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.
Gauteng hosts rail safety summit just days after fatal Tembisa crash
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TMG Digital reports that the Gauteng government will hosting a two-day summit on Friday and Saturday aimed at “tackling topics that are sure to raise a nerve with the users of rail”.
Shrinking wage bill hits tax revenue collections
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BusinessLive reports that revenue collections have fallen R23bn short of what was projected in the February budget, with R12.5bn of this shortfall coming from personal income tax and R8bn from VAT.
Amplats and Implats wage offers contain ‘peace clauses’
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Reuters reports that Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has reached a tentative wage increase deal, and the offers by both Amplats and Impala Platinum (Implats) oblige mineworkers to refrain from all industrial action.
Contractor killed in accident at Harmony's Central Plant in Welkom
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Mining Weekly reports that a contractor was killed in a construction-related accident at Harmony Gold's Central Plant, in Welkom, on Wednesday.
Tshwane bus drivers on strike on Thursday
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EWN reports that the City of Tshwane says about 70% of its buses are not operational on Thursday, due to a strike by workers affiliated to the SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu).
Dlamini hits back at Ramaphosa’s claim about good progress with minimum wage
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The New Age reports that Cosatu president S’dumo Dlamini is at odds with Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s claims of steady progress being made at Nedlac on the national minimum wage (NMW).
SA’s mining bosses defend multi-million rand pay cheques
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David McKay writes that an audience poll at the Joburg Indaba conference earlier this month found that 53.4% of the several hundred those who attended thought mining industry CEOs were overpaid.
No let up with Nehawu’s campaign to oust Northern Cape’s health head
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Netwerk24 reports that the National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) has again demanded that Elizabeth Botes, head of the Northern Cape department of health, resign and her corruption task team be disbanded.
Disgruntled Apla vets storm Durban exco meeting demanding employment
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The Mercury reports that disgruntled former military combatants of the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (Apla) stormed an executive committee meeting at the Durban City Hall on Tuesday demanding employment from the city.
Protesters torch bus used at De Beers Venetia mine in Musina
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BusinessLive reports that Limpopo police are investigating malicious damage to property after a bus owned by a company contracted to De Beers Venetia Mine in Musina was set ablaze.
Cuts to departmental budgets designed to slash public service jobs
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BusinessLive reports that the Treasury has put the screws on public sector employment by cutting the operational budgets of departments in the hope that 25,000 jobs will be lost through attrition over the next three years.
Samwu marches for decent work in Pretoria on Thursday
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Pretoria East Rekord reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) will be marching to the Pretoria CBD on Thursday.
Unions consulting members on Amplats’ offer of 7% increase in basic pay
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Bloomberg reports that Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has offered to raise workers’ basic pay by 7% in a deal yet to be ratified by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).
Web links to selected labour news reports posted on 26 October 2016
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Our links page provides references to South African labour news reports we have come across on the Internet on Wednesday, 26 October 2016
EFF says Unisa insourcing agreement is a 'raw deal'
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Pretoria News that after nearly a year of haggling defined by protests and breakdown in talks, the University of South Africa (Unisa) on Monday announced an agreement to insource all outsourced services.
Western Cape MEC launches investigation into wine industry work conditions
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News24 reports that the Western Cape MEC of economic opportunities, Alan Winde, will be investigating allegations of dire employment conditions for those working in the wine industry.
Police union Sapu asks Nhleko to reverse appointment of Hawks boss
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ANA reports that the South African Policing Union (Sapu) on Monday called on Police Minister Nathi Nhleko to reverse the appointment of Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza as the Head of the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (Hawks).
SA‘s trucking industry in trouble, with layoffs aplenty
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Business Report writes that the importance of the road freight industry to SA’s economy is shown in that 86% of the freight transported annually in the country goes by road. However, the sector, as well as rail transport, are in trouble.
Amcu to put forward its ‘final’ platinum demands this week
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Netwerk24 reports that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) says that this week it will put forward its “full and final” package of wage increases and other improvements in respect of the platinum sector.
Storm brews in Sweden over SA wines not taken off shelves
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TimesLive reports that a storm is brewing in the Swedish parliament over the controversial stocking of South African wines at a government-owned chain of liquor stores.
Negative corporate environment causes SA pilots to bail for jobs abroad
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TMG Digital reports that sixty South African pilots have taken up jobs with foreign airlines over the last 12 months. Most of them took up positions with Middle Eastern carriers‚ according to SAA Pilots Association chairman Captain Jimmy Conroy.
SA closing the gender gap, WEF report shows
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Business Report writes that SA’s gender gap is closing and the country has moved up two places to 15 out of 144 countries. This is according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2016 by the World Economic Forum (WEF), published on Tuesday.
Executive pay may be regulated in next year’s Companies Bill
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BusinessLive reports that failure by the JSE or the King Code to take a more robust stance on executive remuneration could see this controversial issue put on the agenda of the 2016-17 Companies Amendment Bill.
Wage increase for EPWP participants from 1 November
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The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) will increase wages for its participants from R78.86 per day or per task performed to R83.59 from Tuesday, 1 November 2016.
Tap pensions through levy to fund tertiary fees shortfall, says EFF
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TimesLive reports that as higher education Minister Blade Nzimande once again outlined why free higher education for all was not a possibility, the EFF proposed a retirement fund levy to fund the country's fees shortfall.
Web links to selected labour news reports posted on 25 October 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, 25 October 2016
Tembisa train service fully restored following deadly crash
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Caxton News Service reports that Gauteng Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng advised on Tuesday that by 4.30am the train wreckage from Monday’s Tembisa crash had been cleared off the tracks and that the two lines were operational.
Roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 25 October 2016
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In our Tuesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Monday, 24 October 2016.
Chamber of Mines rejects criticism of SADC mining industry’s record
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ANA reports that the Chamber of Mines (COM) has rejected the view that the mining industry has had a purely negative impact on society in sub-Saharan Africa.
Cutting costs will not mean job losses, NMBM tells unions
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HeraldLive writes that cutting operational costs in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) did not mean the metro’s new leadership would make employees’ lives miserable.