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.
Amcu leader Mathunjwa protects corrupt union leaders, Brits court hears
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ANA reports that the Brits Magistrate's Court heard on Thursday that Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa protected members implicated in corruption.
Education department welcomes resignation of alleged racist Parktown Boys High School teacher
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EWN reports that the Department of Education says it is satisfied with the resignation of an alleged racist teacher at Parktown Boys High School in Johannesburg.
Killers of two Joburg cops sentenced to 125 years behind bars
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Saturday Star reports that two of the men responsible for the 2015 shooting on the N3 highway that claimed the lives of two police officers are set to spend the rest of their lives in prison.
Two justice department officials suspended for calling black co-worker a ‘monkey’
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EWN reports that two employees from the Department of Justice have been suspended for referring to a black co-worker as a monkey and a baboon on social media.
Act 'facilitates smooth eviction of farm workers and dwellers' rather than protecting them
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The Star reports that Human Rights Commissioner and former ANC Western Cape chairperson Chris Nissen last week slammed the Extension of Security of Tenure Act (Esta).
Sex pest controversy results in apology from Grant Thornton Johannesburg
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Timeslive reports that business consulting firm Grant Thornton Johannesburg announced on Friday that it had cut all ties with a former director accused of making sexual advances towards a female employee. He allegedly also touched her inappropriately at the workplace.
Parliament calls on Steinhoff to block executives’ bonuses
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Business Report writes that Parliament on Wednesday called on global retailer Steinhoff to block any bonuses to its executives.
Vavi catches flak on Twitter for correctly noting that the VAT ‘rate’ has increased by 7%
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Timeslive reports that confusion over the difference between a percentage increase and a percentage point increase was shown in some of the responses Zwelinzima Vavi received when he tweeted that everything would go up from Sunday due to a 7% increase in VAT.
Over 11% of government posts still vacant, says Public Service Commission
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The Star reports that the Public Service Commission (PSC) has urged the government to urgently fill critical posts in various departments.
Strife looms in parliament after managers ‘renege’ on deal to forfeit pay hikes
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The Sunday Times reports that Parliament’s executive managers have received more than R2m in salary increases backdated to April last year. This has raised the ire of staff who say their bosses had previously agreed to forfeit such hikes because there was no money.
Hundreds of permanent employees at Telkom Direct stores outsourced on contract basis
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The Sunday Independent reports on a “unilateral” restructuring process undertaken by Telkom that resulted in hundreds of permanent employees being outsourced on short-term contracts.
Public sector unions apprehensive that wage talks delay will mean lower offer
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Mail & Guardian reports that public sector unions are bracing themselves for a stand-off with the government because they fear Ayanda Dlodlo, the new minister of public service and administration, will present a lower wage offer than the one put on the table by her predecessor, Faith Muthambi.
Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene orders review of VAT zero-rated items
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BusinessLive reports that Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene has requested the chair of the Davis Tax Committee‚ Judge Dennis Davis‚ to appoint a panel of independent experts to review the current list of zero-rated items.
Two-day strike by Shoprite employees over work conditions
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News24 reports that Shoprite employees nationwide embarked on a two-day protest on Wednesday and Thursday to demand better working hours, permanent jobs and provision of late-night transport.
CSIR warns of jobs-for-sex scam using its name
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News24 reports that the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on Thursday warned that two individuals were scamming young people by promising them fake jobs at the organisation.
High Court rules against Numsa urgent bid to stop signing of IPP electricity deals
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ANA reports the National Union of Metalworkers of SA’s (Numsa’s) legal bid to prevent the Minister of Energy Jeff Radebe and Eskom from concluding agreements with independent power producers (IPPs) has been struck off the roll as the application was found to be not urgent.
SA mine deaths rise to 22 so far this year
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Bloomberg reports that the number of people killed in South African mines has reached 22 this year, as mining companies struggle to improve on their safety record in 2017, when deaths increased for the first time in a decade.
Transport union UNTU declares wage dispute with Prasa, train strike looms
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GroundUp reports that on Wednesday the United National Transport Union (UNTU) declared a dispute with Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) over a deadlock reached in the 2018 wage negotiations.
Labour Department to probe fatal collapse of Durban building under construction
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Timeslive reports that the Department of Labour (DOL) has launched an investigation into a building collapse in Jacobs‚ south of Durban‚ which claimed the lives of three construction workers on Wednesday.
Nedlac slams labour department’s bungling of minimum wage draft legislation
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BusinessLive reports that Madoda Vilakazi, executive director of the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), has said that the Department of Labour’s bungling of draft policy agreements reached at the institution undermines its work.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 28 March 2018
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In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Wednesday, 28 March 2018.
Twelve Eastern Cape municipal officials arrested for fraud after allegedly flouting tender processes
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News24 reports that 12 Mnquma Municipality officials have been accused of fraud and corruption after allegedly flouting tender processes, the Hawks in the Eastern Cape have said.
Mogoeng tells employers to do the right thing and end gender-based salary bias
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Timeslive reports that Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has waded into the debate around equal pay for men and women in the private sector‚ saying employers did not need the law to change this situation.
Beneficiation will create mining jobs, says Amcu
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The New Age reports that Joseph Mathunjwa, president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), has called for increased beneficiation in the mining sector so that more jobs could be created.
Bail hearing on Wednesday for men accused of murders of platinum belt union leaders
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EWN reports that the two-day bail hearing of seven mine workers accused of orchestrating the murders of union leaders in and around Marikana was due to begin in the Brits Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Amcu says deaths of two Harmony Gold miners could have been avoided
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EWN reports that according to the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), the deaths of two workers at Harmony Gold’s Joel Mine in the Free State could have been avoided.
Court hears Numsa application to halt Eskom deals with independent power producers
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ANA reports that the High Court in Pretoria has heard an application by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) to prevent the energy minister and Eskom from concluding agreements with 27 independent power producers (IPP) pending a separate, related court case.
Shoprite Checkers staff down tools on Wednesday ahead of Easter holidays
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Daily News reports that Shoprite Checkers workers have embarked on a three-day strike, which started on Wednesday and will end on Friday.
SA’s child labour shame exposed in Stats SA report
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The New Age reports that more than half a million children in South Africa, some as young as seven, were being used for child labour in 2015.
Many medical scheme members struggle to pay for mental illness bills
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BusinessLive reports that many medical scheme members with mental illness are being forced to dig deep into their own pockets to foot their bills and are delaying or stopping treatment when the money runs out.