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.
Roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 14 September 2016
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In our Wednesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Tuesday, 13 September 2016.
New business, government partnership to boost youth jobs to be announced soon
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TimesLive reports that a new business and government partnership to help young people get a job for a year will be announced within the next few weeks.
'No benefits' to annual evaluations of skills of pupils, says Sadtu Western Cape
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Cape Argus reports that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union in the Western Cape has called for a boycott of the provincial education department’s annual language and maths skills tests for pupils, saying children were being over-tested.
Zama zamas find miners’ bodies at Langlaagte shaft
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TMG Digital/Sowetan reports that the bodies of two illegal miners were located underground at the disused Langlaagte mine in Johannesburg by a team of their fellow illegal miners.
Low and deteriorating marks for SA’s maths and English teachers
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BDLive reports that a new report has found that teachers in SA are getting worse and continue to fare poorly in proficiency in the key subjects of English and maths.
Cosatu warns of border management bill’s threats to 10,000 jobs
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BDLive reports that trade union federation Cosatu on Tuesday objected to the threats posed to about 10,000 public service jobs by the Border Management Authority Bill.
Angry Samwu refuse collectors besiege Nelson Mandela Bay city hall
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RNews reports that a SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu)-led picket laid siege to the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro City Hall on Tuesday as the waste management workers demanded back-pay for overtime and bonuses.
KZN conman selling school jobs for R7,000
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Daily News reports that a man posing as a KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Education official has been fraudulently luring teachers and administration workers to pay as much as R7,000 for bogus employment.
With 760 guards unpaid, another court orders Prasa to pay security companies
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News24 the Passenger Rail Agency of SA’s (Prasa’s) troubles mounted on Tuesday after the Western Cape High Court ordered it to pay the R7.3m it owes two companies for security services by the end of business on Tuesday.
Table Mountain Cableway warns of possible wage strike disruption
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Traveller24 reports that annual salary negotiations may disrupt services to one of Cape Town's most visited attractions, the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) has warned.
MEC seeks answers about the reasons for KZN nursing exodus
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ANA reports that KwaZulu-Natal’s provincial hospital and clinic managers have been told to interview staff members who resign in a bid to learn why there has been an “exodus” of nurses.
57 miners at Thusi Coal Mine staging sit-in have resurfaced
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SABC News reports that the 57 miners who staged a sit-in underground at the Thusi Coal Mine in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, over salaries have resurfaced. Apparently they were not paid salaries for three months.
New launch date of April for Nelson Mandela Bay bus system
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HeraldLive reports that the roll-out of Nelson Mandela Bay’s long-awaited bus system has hit another snag, with the municipality now targeting April as its new launch date to finally have the buses on the road.
Cape Town EMS staff to march against crime on Wednesday
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News24 reports that emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in Cape Town were due to march on Wednesday against targeted attacks on them while they are on duty.
Numsa drops demands for one-year retail motor deal and mega council
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Business Report writes that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has dropped two demands that were major stumbling blocks to a new wage agreement with the retail motor industry.
Web links to selected labour news reports posted on 13 September 2016
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Our links page provides references to South African labour news reports we have come across on the Internet on Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Attacks on Ekurhuleni emergency crews hamper services
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The Star writes that the torching of a fire truck in Katlehong continues a series of attacks on emergency personnel and their vehicles in parts of Ekurhuleni.
Pikitup could sue ousted Nair to recoup losses on unauthorised bonuses
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The Star reports that axed Pikitup boss Amanda Nair's troubles could get worse after the entity threatened to take legal action against her to recover excessive acting allowances paid to employees without due authorisation.
Home Affairs Minister tries to allay fears about Border Management Authority
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BDLive reports that, speaking to the portfolio committee on home affairs on Tuesday, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba sought to allay concerns about the Border Management Authority (BMA) Bill and its implications.
Little recourse for mining communities, SAHRC hears
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Business Report writes that according to human rights lawyers, there are little avenues available for mining communities to hold mining companies to account.
NUM supports striking employees at Northern Cape mine
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Mining Weekly reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Tuesday said it supported employees who were striking at manganese and iron-ore producer Diro Resources’ operation, in Kathu, in the Northern Cape.
National minimum wage ‘not a silver bullet’, but it will dent poverty levels
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Business Report writes that Wits researcher Gilad Isaacs maintains that, while a national minimum wage will not lead to massive economic growth in SA, it will dent the country’s soaring poverty rates.
Two more bodies recovered from Langlaagte mine
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ANA reports that two more bodies were recovered from the disused mine in Langlaagte on Tuesday by a group of illegal miners who entered the mine, despite pleas from Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane to not send “untrained” people underground.
Survey shows few employers intend to increase staff in festive quarter
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BDLive reports that only a few of the South African employers who participated in the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey intend to employ more people in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Monday saw end to strike by George bus drivers
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Netwerk24 reports that the strike by bus drivers of the integrated transport network Go George is over. According to the George municipality, all of the drivers undertook to be back at work on Monday and all routes were served.
SABC 8 press on with ConCourt application
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News24 reports that the eight SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) journalists who were fired - seven of whom were later reinstated - for their opposition to the broadcaster’s policy to censor coverage of protests will continue with their Constitutional Court application.
Mining communities’ grievances ‘becoming intense’, SAHRC hearing told
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TMG Digital/Sowetan reports that panellists at a SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) investigation of the socioeconomic challenges faced by mining-affected communities said that the burning issues affecting people living in mining areas have been simmering for years and discontent was growing.
ConCourt significantly amends Magistrates’ Act iro of ‘garnishee orders’
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BDLive reports that the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has changed certain sections of the Magistrates’ Court Act (MC Act) dealing with emoluments attachment orders (EAOs) — commonly known as garnishee orders — to bring them in line with the Constitution.
Illegal miners in Kimberley may threaten Petra Diamonds’ viability
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Brendan Ryan reports that an invasion of more than one thousand illegal diamond miners – zama-zamas – in Kimberley in the Northern Cape is threatening the viability of London-listed Petra Diamonds (Petra) operations.
‘On top of our minds’ to sort out provident fund tax loophole, says Treasury
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Inge Lamprecht writes that provident fund members have best of both worlds – saving for retirement in a tax shelter then being able to take 100% of savings as a cash lump sum on retirement.