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.
Numsa gearing up for ‘mother of all strikes’ against power station closures
- Details
ANA reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has called for a national shutdown to protest against moves by Eskom to close several coal-fired power stations.
StatsSA reports 577,000 children involved in child labour in SA in 2015
- Details
TMG Digital reports that Statistics SA has revealed that of the 11.2 million South African children aged between seven and 17‚ a shocking 577,000 were involved in child labour activities in 2015.
Nothing wrong with Letsoalo’s 350% pay increase at Prasa, says Minister
- Details
TimesLive reports that according to Transport Minister Dipuo Peters, there was nothing wrong with axed Prasa boss Collins Letsoalo's 350% salary hike because he should not be paid less than those who reported to him.
NUM up in arms over proposed closures of five Eskom power stations
- Details
Mining Weekly reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Thursday delivered memoranda at the Arnot, Komati and Duvha power stations, setting out its grievances over Eskom’s decommissioning plan.
Big private sector, foreign direct investment will be boost for SA jobs
- Details
Fin24 reports that Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe advised on Thursday of government’s projection that South Africa would receive private sector investment of R956m in the near future.
Numsa striking at RAF over poor wages and ‘shambolic management’
- Details
BusinessLive reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said on Thursday that its members at the Road Accident Fund (RAF) were striking for higher wages and to protest the agency’s "shambolic management".
Roundup of labour news on Thursday, 16 March 2017
- Details
In our Thursday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Wednesday, 15 March 2017.
Lily Mine recovery depends on 'government intervention', Spoor tells inquiry
- Details
News24 reports that a lawyer representing the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has told an inquiry there was still hope of recovering the container with the bodies of the three Lily Mine workers and getting the mine operational again.
Nehawu members not on strike at Sassa, but are out at Social Development
- Details
News24 reports that, according to a union official, members of the National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) at the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) are not on strike and have no immediate plans to do so.
Over 430 strikers sacked at hardboard manufacturer Evowood in Estcourt
- Details
TMG Digital reports that a three-week strike costing R2 million a day for a cash-strapped company has had dire consequences for workers, namely mass dismissal.
Disused mine shaft to be little Richard Thole's last resting place
- Details
TMG Digital/The Times reports that the final resting place for five-year old Richard Thole will be the disused mine shaft in Boksburg he fell into three weeks ago.
Government confirms lawsuits from Marikana victims total close to R1.2bn
- Details
ANA reports that government has been served with summonses of claims of over R1.1-billion in compensation from the victims of the Marikana massacre, which claimed the lives of 34 people on 16 April 2012, and ten others in the preceding week.
Joburg’s Pikitup gets new boss after six months without a head
- Details
The Citizen reports that the sanitation and rubbish removal agency for the City of Johannesburg, Pikitup, has finally appointed a new boss after almost six months without a head.
Fedusa warns of nationwide Prasa strike over double digit wage demand
- Details
ANA reports that the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) warned on Wednesday of a looming wage strike at the embattled Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa).
Eskom plans to meet with unions this week over phasing out of coal power stations
- Details
EWN reports that Eskom is planning to meet with trade unions this week to discuss the planned phasing out of five coal power stations in Mpumalanga.
McBride says Ipid ‘almost done’ with probe into Marikana police action
- Details
ANA reports that police watchdog head Robert McBride told MPs on Wednesday that his team will meet an April deadline to submit all dockets relating criminal behaviour during the 2016 Marikana massacre to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Jozi@Work protesters gear up for another protest in Joburg on Thursday
- Details
eNCA reports that the Johannesburg Social Movement is set to protest around the city's metro centre on Thursday, and metro police are expecting violent clashes.
Job seekers storm new casino in Pretoria
- Details
Pretoria News reports that, despite massive disruptions to construction on Tuesday, all systems remain on track for the grand opening on 1 April of Sun International’s Time Square Casino and Hotel at Menlyn Maine.
Cosatu to picket outside Parliament on Thursday over welfare grant payments
- Details
Business Report writes that union federation Cosatu will picket outside Parliament on Thursday between 13:00 and 14:00 over the current debacle around welfare grants.
Web links to selected labour news reports posted on 15 March 2017
- Details
Our links page provides references to South African labour news reports we have come across on the Internet on Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Transport union Untu and Outa speak out against interim Prasa board
- Details
Engineering News reports that the United National Transport Union (Untu) does not believe the newly appointed interim board of the state-owned Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) will be able to save the entity.
'More dangerous to be a farmer than a police officer in SA'
- Details
News24 reports that it was said in a debate on farm murders on Tuesday in the National Assembly that it was more dangerous in SA to be a farmer than a police officer.
Very long sentences for Free State illegal miners
- Details
News24 reports that a group of more than twenty illegal miners in the Free State were given long prison sentences in the Virginia Circuit Court on Tuesday.
Joburg mayor announces that RDP housing fraud syndicate arrested
- Details
TMG Digital reports that two City of Johannesburg housing officials along with two accomplices have been arrested on charges of fraud and corruption linked to a syndicate involving land and RDP houses.
Uneven progress with insourcing at Western Cape universities
- Details
GroundUp reports that only one university in the Western Cape has brought all workers onto its payroll, despite all four universities beginning debates on “insourcing” in 2015, one of the rallying cries during the #FeesMustFall protests.
State faces civil claims worth over R1bn arising from Marikana massacre
- Details
EWN reports that the state is facing claims amounting to more than R1 billion arising out of the Marikana massacre four years ago when 34 miners lost their lives after police opened fire on protesting strikers near Lonmin’s Rustenburg mine.
Cosatu in Limpopo and in Free State back Ramaphosa for ANC presidency
- Details
The Citizen reports that support for ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa to take over from Jacob Zuma as the president of the party is gaining momentum within the ANC-aligned trade union movement, with Cosatu in Limpopo and in Free State joining the fray.
Focus on poultry crisis, then on transformation, says Fawu
- Details
Farmer's Weekly reports that the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) recently called on government to focus on the crisis facing SA’s poultry industry, rather than on transformation.
Labour Department’s inquiry into Grayston Drive bridge collapse postponed again
- Details
ANA reports that the Department of Labour’s commission of inquiry into the Grayston Drive bridge collapse along the M1, which was scheduled to resume at the end of the month, has been postponed again.
Cosatu blames Mayor De Lille for deadly Hout Bay fire
- Details
The New Age reports that trade union federation Cosatu on Tuesday blamed Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille for the deadly Hout Bay Fire.