Today's Labour News

newsThis 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.

Robben Island Museum staff hand over petition spelling out grievances

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protestTimeslive reports that on Friday Robben Island Museum staff briefly downed tools to hand a list of grievances to management of the World Heritage Site.  Salaries‚ contract workers and the state of the harbour on the island were among their complaints.  

Protest as killers of Taxify driver still on the loose

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protestSaturday Citizen reports that hundreds of Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) students as well as Taxify and Uber drivers marched through the streets of Pretoria on Friday to the site where young Taxify driver Siyabonga Ngcobo’s body was found burnt beyond recognition in the boot of a car.  

PSA wants details from PIC on Steinhoff shares for purposes of class action

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psaEWN reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) has written to the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) requesting information regarding the number of Steinhoff shares purchased by the body on behalf of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF).  

Settlement in silicosis class action lawsuit expected within six weeks

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miner thumb medium90 104Reuters reports that gold producers will likely reach a settlement within six weeks in a lawsuit over a fatal lung disease that companies have set aside R5 billion in provisions for, a lawyer and an industry group said on Sunday.  

Employees at Enterprise Foods in Polokwane in limbo amid listeriosis outbreak

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newsThe Sunday Independent reports that employees at the Enterprise Foods factory in Polokwane are in limbo as they don’t know whether they will be paid or not following the listeriosis outbreak having been traced to the factory.  

NUM to launch court bid to remove Optimum Coal Mine business rescue practitioners

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numMiningmx reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) will be seeking to dislodge the business practitioners appointed for Optimum Coal Mine owing to their alleged links to the Gupta family which owns the operation through Tegeta Resources.  

Nehawu calls off DUT strike with deal on 7% across the board wage increase

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DUTANA reports that the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has reached an agreement with the Durban University of Technology (DUT) to end a protracted eight-week wage strike.  

Sanlam trims bonuses over Steinhoff exposure of clients

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earningsBusinessLive reports that Sanlam CEO Ian Kirk is taking a 20% cut on his 2017 bonus – a reduction of R2.5m – as part of a company-wide trim to incentives relating to Steinhoff exposure contained in client funds.  

Tshwane bus services suspended over drivers’ strike about working hours

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tshwane thumb100 The Citizen reports that after Tshwane bus drivers went on strike on Wednesday over a dispute with Tshwane Bus Services (TBS) management about working hours, operations were suspended indefinitely.  

Nehawu strike ‘won’t stop water services’ says Water and Sanitation

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strike thumb medium85 85The Citizen reports that the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is confident there is no risk of an interruption to water supply services.  

Afternoon roundup of labour news on Thursday, 8 March 2018

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news shutterstockIn our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Thursday, 8 March 2018.

Jobs and profits drying up on Western Cape grape farms due to drought

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farming thumb medium80 84GroundUp reports that Nico Greeff, a grape farmer in Vredendal who is also chairman of the Olifants River Table Grape Producers’ Association and a director of the SA Table Grape Board, says he will make no profit this season.  His farm is one of the suppliers for Namaqua Wines.  

Two former drivers deny burning Tshwane bus in 2016, killing co-striker

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tshwane thumb100 The Citizen reports that two former Tshwane bus drivers who were seen on video footage entering and exiting an A Re Yeng bus seconds before it was set alight told the High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday that it was a mere coincidence they were on the bus that day.  

Three cop killers shot during raid in KwaMashu on Wednesday

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sapsTimeslive reports that three men – thought to be linked to the slaying of a policeman in KwaMaphumulo two weeks ago – were shot and killed during a tactical raid in KwaMashu on Wednesday night.  

Mayflower principal accused of raping three school boys

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gavel thumb100 Timeslive reports that a 53-year-old principal from Mayflower near Dundonald has appeared in the local magistrate's court for allegedly raping three of his male pupils.  

Endumeni mayor and his bodyguards attacked me‚ municipal worker claims

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newsTimeslive reports that police are investigating a case of assault after a municipal employee claimed he was attacked by a KwaZulu-Natal mayor and his bodyguards.  

With talks on verge of collapse, DUT wage strike may resume

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DUTThe Mercury reports that resumed wage negotiations between the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and unions are on the verge of collapse and the strike may resume.  

Standard Bank disciplines employee for “acting out of mandate” in opening Gupta account

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standardbankCity Press reports that Standard Bank has instituted disciplinary proceedings against an employee who had offered to reopen bank accounts for Gupta companies currently under business rescue.  

Mantashe to meet workers at troubled Gupta-owned Optimum mine on Thursday

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mantasheANA reports that newly-appointed Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe was due on Thursday to meet with workers at the troubled Optimum coal mine in Mpumalanga in a bid to resolve the impasse that arose after workers downed tools demanding salaries and answers about the future of the mine.  

Nehawu strike at water and sanitation indefinite, department admits to budget depletion

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strike thumb medium85 85The Citizen reports that the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) said its strike at 53 workplaces across the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) would remain indefinite until all demands had been met.  

Informal gold miner shot dead, eight others arrested at Benoni mine

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handcuffsGroundUp reports that an informal gold miner was shot dead on Saturday and eight others were arrested by security guards at a mine in Benoni.  

Staffer at Cape Town high school suspended over sex videos with ‘dozens of pupils'

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education blackboard thumb medium80 92Timeslive reports that a staff member at a Cape Town high school has been suspended over allegations that he filmed himself having sex with dozens of pupils.  

Ngubane: Eskom's problems started when Brian Molefe left

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eskomEWN reports that former Eskom board chairperson Ben Ngubane on Wednesday gave the parliamentary Eskom inquiry a glowing account of former chief executive Brian Molefe.  

Prasa condemns attack on Wednesday at Pretoria station on staff, train by angry mob

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metrorail thumb medium90 92ANA reports that Metrorail Gauteng has condemned an attack on four staff members at Pretoria Station on Wednesday evening.  

Eskom inquiry hears that Koko wasn't suspended earlier to avoid litigation

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eskomBusiness Report writes that at the parliamentary inquiry into Eskom currently being held, it was discovered that the power utility delayed the suspension of former acting CEO Matshela Koko in 2017 to avoid litigation.  

Eskom to scrutinise staff numbers, assets in cost-structure revamp

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eskomBloomberg reports that Eskom is reviewing its business, including staff numbers and possible asset sales, to find a way out of massive debt and develop a more sustainable model.  

Drought has halted economic growth in the Western Cape, MEC tells provincial legislature

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westerncape thumb medium80 80BusinessLive reports that Western Cape finance MEC Ivan Meyer said in his budget speech on Wednesday that the drought has halted economic growth in the province.  Agriculture and agri-processing‚ which together produced goods and services worth R54bn‚ had been hard hit‚ he indicated.  

Financial sector union Sasbo livid at announcement of 3,000 job cuts at Nedbank because of robotics

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sasboANA reports that financial sector union Sasbo on Wednesday condemned Nedbank for announcing plans to cut 3,000 jobs as a result of robotics.  The union also threatened "serious action plans" if the bank sidelined it in future decisions on staff.  

Abalone poaching case against nine Fisheries Department inspectors postponed

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gavel thumb100 ANA reports that nine marine inspectors from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) appeared in the Hermanus Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on a range of charges including corruption.  

Samwu to consult members on ‘laughable’ municipal wage offer

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samwu thumb medium80 78ANA reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) indicated on Wednesday that it would be consulting union members on a revised wage offer.