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.
CCMA confirms dismissal of ex-Sars chief legal officer for irregular VAT refunds to Guptas
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BL Premium reports that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has deemed the dismissal of former SA Revenue Service (Sars) chief legal officer Refiloe Mokoena to be fair.
Philippi farmworker ’attacks’ foreman attempting to administer breathalyser test
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Weekend Argus reports that a 40-year-old man appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on a charge of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm after he allegedly attacked a foreman with a farm tool in Schaapkraal, Philippi.
Government launches National Pathway Management Network to support young people to find pathways into the economy
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BL Premium reports that on Wednesday in Pietermaritzburg President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address as the country commemorated Youth Day and the 45th anniversary of the 16 June 1976 Soweto uprising in which young people took to the streets in to fight against the apartheid regime.
Bodies of 20 suspected illegal miners found at two locations in Orkney
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News24 reports that the bodies of 20 men, believed to be illegal miners, were discovered on Tuesday and Wednesday at two locations in Orkney in the North West.
ANC staffers reject looming retrenchments and warn they won’t go down without a fight
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News24 reports that ANC staff members have vowed not to accept any decision taken by the party that would result in employees losing their jobs at Luthuli House.
Smelters warn of jobs bloodbath in sector if tax on exports of chrome ore is delayed
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Business Report writes that Save SA Smelters has warned that 80,000 direct jobs would be on the line if the government continued to delay the implementation of the tax on raw chrome ore exports.
NUM to march on 15 July over rising unemployment in Mpumalanga
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Mining Weekly reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) Highveld Region is preparing to march against continued retrenchments, outsourcing, use of labour brokers and the increasing unemployment rate in the Mpumalanga province.
We don’t have ghost workers, Duarte tells ANC staffers picketing outside Luthuli House on Tuesday
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News24 reports that ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte has revealed the party does not have ghost workers but "old" employees who have been on the organisation's payroll for a while.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 15 June 2021
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In our early morning roundup, see summaries
of our selection of recent South African labour-
labour-related reports.
SANParks CEO ‘disheartened’ by ‘dishonest’ sexual assault claims, to pursue extortion charges
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The Citizen reports that SA National Parks (SANParks) chief executive officer Fundisile Mketeni has expressed disappointment at sexual assault allegations levelled against him, with his legal team now pursuing extortion charges against the complainant.
Mossel Bay's municipal manager suspended with full pay on charges of sexual harassment
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News24 reports that the Mossel Bay municipality has suspended its municipal manager, Thys Giliomee, with full pay.
Ethekwini Municipality fires Parks and Recreation head Thembinkosi Ngcobo for failing to report corrupt transactions
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Daily News reports that the eThekwini Municipality has fired its Parks and Recreation head, Thembinkosi Ngcobo. He said he was first informed of this by a journalist who wanted comment from him.
PSC instructs government departments to reverse irregular appointments
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Independent Media reports that various national and provincial government departments have been ordered by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to immediately reverse a number of irregular appointments and discipline officials who were responsible for the transgressions.
Labour Minister issues new directive for workplace vaccinations
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Engineering News writes that employers should find a reasonable resolution that accommodates all parties where employees refuse to be vaccinated on medical and constitutional grounds.
Aspen says 300,000 Covid-19 vaccines for SA teachers available 'within days'
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TimesLIVE reports that Aspen said on Monday it would be able “within days” to provide 300,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine which will be used for SA's teachers.
Municipal workers' union unhappy with facilitator’s 'spit in face' wage proposal
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TimesLIVE reports that the SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) believes a proposal by the facilitator in wage negotiations in the municipal sector is biased towards the employer.
Off-duty cop who was allegedly stealing from Cape Town construction site killed in shoot-out with other officers
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TimesLIVE reports that an off-duty cop from Khayelitsha, alleged to be with a gang of thieves who were caught red-handed early on Monday, has died after a shoot-out with officers who came across onto the scene.
PIC says it’s not funding Takatso’s takeover of SAA, but concerns surround deal
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BL Premium reports that the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), which manages civil servants’ pensions on behalf of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), said on Monday it was not involved in funding the takeover of SA Airways (SAA) by consortium Takatso.
SA signs plan to support steel industry, with oversight council set up to drive implementation
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Bloomberg reports that according to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, South Africa has signed a plan to support its steel industry.
HSRC survey finds that TVET students were hit hardest by Covid-19 lockdown
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BL Premium reports that the coronavirus pandemic has thrown the inequalities in SA’s higher education sector into sharp relief, with students attending Technical Vocational and Educational Training (TVET) colleges reporting far greater disruption to learning than their counterparts at historically wealthier institutions.
From ‘holy cows’ to ghost workers, the ANC’s Paul Mashatile says excess staff will be cut
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TimesLIVE reports that ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile says the party will leave no office untouched in its effort to reduce its bloated salary bill and that a reduction of staff by almost half is possible.
Roundup on Monday, 14 June 2021 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, 11 June 2021.
Two fake doctors arrested in KZN for selling sick notes for R50 each
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News24 reports that two people have been arrested by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police for masquerading as doctors and selling fake medical certificates for R50 each.
Economy’s signs of life mean little for the poor and unemployed
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Mail & Guardian writes that, still reeling from Covid-19’s initial onslaught, SA recorded better-than-expected GDP growth in the first quarter of 2021. Also, the SA Reserve Bank recently revised its growth outlook to 4.2% in 2021, up from 3.8%.
No-one injured when ex-Eskom employee crashed through Koeberg security booms, rammed car into manager’s vehicle
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News24 reports that sparks flew at Eskom's Koeberg plant after a disgruntled ex-employee rammed his way through the security boom and into a manager's vehicle before being arrested.
Ramaphosa says output of vaccines to be ramped up after loss of millions of J&J shots to contamination
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BL Premium reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has moved to assure South Africans about the country’s Covid-19 immunisation drive.
Tributes pour in for Nehawu spokesperson Khaya Xaba who died on Sunday
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News24 reports that tributes have poured in for National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) national spokesperson Khaya Xaba, who died early on Sunday.
Labour minister admits to state’s ‘inadequate capacity’ in disbursement of Ters relief funding
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BL Premium reports that Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister Thulas Nxesi has admitted that Covid-19 exposed the government’s “inadequate capacity” in the disbursement of relief funding meant to support workers and employers during the lockdown.
‘Ghost workers’ haunt corridors and payroll of Luthuli House
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The Sunday Times reports that the African National Congress (ANC) is auditing its employees after the party discovered a significant number of "ghost workers" on the payroll.
Black-owned consortium Takatso to own 51% of SAA
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Engineering News reports that on Friday, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan revealed the new strategic equity partner of state-owned airline South African Airways (SAA), namely black-owned Takatso.