Today's Labour News

newsThis 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.

earningsTimesLIVE reports that the minimum wage increase kept up with the prices of basic products in the past year, but South Africans in this bracket need to spend 35% of their income on a “survival basket”.

ambulanceSABC News reports that the Limpopo Department of Health has condemned an incident in which Emergency Medical Service workers were robbed by armed suspects at Kgobokwane outside Moutse.

presidencyBL Premium reports that the Presidency has urged big business in SA to hold off on planned retrenchments, saying it is staying the course on the energy action plan as well as the logistics turnaround strategy.

umalusiCape Times reports that a Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) official is among suspects arrested in connection with the buying and selling of certificates.

lindiwezuluCity Press reports that Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu has been taken to the Labour Court by the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) for her decision to reappoint Linton Mchunu as the acting director-general (DG) in her department.

free stateSABC News reports that nearly 700 jobs will be created for residents of the Letsemeng Municipality in the Free State for the duration of the construction of R706 between Jacobsdaal and Koffiefontein.

handcuffsIOL News reports that two officials, aged 45 and 47, were arrested on Monday at a driving licence testing center (DLTC) in Mkhuhlu by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s (Hawks’) Nelspruit-based serious corruption investigation unit during an entrapment operation.

petrolpumpBusinessLive reports that after significant fuel-price cuts in January, unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) points to possible increases in all grades of fuel prices in February, except for illuminating paraffin.

numTimesLIVE reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in the Eastern Cape is mourning the deaths of two of its leaders who were gunned down at the weekend.

Golden ArrowNews24 reports that a Golden Arrow Bus Services bus crashed into three Cape Town homes after the driver attempted to evade an attack in Delft at around 03:35 on Tuesday morning.

southafricalogoTimesLIVE reports that Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister Thulas Nxesi has appointed an acting director-general for the department from January 1 until the position is permanently filled.

cosatuBL Premium reports that Zingiswa Losi, president of Cosatu, an alliance partner of the governing ANC, cautioned workers in Mbombela last week against “turning their back” on the ANC, saying socioeconomic gains the party has presided over would be reversed if it were voted out of power.

cwu thumb medium90 95GroundUp reports that up to 6,000 SA Post Office (Sapo) workers – more than half the current workforce – stand to lose their jobs by the end of March. But the Communication Workers Union (CWU) is fighting to reduce the proposed number of retrenchments.

news shutterstockIn our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.

newsIn the course of a broader article on mining retrenchments, Business Times summarised retrenchment consultations known to be underway or to have been completed.

news shutterstockIn our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.

GoldOneAFP reports that more than 400 gold miners, who had remained underground for four days amid tensions between unions and the mine owners, returned to the surface on Monday.

DiscoveryBL Premium reports that Discovery CEO Adrian Gore warned on Monday that the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill in its current form would diminish the funds available for healthcare, deter investment and stymie collaboration with the private sector.

wesizweBusinessLive reports that platinum metals mining company Wesizwe has announced an end to the illegal sit-in by an estimated 250 miners at its Bakubung Mine in the North West.

postoffice thumb100 BL Premium reports that unions have called on the business rescue practitioners (BRPs) for the beleaguered SA Post Office (Sapo) to consider other avenues instead of retrenching thousands of employees.

implatsheadgear smlBusiness Times reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) are at odds over retrenchments in the mining industry.

newsSABC News reports that Municipal Manager of the troubled Mafube Local Municipality in the Free State, Mothusi Lepheana, says they are hoping for a speedy resolution to the municipality’s financial woes.

gavel thumb100 The Citizen reports that Boksburg accountant Hildegard Steenkamp has been sentenced to an effective 50 years in prison for stealing R537m from her former employer.

news shutterstockIn our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 8 December 2023.

GoldOneSABC News reports that according to Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) Minister Gwede Mantashe, the sit-in at Gold One Mine in Springs, east of Johannesburg, is now a hostage situation.

BafanaBafanaBusinessLive reports that with a little more than a month before the start of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in the Ivory Coast, there is no bonus deal between the SA Football Association (Safa) and Bafana Bafana players.

implatsBusiness Times reports that Impala Platinum (Implats) says its Rustenburg 11 shaft – which accounts for 15% of annual production, and where 13 employees lost their lives after a conveyance system failure a week ago – will be out of action for the foreseeable future.

eskomBusinessLive reports that Dan Marokane, a former executive at Eskom, has been appointed as CEO of the troubled state-owned power company.

DenelTimesLIVE reports that Tsepo Monaheng has been appointed as the new Group CEO of Denel Group, public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan announced on Friday.

sandf thumb medium90 89The Citizen reports that 395 members of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) will be sent to the Free State to help fight the scourge of illegal mining and crime in the province.