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.
Budget 2024 contains R251bn to cover wage increases of public servants
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that the government will spend R251bn in the coming financial year to cover public sector wage increases.
Ekurhuleni teacher arrested after he was allegedly found with drugs on school premises
- Details
IOL News reports that Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane has expressed “deep concern” after a teacher at Thoko Thaba Secondary School in Thokoza, Ekurhuleni, was allegedly found in possession of drugs on the school premises.
Presidential youth jobs programme receives R7.4bn boost in 2024 budget
- Details
BL Premium reports that young jobseekers are the big winners in the 2024 national budget, in which an extra R7.4bn has been added to the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) Programme in 2024/25.
At least 250 Ekurhuleni metro police department workers linked to criminal activities, with 87 still awaiting trial
- Details
SowetanLive reports that at least 250 workers within the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) have criminal records, while some others still have to appear in courts for crimes they allegedly committed.
Extra money for health workers, but sector’s budget shrinks in real terms
- Details
BusinessLive reports that the National Treasury has made good on Health Minister Joe Phaahla’s promise that the government would find the money to hire more doctors, but the sector will remain under pressure as the health budget will shrink in real terms over the next three years.
Paul Mashatile's spokesperson Vukani Mde suspended amid sexual harassment allegations
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that the Presidency on Wednesday announced the suspension with full pay of Vukani Mde, spokesperson for Deputy President Paul Mashatile. This amid allegations of sexual harassment.
Hyena attacks sleeping Kruger Park employee at Berg-en-Dal staff quarters
- Details
News24 reports that a Kruger National Park employee was attacked by a hyena while sleeping at the Berg-en-Dal staff living quarters on Wednesday morning.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 22 February 2024
- Details
In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related reports.
Construction mafia: Security guard and K9 dog shot on Tuesday at MyCiTi construction site in Cape Town
- Details
IOL News reports that the City of Cape Town has condemned the attack on a security guard and a K9 patrol dog at a construction site along Duinefontein Road and Govan Mbeki Road in Philippi on Tuesday.
SA’s mines are bleeding cash and jobs
- Details
Reuters reports that SA’s mines are cutting thousands of jobs and paying much less tax, so muddying the domestic economic outlook months away from the 29 May national and provincial elections.
Jail time for Nedbank employee who helped herself to R5.3 million -
- Details
IOL News reports that a Cape Town woman, who was employed by Nedbank, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fraud after pocketing R5.3 million from the bank nine years ago.
Eight suspected zama zamas arrested after shootout with JMPD officers
- Details
News24 reports that eight suspected zama zamas (illegal miners) have been arrested in connection with a shootout with Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers who were responding to a report about armed men in Germiston.
Celebrated music teacher at Makhanda private school suspended amid sexual grooming charge
- Details
News24 reports that a music teacher from the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, has been suspended after a case of sexual grooming was laid against him by a music student he started tutoring five years ago.
Unemployment rate moving in wrong direction, reflecting a stagnant economy
- Details
The Citizen writes that SA’s unemployment rate ticked higher in the last quarter of 2023 to 32.1% after half of South African industries recorded job losses.
eThekwini sees red after employee caught sabotaging CCTV camera feed
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that an eThekwini municipality employee who was caught last week damaging newly-upgraded cables that link servers and feeds to security CCTV cameras was arrested on Tuesday.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 21 February 2024
- Details
In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related reports.
Kumba to cut up to 490 jobs as Transnet dysfunction forces it to pare back production
- Details
Fin24 reports that Kumba Iron Ore was forced to slow its production during the last quarter of 2023 to reduce a growing stockpile prompted by railway woes.
Continued impasse over wage negotiations makes it tricky for many Tuks students to attend classes
- Details
News24 reports that striking University of Pretoria (UP) employees were accused of blocking students from entering the main campus on Tuesday morning for a second day in a row.
Security breach leads to GEPF systems going offline as agency scrambles to safeguard information
- Details
The Citizen reports that the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) was compelled to shut down its systems after detecting an attempted unauthorised access.
MPs unanimously support two-pot retirement fund bill
- Details
BL Premium reports that a bill overhauling SA’s retirement regime was adopted by all parties in the National Assembly on Tuesday, though several MPs warned of the danger of workers withdrawing too much money from their retirement funds, thus depleting their resources for retirement.
Illegal miners believed to be behind M1 highway robberies at Crown Interchange on Tuesday
- Details
News24 reports that according to the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), illegal miners were allegedly behind reported robberies on the M1 at the Crown Interchange on Tuesday.
Six teachers sent packing for sexual misconduct since start of 2024
- Details
News24 reports that barely three months after sexually assaulting a matric pupil on 22 February 2022, a teacher allegedly touched two other Grade 12 pupils' breasts.
Some striking University of Pretoria employees allegedly deny students access to campus
- Details
News24 reports that some University of Pretoria (UP) employees, who embarked on a strike due to a wage dispute, have been accused of blocking students from entering the main campus on Monday.
Amplats to retrench 3,700 workers and review contracts with 620 suppliers to secure ‘long-term sustainability’
- Details
BL Premium reports that Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has initiated a section 189A process that is likely to result in the retrenchment of 3,700 employees across its platinum mining business as it seeks to reduce R5bn in costs.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 20 February 2024
- Details
In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related reports.
Roundup on Monday, 19 February 2024 of weekend labour reports
- Details
In our roundup of weekend and recent reports,
see summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that recently appeared.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 14 February 2024
- Details
In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related reports.
Polokwane High Court finds appointment of Makhado chief financial officer unlawful
- Details
GroundUp reports that the Limpopo High Court in Polokwane has set aside a decision by the Makhado Municipality to ignore the recommendation of a selection panel and instead appointing the second-highest scoring candidate as its chief financial officer (CFO).
SA’s ‘idiotic’ deployment in DRC lacks proper air support, former general warns
- Details
BL Premium reports that when SA deploys its full contingent of soldiers as part of a Southern African regional force (SamiDRC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) it does so with its military equipment at its lowest ebb yet in one of the most volatile warzones of Africa.
ConCourt denies ANC leave to appeal order to disclose its cadre deployment records
- Details
BL Premium reports that in a landmark ruling that could shake up the ANC and herald a new era of meritocracy in public service, the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) has thrown out the party’s appeal against a high court order to disclose its records of appointing loyalists to key public sector posts.