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.
Chaos in Kleinzee as hundreds of arrested zamas return after home affairs failed to process them
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Sunday Times reports that up until the weekend before last, Kleinzee in the Namaqualand was just a quiet dorp northwest of nowhere. Then, in just a few hours, the town’s population almost doubled.
Discovery slashes medical savings accounts on top plans
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Moneyweb reports that members and beneficiaries of the most popular plans offered by Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS) will see sharp cuts to their medical savings accounts (MSAs) from 2024.
Transnet Freight Rail boss Siza Mzimela in the firing line, but she’s hanging on against the odds
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BL Premium reports that a fight for the heart and soul of Transnet is brewing, with Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) boss Siza Mzimela reliably understood to be reluctant to fall on her sword amid pressure from the board to resign.
EFF’s protest on Monday against taxi impoundments in Cape Town drew little support
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Daily Maverick reports that a much-anticipated protest organised by the EFF in Cape Town took place on Monday, but it did not live up to expectations.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 3 October 2023
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In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Sean Summers returns as Pick n Pay CEO, 16 years after leaving the retailer
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Fin24 reports that Sean Summers, the former CEO of Pick n Pay, is raring to go and ready for "battle" as he returns after a hiatus of 16 years in order to restore the retailer's fortunes.
Nehawu strike at Icasa entered fourth day on Monday as memorandum was handed over
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TimesLIVE reports that the strike by National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members at the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) entered its fourth day on Monday when members presented a memorandum of demands to management.
Cele reiterates police officers must defend themselves against criminals
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EWN reports that Police Minister Bheki Cele has once again encouraged police officers to defend themselves when encountering violent criminals.
Exodus of engineers bleeds construction sector
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Weekend Argus reports that the shortage of engineers in SA has had a huge impact on the construction sector and infrastructure development. This is according to the chief executive of the SA Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec), Webster Mfebe.
Plans reportedly underway to rehire hundreds of skilled Transnet staff who left with VSP packages
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The Citizen reports that the abrupt resignation of Transnet CEO Portia Derby may pave the way for a comprehensive strategy to revitalise the floundering state-owned utility.
Municipal strike divides Tshwane coalition partners as ActionSA wants further negotiations with workers
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Pretoria News reports that cracks have started to show between the DA-led coalition government and ActionSA in Tshwane as a municipal strike continues to cause havoc across the capital city.
More Transnet top executive heads could roll following Derby's exit
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Sunday Times reports that the Transnet board announced on Friday that Group CEO Portia would be stepping down from her role at the end of this month and also that group CFO Nonkululeko Dlamini had resigned, effective from last Friday.
Ahead of World Teachers’ Day, Angie praises SA’s beleaguered teachers, promises more resources
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TimesLIVE reports that Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has acknowledged that the education system is experiencing severe challenges including infrastructure backlogs, overcrowding and a shortage of educational resources.
Annual pay of Woolworths CEO in 2023 financial year more than tripled to R122m
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BL Premium reports that Woolworths CEO Roy Bagattini, an outspoken proponent of a “living wage” for store employees, earned R122.4m in the 2023 financial year, more than three times what he earned in the previous year.
Appointment of new judges set to ease Labour Court’s heavy load
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Sunday Times reports that the economic downturn and resulting job losses, coupled with the fraught state of labour relations evident in frequent strikes, have made the role of the Labour Court (LC) even more important.
Roundup on Monday, 2 October 2023 of weekend labour reports
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In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 29 September 2023.
Search for Eskom CEO continues, with 147 candidates falling short of requirements
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IOL reports that the search for a new Eskom chief executive officer (CEO) is still ongoing after its former CEO Andre de Ruyter left the utility earlier this year.
Rea Vaya resumes operations following labour dispute last week
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EWN reports that commuters in the City of Johannesburg can breathe a sigh of relief as Rea Vaya buses are now back in service.
Post Office business rescue practitioners face R12.5bn debt headache
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Moneyweb reports that the SA Post Office’s (Sapo’s) joint business rescue practitioners (BRPs) are concerned about the entity’s liabilities, which reportedly totalled R12.5 billion at the end of July. They say the liabilities raise questions about the viability of the business rescue process.
ANC, Santaco distance themselves from EFF taxi protest in Cape Town on Monday
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News24 reports that the ANC in the Western Cape has withdrawn from participating in the EFF-led protest in Cape Town on Monday over the impoundment of taxis.
Transnet CEO Portia Derby resigns, together with group CFO Nonkululeko Dlamini
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Moneyweb reports that Transnet Group CEO Portia Derby has surrendered to pressure from several quarters and resigned from the embattled ports and rail state-owned group. She will leave at the end of October.
'We are still expected to make miracles', laments SA Navy chief as he calls on government to stop budget cuts
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News24 reports that in a bid to prevent more deaths at sea, the Chief of the SA Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, has called on the government to stop cutting the navy budget.
EFF supporters block entrance to Tshwane House in support of dismissed workers
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EWN reported on Thursday afternoon that some Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supporters who were protesting over the City of Tshwane’s wage dispute had completely blocked the entrance to the municipality’s offices in the CBD.
Morning roundup of labour news on Friday, 29 September 2023
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In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Part-time employment drives increase in formal jobs in second quarter
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BL Premium reports that the number of South Africans with jobs rose 0.4% quarter on quarter in the three months to end-June, driven mainly by an increase in part-time jobs.
Glencore and Seriti weigh job cuts in SA due to ‘dire’ freight train situation
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Bloomberg reports that Glencore and Seriti Resources are in talks to cut hundreds of jobs as their ability to export coal is stymied by inefficiencies at the state-run freight company.
Take-home pay improved in August as inflation slowed and companies became more resilient to load-shedding
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BL Premium reports that take-home pay improved for a second consecutive month in August, an indication that some industries have become progressively more resistant to the effects of load-shedding, with companies reducing their energy dependence on Eskom.
Emotional memorial held on Wednesday for the three mariners who died at sea last week
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News24 reports that in an emotional memorial held at the Wynberg Military Indoor Sports Centre on Wednesday, hundreds of family members, colleagues, and friends gathered to pay tribute to Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Elizabeth Hector, 33, Master Warrant Officer William Masela Mathipa, 48, and Warrant Officer Class One Mmokwapa Lucas Mojela, 43, who died at sea last week.
Cellphone records, witness statements outstanding in VIP cops’ N1 assault case
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News24 reports that cellphone records and some witness statements are still outstanding in the case of eight Presidential Protection Services officers who allegedly assaulted motorists on the N1 highway in Gauteng in July.
Eight years for Gauteng government to investigate a R2.3 million fraud case against health official
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News24 reports that it took eight years for the Gauteng government to investigate a fraud case against a provincial health official.