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.
Employer fragmentation at MEIBC could see non-parties setting their own minimum wages
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City Press writes that some employer groups in the metals and engineering sectors think they have an iron-clad bargaining chip to get unions to sign up for an almost unprecedented lowering of prescribed entry-level wages.
SABC allegedly offered Tokiso R5,000 per guilty verdict in medical aid fraud cases against 138 staffers
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City Press reports that an SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) internal document details how the public broadcaster offered Tokiso Dispute Settlement R5,000 for each guilty verdict delivered in disciplinary cases against 138 SABC employees accused of medical aid fraud.
DA calls on Minister Brown to stop bonuses for ‘ineffective’ Eskom executives
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ANA reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Sunday urged Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown to stop bonus payments to “ineffective” Eskom executives.
Saftu 'on track to subscribe a million members by December'
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SABC News reports that Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), says the federation is on track to subscribe a million members by December.
Solidarity seeks urgent solution to negative impact of Eskom’s winter power rates on industry
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Engineering News reports that Solidarity has requested that industry players, government and power utility Eskom convene a solution-seeking roundtable to discuss winter’s high power rates and the negative impact they have on the steel and chrome industry.
Fight over who is employer of workers supplied by labour brokers goes ConCourt
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City Press reports that labour brokers will have at least another year’s grace before the contentious “deeming” provision, which was introduced into labour law at the beginning of 2015, potentially shuts down a large part of their industry.
Search for eight missing fishermen resumes on Monday
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News24 reports that the search for eight missing fisherman resumed at first light on Monday in the Cape St Francis vicinity after a full day extensive sea, air and shoreline search yielded no results.
SABC wants R11.4m 'bonus' back from Motsoeneng and mulls laying criminal charges
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The Times reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC’s) interim board is on a mission to claw back millions of rands paid to disgraced former COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
Web links to selected labour news reports posted from 14 July to 16 July 2017
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Our links page provides references to South African labour news reports we have come across on the Internet from Friday, 14 July to Sunday, 16 July 2017.
Cosatu furious that implementation of UIF benefit improvements delayed due to typos
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BusinessLive reports that Cosatu is incensed about the further delay in the implementation of amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Act, caused by two typing mistakes in the version signed by President Jacob Zuma in January.
Home Affairs’ offices stay closed on Saturdays as talks with unions continue
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EWN reports that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has apologised for the closure of its offices today (15 July) as negotiations over Saturday shifts continue with its employees.
NUM 'shocked' after implementation of revised Mining Charter put on hold
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ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Friday that it was "shocked" and "disappointed" by the temporary suspension of the controversial new Mining Charter pending the outcome of the Chamber of Mine’s urgent interdict application.
Government bows to pressure, puts implementation of Mining Charter on hold
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BusinessLive reports that the government has backtracked on the immediate implementation of the contentious new Mining Charter, a move welcomed by the Chamber of Mines on Friday.
Labour Appeal Court victory for workers hired by brokers
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BusinessLive reports that the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) has ruled that employers who use labour brokers are obliged to take on workers after three months if they fall below a certain earning threshold.
Hospersa files notice for wage strike at national parks from Monday morning
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EWN reports that the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa) says it has filed a notice to strike at all national parks across the country.
Finance Minister Gigaba belatedly wants Mining Charter back on negotiating table
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Moneyweb reports that the Finance Minister unveiled a 14-point plan on Thursday to restore confidence in the economy that also called for the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and the Chamber of Mines (COM) to come back to the table and try to resolve the impasse over the Mining Charter.
Another KZN health crisis with shortage of urologists as well as oncologists
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TimesLive reports that thousands of vulnerable patients' lives could be at risk as the embattled KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) health department faces yet another critical shortage of doctors.
Emma Mashinini lauded as a veritable champion of workers’ rights
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SABC News reports that veteran trade union leader Emma Mashinini was described as a champion of workers' rights by speakers at her memorial service that took place at Johannesburg's City Hall on Thursday.
State medical aid Gems to build a new R200m head office
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Netwerk24 reports that the giant state medical aid scheme Gems (Government Employees Medical Scheme) will be building a new head office at a cost of almost R200-million.
KZN nurses dress in civvies after bungle with payment of uniform allowances
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Daily News reports that nurses in various KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) public hospitals boycotted uniforms after the health department’s failure to pay their uniform allowances on time.
Harmony Gold achieves fatality-free quarter
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Mining Weekly reports that JSE-listed Harmony Gold’s South Africa and Papua New Guinea operations achieved a milestone fatality-free quarter in the June 2017 quarter.
Suspended DAFF director-general doesn’t know what the charges against him are
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TimesLive reports that Department of Agriculture‚ Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) director-general Mike Mlengana has been suspended due to "governance-related issues"‚ but he has yet to be informed what exactly the charges against him are.
ConCourt confirms eviction of axed workers from brick-making firm’s houses
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The Citizen reports that the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has come to the aid of a Cape Town brick-making firm by confirming an eviction order against a group of former employees who have been living on the firm’s land for free for the past five years.
Trio of Mpumalanga cop killers sentenced to life imprisonment
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ANA reports that three men who killed a police officer near Secunda in February this year have been sentenced to life imprisonment, Mpumalanga police said on Thursday.
Window cleaner falls off building in Menlo Park and sustains severe injuries
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Caxton News Service reports that a man sustained severe and multiple injuries after falling off a building in Menlo Park, Pretoria, on Tuesday afternoon.
Solidarity ready to pursue bilateral talks to avoid metals sector strike
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Engineering News reports that trade union Solidarity announced on Thursday that it would pursue bilateral talks with employer organisations in the metals and engineering sector in a bid to break a three-week deadlock in wage negotiations.
Web links to selected labour news reports posted on 13 July 2017
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Our links page provides references to South African labour news reports we have come across on the Internet on Thursday, 13 July 2017.
Labour Appeal Court upholds rights of labour brokerage workers to become permanent
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BusinessLive reports that employees hired via labour brokerage firms will be entitled to benefits if they remain employed by a company for more than three months‚ the Labour Appeal Court has ruled.
Still time to avert strike in metal and engineering sector, says employer body Saefa
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Business Report writes that the SA Engineers’ and Founders’ Association (Saefa) believes that the planned strikes by trade unions within the metal and engineering sector were not the only option available to workers.
Commuters in Soweto left frustrated due to shutdown of taxi ranks
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TimesLive reports that residents in Soweto have been left frustrated after the Gauteng provincial government shut down five major taxi ranks.