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.
Public sector wage talks stutter after budget
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BusinessLive reports that public sector wage talks, in which considerable progress had been made prior to the tabling of the budget, have begun to falter as unions say they may need to rethink their positions.
Axed Prasa workers claim ex-CEO Lucky Montana orchestrated train arson
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City Press reports that a group of 700 former workers dismissed by the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) five years ago have accused the agency’s former CEO, Lucky Montana, of being the brains behind the burning of train coaches.
With 30,000 jobs gone, drought inflicts mounting losses to crops in Western Cape
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Reuters reports that the severe drought afflicting the Western Cape is expected to cut agricultural output by 20% this year, decimating the wheat crop and reducing apple, grape and pear exports to Europe.
Unemployed women should be trained to produce and supply govt-issued sanitary pads, says ANCWL
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News24 reports that ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) has said that capacity building programmes for unemployed women on how to produce sanitary pads and run a business to supply government-issued sanitary pads should be offered to primary and high school pupils.
Court reinstates DMR regional manager who had been fired at gates of Gupta mine
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City Press reports that the labour court on Friday reinstated Mpumalanga regional manager in the Department of Mineral Resources, Aubrey Tshivhandekano, who had been fired by former mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane last month.
Fedusa: Markus Jooste needs to go to jail for a long, long time
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EWN reports that the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) says that former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste should go to jail for a long time for his underhanded dealings.
Jobs crisis looms as drought grips Eastern Cape
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City Press Business reports that the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality is under pressure to ensure the region’s taps do not run dry as half of the businesses in the area say their operations will be severely hindered, and some are even predicting closure due to the continuing drought.
Police constable stabbed to death in Pretoria on Friday night
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News24 reports that a police constable has died, and his colleague is recovering in hospital, after they were attacked while on duty in Pretoria late on Friday night.
UniZulu staff advised to return to work on Monday following violent student protests
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News24 reports that University of Zululand (UniZulu) staff have been instructed to return to work on Monday, following violent student protest action on Thursday.
DUT lectures to resume on Monday despite no end in tense wage talks
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News24 reports that wage negotiations between Durban University of Technology (DUT) management and striking staff were unable to reach a conclusion on Friday, despite hopes that they would finalise their talks by the weekend.
Lynne Brown doesn’t understand she was complicit, says Saftu’s Vavi
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The Citizen reports that there was widespread applause from trade union federations, civil society and opposition parties after “complicit” former public enterprises minister Lynne Brown resigned as an MP on Thursday.
Treasury panel to look into zero-rating more goods for VAT
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BusinessLive reports that Treasury is to convene a panel of independent experts to investigate the potential for an expansion or review of the basket of goods zero-rated for VAT.
Unpaid Gauteng community health workers protest at MEC Gwen Ramokgopa’s office
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BusinessLive reports that community health workers have taken their grievances to Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa.
UCT in race row over deputy vice-chancellor’s appointment
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BusinessLive reports that amid a fresh dispute on transformation at the University of Cape Town (UCT), the institution’s Black Academic Caucus (BAC) is seeking legal advice over the appointment of Lis Lange as deputy vice-chancellor for teaching and learning.
'You are playing with fire,' Cosatu warns government on VAT increase
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News24 reports that trade union federation Cosatu has rejected the proposed one percentage point hike in Value Added Tax (VAT) that was announced by former finance minister Malusi Gigaba last week.
Cape Town Methodist church calls for decriminalisation of sex work
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GroundUp reports that Reverend Alan Storey of the Central Methodist Mission, together with members of the Asijiki Coalition for the Decriminalisation of Sex Work, on Thursday hoisted a banner over the church steeple in Greenmarket Square in Cape Town in support of the decriminalisation of sex work.
Police pilot gets promotion and back pay eight years after his death in helicopter crash
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The Citizen reports that the family of Tinus Gouws, who had been a pilot in the air wing of the SA Police Service (SAPS) before his death, has won a long court battle for his promotion from warrant officer to captain.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Thursday, 1 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, 1 March 2018.
With 1,400 jobs cut at its biggest mine, Implats loss narrows
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Bloomberg reports that Impala Platinum cut 1,400 jobs at its Rustenburg operations, narrowed its loss and closed shafts as the producer of platinum-group metals (PGM) seeks further cost reductions to boost cash flow by as much as R1bn in the next two years.
Cosatu warns of nationwide strike if Parliament fails to reject VAT hike
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EWN reports that the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has threatened to mobilise workers for a nationwide strike if Parliament fails to reject the proposed increase in the value-added tax (VAT).
Gwede Mantashe wants Mining Charter agreement in three months
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BusinessLive reports that in his first public comments on the Mining Charter, new Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said on Wednesday he would like the document outlining obligations on companies to transform to be finalised in three months.
Nehawu accuses NYDA board members of corruption for hiking their salaries
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ANA reports that the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) on Thursday accused top executives of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) of corruption.
Disgraced Eskom executive Sean Maritz resigns with immediate effect
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Timeslive reports that disgraced Eskom executive Sean Maritz has submitted his resignation with immediate effect. The state-owned power utility's spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe confirmed that Maritz‚ who was on suspension as Head of Information Technology‚ submitted his resignation earlier on Thursday.
Optimum workers paid, but questions raised about future sale of mine
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ANA reports that Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources heard on Wednesday that there was no reason to place Optimum Coal Mine into business rescue other than the financing woes of Tegeta Exploration and the now fugitive Gupta family.
Cosatu, SACP strangely quiet about VAT increase, leaving budget protests to the DA
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Ann Crotty writes that strangely the Democratic Alliance (DA) appears to be the loudest opponent to what has been described as possibly the most regressive national budget since 1994.
Unpaid protesting Zululand workers shot at by police, claims municipal union
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ANA reports that the Municipal and Allied Trade Union of SA (Matusa) on Thursday condemned the police for brutally shooting at workers who had gone on strike because the Zululand District Municipality had failed to pay wages on the due date.
Alarm at resurgence in mine deaths
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Financial Mail reports that it is estimated that 88 miners died in accidents on SA’s mines last year, which was an unhappy regression for the industry because fatalities had fallen from 615 in 1993, to 200 in 2007, to 73 in 2016.
Sale of Gupta-owned Tegeta may be ‘fake’, NUM warns Parliament
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BusinessLive reports that one of the issues facing new Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe will be whether to approve the sale of the Gupta-owned Tegeta Exploration & Resources to little-known Swiss clothing company Charles King for R3bn.
Numsa rejects increase in VAT from 14% to 15% and other levy increases
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ANA reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) appeared before Parliament’s standing and select committees on finance on Wednesday to make submissions on the 2018 fiscal framework and revenue proposals in the 2018 Budget.
Saftu spokesman Patrick Craven's house raided‚ laptop and cell phone stolen
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Timeslive reports that according to Patrick Craven, spokesperson of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), his laptop and cell phone were taken on Wednesday by people purporting to be from the SA Revenue Service (SARS).