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.
Women-led Eskom team in rescue of trapped Beatrix miners
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News24 reports that the team of Eskom workers who rescued 955 miners from Sibanye Gold’s Beatrix mine, who were trapped for more than 24 hours below ground last week, were led by a dynamic group of women.
National Minimum Wage Bill erodes R20 deal
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City Press reports that unions have warned that the National Minimum Wage (NMW) Bill has backtracked from last year’s agreement between unions and businesses in numerous small ways that water down the watershed new intervention in the labour market.
Uber drivers in SA to launch new bids to get recognised as employees
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City Press reports that Uber drivers in SA will soon launch a new bid to get recognised as employees of the global taxi behemoth, challenging the casualised “gig economy” model of work.
Aveng and NUM at odds over number of possible layoffs at subsidiary
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BusinessLive reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and construction company Aveng are at loggerheads over claims of "mass" retrenchments by an Aveng subsidiary.
Strike action delays start of DUT’s academic year by a week
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BusinessLive reports that an ongoing staff strike at the beleaguered Durban University of Technology (DUT) has forced the start of the academic year to be delayed by a week.
Beatrix miners rescued from underground after Eskom restores power early on Friday
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BusinessLive reports that electrical power was restored to the Beatrix gold mine owned by Sibanye-Stillwater early on Friday morning, allowing the rescue of some 948 miners trapped underground since Thursday morning.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Thursday, 1 February 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 February 2018.
Hundreds trapped underground in Free State mine due to electrical outage
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News24 reported on Thursday that hundreds of miners were trapped underground in Sibanye-Stillwater’s Beatrix mine in the Free State following an electric cable outage after a storm on Wednesday night.
Police service still has illiterate members, members of parliament told
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EWN reports that members of parliament's police portfolio committee were left gobsmacked after it was revealed that the police service still has illiterate members.
Steinhoff scandal cost Government Employees Pension Fund R20bn
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Business Report writes that the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) lost about R20bn from the collapse of global retailer Steinhoff’s share price after the group admitted accounting irregularities.
ANN7 staff fear job cuts after MultiChoice announces non-renewal of contract
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SowetanLive reports that fears of job losses have gripped ANN7 employees after pay-tv company MultiChoice announced its decision to cut ties with the Gupta-linked 24-hour news channel.
First pay rise for Lonmin bosses in five years
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Business Report writes that platinum producer Lonmin said on Tuesday that it had increased the salary of its chief executive, Ben Magara, for the first time since October 2013.
Eskom’s head of generation Matshela Koko suspended
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ANA reports that Eskom's head of generation, Matshela Koko, on Wednesday confirmed that he had been suspended from the state-owned power utility.
SABC gets new COO in former journalist Chris Maroleng
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BusinessLive reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has confirmed that it has appointed former journalist Chris Maroleng as its chief operating officer (COO) with effect from 1 February.
Joburg metro police pay tribute to two colleagues killed in roadblock accident
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Timeslive writes that, leaning on a crutch with his knee bandaged‚ Terrence Mhindurwa, and also Lance Mangoro, on Thursday returned to the site where their colleagues‚ Johannesburg metro police officers Winnie Mokgolo and Sophie Ngoasheng‚ were killed earlier this week.
Former Reiger Park principal ‘a notorious womaniser’
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The Citizen reports that the former Reiger Park school principal allegedly caught on video having sex with a pupil has been described by someone who knows him as a “notorious womaniser” who allegedly abused his power to gain sexual favours from female pupils.
Molefe wants to appeal pension pay-back ruling, but Solidarity says it’s just a postponing tactic
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The Citizen reports that former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe wants to appeal against a damning court ruling that he must pay back the lump sum of over R10.3m of a R30.1 million pension he received.
Wits University and unions reach wage deal ending strike
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GroundUp reports that the week-long workers’ strike at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) has been suspended after management and the workers’ unions reached an agreement on Wednesday afternoon.
State tables draft agreement with favourable proposals for labour ahead of 2019 poll
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BusinessLive reports that seemingly in a quest to avoid a strike on the eve of the 2019 general election, the government has tabled a draft wage agreement with several proposals favourable to labour unions.
Department of Labour concedes blunder with definition of ‘worker’ in minimum wage bill
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BusinessLive reports that the Department of Labour has conceded that it erred when it changed the wording of the definition of "worker" in the National Minimum Wage Bill.
Driver who killed two JMPD cops at roadblock had empty booze bottles in his bakkie
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Timeslive reports that the driver of a Toyota Hilux which ploughed into two Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers at a manned roadblock – killing them instantly - had at least three empty bottles of spirits in his vehicle.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 30 January 2018
- Details
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Tuesday, 30 January 2018.
Teachers, principal implicated in Reiger Park High sex scandal removed
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ANA reports that Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said on Tuesday that all implicated teachers and officials involved in the Reiger Park High School sex scandal have been removed from the school and an investigation has begun against the principal.
Wits and unions fail a meeting on Monday to clinch deal to end wage strike
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GroundUp reports that negotiations between University of Witwatersrand (Wits) management and workers’ unions ended in a stalemate on Monday.
Denel can pay staff until March, but needs a long-term liquidity solution
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BusinessLive reports that state-owned arms manufacturer Denel has managed to pay creditors and employees over the past two months, but still needs to find a long-term solution to its liquidity crunch, the company’s executives said on Tuesday.
Three suspected 'zama zamas' shot dead by police, 14 arrested in Boksburg
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News24 reports that three alleged illegal miners, known as zama zamas, were shot dead and 14 others were arrested following a shootout with police in Boksburg on Monday morning.
Rubber bullets fired on Monday during DUT workers' strike
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News24 reports that striking Durban University of Technology (DUT) staff members who belong to various unions were met with rubber bullets on Monday when they attempted to disrupt registration processes on campus.
Nehawu members down tools at Sol Plaatje University
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SABC News reports that members of the National Health Education & Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) have downed tools at Sol Plaatje University in Kimberley.
Joburg official fired after swindling Cosmo City community over ‘free’ nursing classes
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Timeslive reports that Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba announced on Monday that an employee was dismissed after allegedly being involved in a scam which swindled residents of Cosmo City.
Progress shown in ongoing passenger bus sector wage negotiations
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Engineering News reports that the SA Transport and Allied Workers' Union (Satawu) and four other unions in the SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council (Sarpbac) on Monday said they would take employers' wage offers to their members for consideration.