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.
Samwu faction distances itself from members who took Joburg city executive hostage
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BusinessLive reports that a faction of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has distanced itself from members who held a Joburg council executive hostage on Wednesday.
Struggle icon and veteran trade unionist Emma Mashinini memorialised
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eNCA reports that a memorial service was due to be held on Thursday afternoon for trade union pioneer and liberation struggle icon Emma Mashinini.
Sanef welcomes BLF compliance with court order to denounce violence against journalists
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News24 reports that the SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has welcomed Black First Land First’s (BLF’s) compliance with a High Court order that they should denounce violence against journalists.
Nehawu members embark on strike at Agricultural Research Centre
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EWN reports that at least 1,500 members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) have embarked on a strike after wage talks deadlocked with management at the Agricultural Research Centre.
Vavi declines invite to SACP congress, can’t forgive party’s involvement in Cosatu split
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TimesLive reports that Zwelinzima Vavi, general secretary of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), has declined an invitation by the SA Communist Party (SACP) to the party’s national congress‚ presently underway in Boksburg.
Saftu strongly supports Numsa in metal and engineering sector wage battle
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ANA reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) on Tuesday urged its members and “all other workers” to throw their weight behind the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), which it said was involved in a “life-or-death struggle” in the metal and engineering sector.
Pretoria Zoo hires casual workers to help during strike
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EWN reports that the National Zoological Gardens in Pretoria has hired casual workers to keep the facility running smoothly amid a strike by its employees.
Gauteng temporarily closes some taxi ranks and routes in Soweto
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ANA reports that the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport on Tuesday announced the temporary closure of disputed taxi ranks and routes in Soweto following months of intimidation and violence.
Nurse gets court order forcing Gauteng health to place her at clinic of her choice
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The Citizen reports that a qualified nurse has obtained an urgent court order forcing the Gauteng health department to place her at the clinic of her choice for her year of community service.
Thirty fishermen rescued on Tuesday from burning vessel off Durban coast
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News24 reports that an international crew of 30 fishermen from a burning Taiwanese vessel were rescued off the Durban coast on Tuesday, the SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) has said.
ANC gives nod to proposal that NHI be funded by stopping medical aid tax rebates
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BusinessLive reports that the ANC confirmed on Monday that it supported the policy proposal put forward by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi to use money allocated for tax rebates to South Africans on medical aid to fund National Health Insurance (NHI).
Uber to go to court to set aside CCMA ruling that ‘driver partners’ are employees
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The Citizen reports that Uber will be challenging this week’s ruling by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) that seven deactivated drivers of the app-based service are employees and not “driver partners”.
Pretoria Zoo non-striking employee allegedly assaulted by protesters
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News24 reports that a non-striking employee of the National Zoological Gardens of SA (NZG) in Pretoria was allegedly assaulted as he tried to get to work on Tuesday morning.
Metal and engineering employers bypass centralised collective bargaining
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BusinessLive reports that employer organisations in the metal and engineering sector are negotiating directly with workers after failing to reach agreement with unions on wages, while trade unions have threatened industrial action.
Eskom to clarify position on possible closure of four power stations next week
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EWN reports that Eskom says it will clarify its position on the possibility of closing down four power stations when it releases its financial results next Wednesday.
Higher education department gets EU funding to audit TVET colleges
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Daily News reports that the Higher Education and Training Department (DHET) has sourced funding from the EU to audit and verify infrastructure at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges.
AngloGold’s Pityana warns of more cuts in mining
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BusinessLive reports that AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) chairman Sipho Pityana has warned of further job cuts in mining, saying SA’s macroeconomic policies made it impossible to sustain jobs.
Taxi strike planned for Wednesday suspended for now
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Business Report writes that the planned taxi protest against the government on Wednesday has been suspended for further engagement on the issues raised by the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) during its meeting with government on Friday.
Saftu says ANC policy conference ‘abysmally’ failed to resolve major issues
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ANA reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) on Thursday said the just-ended African National Congress (ANC) policy conference “failed abysmally to resolve, or even seriously debate, the major issues” facing the country.
Large-cap listed miners pay their CEOs top dollar
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BusinessLive reports that CEOs of JSE-listed large-cap basic resources companies are the highest paid among their peers, despite spectacular share price declines among stocks in this sector over the past decade.
Numsa warns of imminent metals, engineering industries wage strike
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Engineering News reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) on Friday warned of an imminent strike in the metals and engineering sector, after the latest round of negotiations reached a deadlock on Thursday.
Court interdicts BLF from threatening and assaulting journalists
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TimesLive reports that the SA National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) on Friday won an interdict against Black First Land First (BLF) to stop the movement from intimidating and attacking journalists reporting on state capture.
Numsa protests at Transnet in Richards Bay, alleging sex-for-jobs and other violations
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BusinessLive reports that operations at the Transnet offices in Richards Bay were expected to come to a standstill on Friday as a result of a protest march by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa).
JSE aims to retrench 60 employees as it tightens its belt
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BusinessLive reports that belt-tightening at JSE Limited, the company which operates the Johannesburg bourse, could lead to 14% of its staff being retrenched by the end of 2017.
Hawks nab Zama Zamas at Harmony Gold's Kusasalethu mine
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ANA reports that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks) said on Thursday that they had arrested six men for corruption, illegal dealing in precious metals, possession of gold and theft at Harmony Gold’s Kusasalethu gold mine.
EFF unlikely to be able to rescue jobs of Tshwane’s outsourced guards
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BusinessLive reports that the EFF is credited with convincing the Joburg mayor to directly employ security guards for the metro from outsourced companies‚ but it appears unlikely that the party will replicate the feat in Tshwane.
Job protests interrupt Transnet coal deliveries to Richards Bay
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ANA reports that Transnet said on Thursday that it had experienced interruptions to its operations on the Richards Bay coal line as a result of violent community protests in certain areas of northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Public Service Commission to probe Mdluli's protracted disciplinary process
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EWN reports that the Public Service Commission (PSC) has agreed to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) request for an investigation into suspended crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli's very protracted disciplinary process.
Gauteng Health MEC apologises to bereaved families following mortuary strike
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EWN reports that Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa says the strike by mortuary workers has resulted in a backlog of at least 150 bodies still needing postmortems.
Metals and engineering strike would threaten MEIBC's continued existence, says Solidarity
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Engineering News reports that with wage negotiations in the metals and engineering sector having come to a standstill, trade union Solidarity fears that a resulting strike would jeopardise the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC).