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.
Court awards R100,000 to Numsa employee whose HIV status was disclosed in meeting
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Fin24 reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and two union members, including Free State regional secretary Andile Wiseman Zitho, have been ordered to pay R100,000 compensation to an employee for disclosure of her HIV-positive status, without her permission, during a meeting.
Ousted Numsa deputy president takes union to court
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GroundUp reports that former deputy president of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) Ruth Ntlokotse has launched an urgent application to the Gauteng High Court to declare her expulsion from the union unlawful and invalid.
Cosatu unhappy about being ‘snubbed’ by Ramaphosa in talks over economic challenges
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BusinessLive reports that trade union federation Cosatu has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of snubbing organised labour in talks on finding solutions for SA’s economic challenges.
Business leaders warn Ramaphosa that unemployment could hit 38.1%
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Bloomberg News reports that SA business leaders have told President Cyril Ramaphosa that the jobless rate could rise to 38.1% by 2030 without urgent action to solve the country’s energy, logistics and crime crises.
NUM suspends its general secretary William Mabapa
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Financial Mail reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has suspended its general secretary, William Mabapa.
CCMA rules dismissal of KZN imam who flouted Covid rules not unfair
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Sunday Times reports that a KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) imam who was fired for not enforcing Covid-19 rules during the height of the pandemic has failed in his bid to get his job back.
Warring zama zamas terrorise Riverlea, while residents say police just don't have the firepower
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News24 reports that ongoing war zone scenes have been playing out in Riverlea in Johannesburg where at least five people were killed in the latest clash among warring zama zama gangs.
Seven policemen who allegedly stole cash, cigarettes from Nigel shop remanded in custody
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TimesLIVE reports that seven police officers who allegedly stole money and cigarettes from a shop in Nigel, Ekurhuleni, were remanded after appearing in court on Monday.
Off-duty LEAP officer killed in gang crossfire in Cape Town on Sunday
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News24 reports that a 37-year-old off-duty LEAP (Law Enforcement Advancement Plan) officer was killed in Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain, on Sunday afternoon when a stray bullet struck him in the head.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 1 August 2023
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In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Eastern Cape MEC's spokesperson apologies for use of strong language, but claims to be a victim of ‘persistent workplace bullying’
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News24 reports that the suspended spokesperson for the Eastern Cape MEC for Education has apologised after cellphone video footage emerged showing her using strong language against a colleague.
Cop arrested for allegedly transporting hitmen who murdered University of Fort Hare targets
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News24 reports that an Eastern Cape police officer has been arrested in connection with the murders of two University of Fort Hare (UFH) staffers and the attempted murder of vice-chancellor and principal Sakhela Buhlungu.
Garbage piles up on Dunoon streets in Cape Town in standoff over jobs for local residents
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GroundUp reports that heaps of uncollected garbage are spilling over onto the narrow roads of the Doornbach informal settlement in Dunoon, with waste not having been collected since 30 June when the previous refuse collection contractors’ contract expired.
Thousands of public servants ‘disciplined’ over corruption, but very few dismissed or even given warnings
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News24 reports that since 2019, government bureaucrats have cracked down on more than 3,000 public servants by meting out "discipline" for fraud, theft or corruption, but only 19 have been dismissed,two were given verbal warnings, and 15 others had written warnings.
Big fuel price increases to hit on Wednesday
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BL Premium reports that major fuel price hikes will be implemented on Wednesday.
SA’s prisons are falling apart, putting prisoners and staff at risk, says judicial inspector
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The Judicial Inspector of Correctional Services, Judge Edwin Cameron, writes that in recent months, with colleagues from the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services (JICS), he visited prisons in Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Vryheid and Newcastle.
New PPE scandal at SANDF comes to light
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Sunday Times reports that Department of Defence officials are being probed for allegedly manipulating dozens of lucrative Covid personal protective equipment (PPE) tenders in a second PPE scandal to hit the SA National Defence Force (SANDF).
Guard who pursued robbers and six people wounded in ‘scary’ cellphone store robbery in Durban CBD on Friday
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News24 reports that shop owners in Durban's busy central business district (CBD) were shaken on Friday afternoon when gunmen fired shots during a robbery at a cellphone store in Bertha Mkhize Street, wounding a security guard and six people.
Roundup on Monday, 31 July 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, 28 July 2023.
More arrests 'imminent' after Eskom employee nabbed for alleged tender fraud at Kriel power station
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Fin24 reports that according to Eskom, further arrests are "imminent" in a case that saw one of its employees arrested earlier this month in connection with alleged tender irregularities at Kriel Power Station.
Tshwane mayor and city manager to meet Samwu on Monday over wage strike
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BL Premium reports that Tshwane executive mayor Cilliers Brink, city manager Johann Mettler and SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) leaders are expected to meet again for talks on Monday in a bid to resolve the pay strike that began last week.
Human Settlements Minister who unlawfully fired employee after getting stuck in a lift loses appeal bid
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BusinessLive reports that Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi has lost her appeal against a ruling of the Johannesburg Labour Court, which ordered her to reinstate an employee whom she claimed was responsible after she was trapped in a lift, and who was then fired.
Annual SweepSouth survey shows domestic workers face spiralling debt as sector bleeds jobs
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Fin24 reports that the sixth annual survey by SweepSouth found that the average domestic worker in SA owes more than she earns in a month to shops, friends and loan sharks – with a worsening debt spiral on the cards as more is spent than earned on an ongoing basis amid rising living costs.
At least four bodies found in Riverlea after zama zama gunfight on Sunday
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TimesLIVE reports that the bodies of at least four suspected illegal foreign miners were discovered in the Riverlea area in Johannesburg on Sunday morning.
Labour Court grants City of Tshwane an interim interdict against striking workers
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IOL reports that following a week of unlawful and illegal protest by employees affiliated with the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), the Johannesburg Labour Court on Friday granted a temporary interdict against the striking workers of the City of Tshwane.
Chaos in Tshwane: Samwu strike escalates into violence and arrests
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The Citizen reports that while City of Tshwane council members met at Tshwane House to argue about the city’s dire finances, a group of SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members returned to the streets on day two of their illegal strike to demand salary increases.
Mpumalanga councillor arrested over kidnap, assault of pregnant domestic worker accused of stealing laptop
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TimesLIVE reports that a Mpumalanga town councillor has been arrested for alleged involvement in the violent interrogation and forced lock-up of a domestic worker accused of stealing his laptop.
Gauteng premier hands 6,000 appointment letters to solar trainees
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BL Premium reports that Department of Employment & Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has called for broader co-operation between provincial and national government departments to arrest the unemployment scourge in the country.
Saftu’s Vavi slams e-hailing companies for ‘abusing’ drivers
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The Star reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has lambasted e-hailing companies for abusing their drivers. E-hailing drivers recently protested in various regions over complaints about their commission structure, crime and other labour-related issues.
Free State pastor and three Post Office workers probed in connection with missing R8m Sassa funds
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News24 reports that a Free State pastor and three Tseseng Post Office employees, who are congregants at his church, are under investigation in connection with allegations that they were involved in the transfer of SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) funds to the extent of R8 million to a church's bank account.