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.
Sectoral wage determinations ‘must stay’ after national minimum wage becomes law
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BusinessLive reports that strong opposition has been expressed in Parliament to the abolition of sectoral wage determinations once the national minimum wage (NMW) bill becomes law.
Pietermaritzburg waste picker's death a 'tragedy', says deputy environmental affairs minister
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News24 reports that Deputy Environmental Affairs Minister Barbara Thomson on Sunday labelled the death of a waste picker, who was killed after being caught in a trash compactor vehicle, as a tragedy.
Labour dispute delays services on Saturdays at Home Affairs in Limpopo
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SABC News reports that Department of Home Affairs (DHA) clients queuing outside the offices in Tzaneen in Limpopo have urged Minister Malusi Gigaba to intervene to make sure that the offices were opened on Saturdays.
Labour Minister to give update on Monday on national minimum wage bill process
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News24 reports that Minister of Labour Mildred Oliphant is due on Monday to update the media on the progress made regarding the National Minimum Wage (NMW) bill. She is expected to outline what the parliamentary process will entail and the way forward.
Getting trains working in Cape Town an “urgent task” for transport minister, but no time frame provided
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GroundUp reports that after it wrote to the Ministry of Transport to ask what was being done to help improve the situation of Metrorail in Cape Town, Minister Dr Blade Nzimande said that stabilising Metrorail was a priority.
Suspensions after alleged sexual assault at Unisa child centre
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eNCA reports that the University of SA (Unisa) on Friday said it had taken note of and was gravely concerned about allegations of sexual harassment and possibly rape against one of its employees at its Centre for Early Childhood Education (UCECE).
NUM claims workers at Gupta-owned coal mines not paid for March
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ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Friday expressed concern that workers at the Gupta-owned Optimum and Koornfontein coal mines had not yet been paid for March.
SABC top brass to meet disgruntled unions over planned changes at news division
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News24 reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC’s) acting CEO Nomsa Philiso is planning to meet unions to discuss proposed changes at the public broadcaster’s news division that have upset many staff members.
Maximum of R500,000 per person in silicosis payout
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City Press reports that the long-awaited settlement for former gold mine workers with lung diseases will apparently be between R70,000 and R500,000 per person.
Tiger Brands cuts 300 contract jobs at four plants in wake of listeriosis crisis
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City Press reports that up to 300 contractor or temporary jobs have been culled at four plants that Tiger Brands has shut down or where it has suspended operations as the food giant tries to contain the damage caused by its association with the listeriosis crisis.
Steinhoff proposes good rewards for executives despite sinking shares
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Business Times reports that troubled retailer Steinhoff' plans to reward its directors for doing an "exceptionally demanding" job despite the company wiping out almost €12-billion (about R174-billion) of shareholders' money in an accounting scandal last year.
Amcu demands summit to discuss renewable energy and jobs
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Mining Weekly reports that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has called for an urgent summit with labour, state-owned power utility Eskom and government to discuss renewable energy and jobs.
ConCourt to decide if singing of ‘Kill the boer’ is grounds for dismissal
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The Star reports that the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) is due to bring finality to the question of whether the singing of a struggle song with the lyrics “Kill the boer” is grounds for firing black workers for being racist.
Western Cape community healthcare workers march to become public servants
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GroundUp reports that about 80 community healthcare workers marched to the Western Cape provincial legislature on Thursday demanding to be integrated as public servants in the Department of Health.
Numsa to down tools on 25 April to defend the right to strike
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Fin24 reports that the National Union of Mineworkers of SA (Numsa) on Thursday called on its members to embark on a general strike on 25 April 2018 to defend the right to strike.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Thursday, 22 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
Thursday, 22 March 2018.
Minimum living wage should be R6,000, says Magda Wierzycka
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Business Report writes that the CEO of asset management company Sygnia, Magda Wierzycka, said on Thursday that the minimum living wage for South Africans should be R6,000 per month.
Waste picker killed at Pietermaritzburg site by trash compactor vehicle
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Groundup reports that a waste picker was killed by a trash compactor vehicle at the New England landfill site in Pietermaritzburg. Nswaki Mahlakwane died on the scene when she was caught in the machine on 14 March.
Overtime pay limit a threat to KZN Easter traffic safety
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Timeslive reports that on the eve of Easter weekend the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) transport department is scrambling to ensure that Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officials will be patrolling freeways at night.
Police impound over 100 'death-trap' Joburg minibus taxis used daily to transport commuters
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The Star reports that more than 100 unroadworthy minibus taxis have been impounded by the Johannesburg Metro Police Department since 1 March, including 26 in a blitz in Rosettenville on Tuesday.
Survey shows plight of sex workers
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The New Age reports that as SA marked Human Rights Day on Wednesday, the plight of sex workers was put under the spotlight by a survey entitled: ‘The Policing of Sex Work in South Africa’.
Sex workers approach court for interdict after assaults and threats by Primrose community forum
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Timeslive reports that the Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Task Force (Sweat) on Tuesday approached the High Court in Pretoria to ask that the Primrose Community Police Forum (CPF) be interdicted from beating‚ threatening and using snakes or dogs against sex workers.
In bid to stop pension fund graft, giving or receiving of gifts prohibited
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Moneyweb reports that in a bid to curb corruption in the pension fund industry, Dube Tshidi, the registrar of pension funds at the Financial Services Board (FSB), has issued a directive forbidding the giving or receiving of gifts.
Police union issues ‘stern warning’ over new police top brass appointments
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ANA reports that the SA Policing Union (SAPU) on Wednesday criticised recent top brass police appointments, saying they were patronage awards to those loyal to national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole.
Rand Merchant Bank focuses on robotics as a way to improve performance
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Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) writes in a sponsored article that, as part of its strategy to stay at the leading edge of innovation, it is focusing on robotics as one of the ways in which to improve the bank’s overall performance and help digitise operations.
Man accused of rape of domestic worker back in court on Thursday for bail hearing
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SABC News reports that a Pretoria man accused of raping a domestic worker and forcing her to perform sexual acts on his dogs was due on Thursday to appear in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court for his final bail hearing.
Amcu’s Mathunjwa calls Mantashe ‘a horrible minister’
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SABC News reports that the march by the Association for Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) on Tuesday to the Union Buildings was marred by new Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe’s decision to leave the venue without receiving the union’s memorandum of demands.
Acsa staff in push to have CEO removed
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BusinessLive reports that employees of the Airports Company of SA (Acsa) are campaigning to remove Bongani Maseko, CEO of the state-owned company, based on forensic reports that recommended disciplinary action against him and three senior managers.
Roundup on Thursday, 22 March 2018 of recent labour reports
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In our morning roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared on Tuesday, 20 March
and Wednesday, 21 March 2018.
Mashaba sacks senior Joburg official over setting up of ombudsman call centre
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Timeslive reports that City of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba said on Thursday that a manager who helped a company without relevant experience land a lucrative contract has been dismissed.