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.
Guptas' Optimum Coal mine risks suspension as workers protest
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Bloomberg reports that the Optimum Coal mine, which is linked to the politically connected Gupta family, will be suspended if managers fail to comply with the site’s social and labour plan.
Jobs crisis finally gets attention it deserves
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BusinessLive writes that galvanising business, labour and government into taking action against the country’s unemployment crisis has become a key task of all leaders when assuming office — and President Cyril Ramaphosa appears to be no different.
Seven North West traffic examiners nabbed in alleged driving licence scam
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News24 reports that the Hawks said on Tuesday that seven North West traffic examiners were among 14 people who have been arrested for allegedly issuing driving licences to applicants without testing them.
Naval project will create 5‚000 jobs over five years, Ramaphosa announces
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Timeslive reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday that a naval project for building ships will create about 5‚000 jobs in the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) over the next five years.
DA demands one-year wage freeze for public servants and a smaller Cabinet
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BusinessLive reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) wants a one-year freeze of public servants’ salaries and performance bonuses and a reduction of the Cabinet as ways of cutting government expenditure.
Ramaphosa promises to compensate families for killed Marikana miners
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BusinessLive reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised to compensate the families of 44 miners who died during clashes with police in Marikana in 2012.
KZN education department on brink of collapse, warns Sadtu in the province
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News24 reports that according to the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the provincial education department has dismally failed to prioritise its programmes and was at risk of collapsing.
NSFAS workers in Cape Town on strike for higher wages
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News24 reports that about 200 employees of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) are demanding higher salaries and other improvements.
Anger as striking DUT workers find pay packets slashed
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News24 reports that according to GroundUp the strike by staff, including academics, over salary increases at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) has entered its sixth week.
Activists join resistance to Coronation’s executive pay policies
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BusinessLive reports that Active Shareholder is the latest activist investor to express concern about the controversial remuneration policy of Coronation Fund Managers and said it would vote against it at Tuesday’s annual general meeting.
Cosatu and SACP insist on wide consultation ahead of expected cabinet reshuffle
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BusinessLive reports that ANC allies Cosatu and the SA Communist Party (SACP) have stressed the importance of newly elected President Cyril Ramaphosa consulting them as well as the leadership of the governing party ahead of his expected cabinet reshuffle.
Gauteng Roads Department fails to meet all its job creation targets
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eNCA reports that the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport did not meet a single target in its mandate to create jobs for unemployed people in the province, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Sunday.
R34m vanishes from Marikana community project
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Timeslive reports that a Marikana woman is living in fear after she was beaten and kicked by a man who lives in her street‚ allegedly for asking questions about R34-million for a community upliftment project that has vanished into thin air.
College registered with department but course not accredited
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City Press reports about the situation of Siphesihle Ndlovu, who after satisfying herself that Sandton Technical College was properly registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), enrolled for the national certificate in policing law.
Western Cape aims to help 11,000 apprentices get into labour market by 2019
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EWN reports that the Western Cape Government has activated its Red Tape Reduction Unit and hopes to assist more than 11,000 qualified apprentices to get into the labour market by 2019.
Shaun Abrahams’ dismissal to go to ConCourt next week
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Timeslive reports that the application by three NGOs to confirm a court order setting aside Shaun Abrahams’ appointment as national director of public prosecutions will be heard by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) next Wednesday.
DA’s Maimane blames Sadtu for ‘broken education system’
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The Citizen reports that during his reply on Monday to the state of the nation address (Sona), Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane said one of the difficult tasks that President Cyril Ramaphosa had to deal with was fixing a broken education system that was ravaged by a “militant” union.
Annual lifestyle audit for senior civil servants gets more backing
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Business Report writes that Lord Peter Hain, the anti-corruption crusader, on Friday gave his full backing to calls for senior civil servants and politicians to be subjected to annual lifestyle audits as a measure to curb corruption.
Changes coming at TVET colleges to aid overcrowded universities
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eNCA reports that Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on Monday that several changes would be implemented at Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges.
Four bogus doctors offering abortions nabbed in Mahikeng
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The New Age reports that four bogus doctors were arrested in Mahikeng after they were found offering abortion services yet could not produce proof that they were trained in the field.
Government and Chamber ordered to involve communities in Mining Charter talks
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BusinessLive reports that the High Court in Pretoria on Monday issued an order compelling the government and the Chamber of Mines of SA to involve communities affected by mining activities in new discussions over the Mining Charter.
Film on job pressures of SA junior doctors goes global
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ANA reports that the locally made film “Doc-U-Mentally” – which highlights the extreme pressures junior doctors face in South Africa – will be released globally on Monday via Amazon, iTunes and Google Play.
NUM says another worker killed at a Sibanye-Stillwater mine
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ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Monday that over the weekend another worker had died at Sibanye Stillwater’s Driefontein mine outside Carletonville.
Killer of Ladysmith cop gets 22 years
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The Mercury reports that a man found guilty of the murder of a police constable, who was a member of the Ladysmith Tactical Response Team (TRT), has been sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Major windfall for Clicks workers with disposal of 50% of Esop Trust shares
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Business Report writes that workers at JSE-listed retail healthcare group Clicks are set to receive a major windfall of R1.27bn after selling up to 7,642,904 Clicks Group ordinary shares at R166 a share.
Roundup on Monday, 19 February 2018 of weekend labour
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In our roundup of weekend news, see summaries of our
selection of South African labour-related stories
that appeared since Friday, 16 February 2018.
Cosatu calls for end to cadre deployment
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BusinessLive reports that trade union federation Cosatu on Sunday welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s promise of a more efficient government, but said any cuts should be made to the bloated Cabinet and senior administrative jobs rather than frontline positions.
Gautrain station manager reinstated after dismissal over ‘assault’ of commuter
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ANA reports that the United National Transport Union (Untu) on Sunday welcomed a recent Labour Court judgment ordering the immediate reinstatement by Bombela, the operator of the Gautrain, of a member with retrospective effect.
'Sex-for-marks' scandal rocks Eastern Cape school
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City Press reports that angry parents have shut down a school in the Eastern Cape in the wake of a scandal in which schoolgirls were extorted for sex in exchange for passing the year, and which has left one schoolgirl pregnant.
Paramedics robbed in Port Elizabeth while attending to patient
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News24 reports that two paramedics had their belongings stolen while attending to a patient in Port Elizabeth, an emergency services spokesperson said on Sunday.