to return to work on Wednesday‚ although most might be back behind the wheel on Tuesday.
Equal Education boss resigns after sex pest accusations by staff
- Details
Timeslive reports that, while protesting his innocence‚ Equal Education general secretary Tshepo Motsepe has resigned after being accused of sexual harassment. An independent panel will now investigate the assertions made against him by some women staff at the civil society organisation.
Solidarity unveils action plan on US steel, aluminium import tariffs
- Details
Engineering News reports that Solidarity on Monday announced an action plan in response to the decision by the US not to grant the SA steel and aluminium industries exemption from import tariffs.
SA needs skills-focused education to beat unemployment, says World Bank report
- Details
BusinessLive reports that the World Bank says SA needs a stronger education system to address the skills constraints hampering employment.
Row over procedure threatens disciplinary hearing of suspended SARS chief Tom Moyane
- Details
BusinessLIve reports that a dispute over procedure threatens to derail the disciplinary hearing of suspended SA Revenue Service (SARS) boss Tom Moyane.
National bus strike finally ends, with services to begin again on Tuesday
- Details
Fin24 reports that bus drivers have officially ended their protracted strike after reaching a compromise wage settlement with employers on Monday. Drivers agreed to a 9% wage hike for the first year and 8% for the second year of a two-year deal.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Monday, 14 May 2018
- Details
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Monday, 14 May 2018.
Optimum Coal mine stripped bare of R3bn by the Guptas
- Details
Times Select writes that over two years the Gupta family, through its network of companies, “stripped” its largest mining asset of at least R3-billion in cash from profits. The money was allegedly spirited out of the country almost as soon as it was paid.
Suspended SARS boss wants state to pay legal costs of hearing
- Details
BusinessLive reports that suspended SA Revenue Services (SARS) boss Tom Moyane has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa challenging rules that could see his disciplinary inquiry conducted in writing.
Cosatu concerned about ongoing political killings in KwaZulu-Natal
- Details
ANA reports that labour federation Cosatu on Monday condemned the attack on Allen Thompson, KwaZulu-Natal-based deputy president of the National Teachers’ Union (Natu), who survived an attack by a group of armed men.
Focus of mining transformation should be on 'quality over quantity', says Frans Baleni
- Details
BusinessLive reports that Mining Indaba advisory board member and former National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) general secretary Frans Baleni says transformation in the mining industry should focus on quality over quantity.
Little optimism for better jobs rate notwithstanding business confidence boost in first quarter
- Details
BL Premium writes that improvements in the political climate since the ANC's elective conference in December boosted business confidence in the first quarter of the year, which could lift the jobs data to be published in the Quarterly Labour Force Survey on Tuesday.
Former top cop Lamoer, two others don’t apply for leave to appeal corruption sentences
- Details
News24 reports that retired Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer and two former police officers have decided not to appeal their sentences for corruption.
Murdered Taxify driver’s family want case solved and justice done
- Details
The Independent on Saturday reports that the aunt of 21-year-old Siyabonga Ngcobo, who was kidnapped and locked in the boot of his Taxify car before it was set alight in Pretoria in March, says she will not rest until justice for her nephew is done.