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.
Home Affairs to end some 178,000 Zimbabwe Exemption Permits in December
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TimesLive reports that about 178,000 Zimbabweans are at risk of deportation when the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) ends in December.
Numsa intent on trying to reach wage agreement with retail motor sector
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Moneyweb reports that according to the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), meetings were scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) and the Fuel Retailers Association (FRA) in the hopes of unlocking a wage dispute which was declared on 30 June.
“Fingerprints” of three senior officials who resigned from Office of the Chief Justice were “all over” R225m IT contract from which they benefited
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TimesLive reports that MPs are none the wiser as to how three senior officials in the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) could have been involved in the awarding of a R225m IT contract — and then formed a company that benefited from the deal.
State seeks to extend R350 Social Relief of Distress grant until basic income grant is finalised
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BusinessLive reports that the Department of Social Development (DSD) is working on a proposal to extend the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant until the government finalises a basic income grant.
Solidarity threatens litigation if President signs Employment Equity Amendment Bill into law
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Solidarity on Tuesday advised President Cyril Ramaphosa not to sign the Employment Equity Amendment Bill of 2020 into law and to refer it back for review.
Intercape says there is a direct link between the taxi industry and attacks on long-distance busses
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EWN reports that according to Intercape, its operations have been hampered by taxi operators in several towns across the Eastern Cape.
As youth unemployment continues to rise, government does no more than “barking at the moon”
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SowetanLive reports that according to former statistician-general Dr Pali Lehohla, the government has not shown any will to deal with high youth unemployment.
Numsa did not breach interdict by holding national congress, Labour Court rules
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GroundUp reports that former National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) deputy president Ruth Ntlokotse has failed in her bid to hold the union and its general secretary Irvin Jim in contempt of court by proceeding with its national congress in July in spite of her having obtained an interdict stopping the event until it “complied with its own constitution”.
Santaco, DA won’t be participating in Wednesday’s national shutdown
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Weekend Argus reports that the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) will not be participating in Wednesday’s planned national shutdown by unions.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 24 August 2022
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In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Government warns civil servants who want to take part in Wednesday's stayaway of 'no pay, no leave' policy
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Fin24 reports that ahead of a planned national stayaway on Wednesday, government warned public servants who participate that they won’t be paid for the day.
Home Affairs’ chief director axed for dodgy dealings and failure to maintain stable IT infrastructure
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The Citizen reports that the Chief Director: Infrastructure Management for Information Systems (IS) at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has been dismissed for gross negligence and gross dereliction of duty.
Drop in unemployment rate to 33.9% comes as a big surprise
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BL Premium reports that SA’s jobs growth defied expectations in the second quarter, bringing the unemployment rate a step closer to pre-pandemic levels.
Vavi acknowledges that Wednesday's national shutdown probably won't draw large protest crowds
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Fin24 reports that SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi has acknowledged that Wednesday's national shutdown demonstrations will not draw numbers onto the streets remotely close to the mass protests in 2018.
Less than 4% of Zimbabwe Exemption Permit holders have made representations to Home Affairs
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News24 reports that less than 4% of Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders have made representations to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) to say why their documents should not be terminated later this year.
‘Larger number' of staff implicated in tainted “ghost accounts”, says Standard Bank CEO
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Fin24 reports that Standard Bank has confirmed that more than 59 of its employees have now been implicated in suspect activities to activate MyMo accounts.
Eskom, CPUT join forces to reskill workers as Komati is earmarked for repurposing to renewables
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Fin24 reports that Eskom has signed an agreement with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) for reskilling workers at the Komati power station, which is due for decommissioning at the end of September.
Teacher assistant programme is helping the youth, says President Ramaphosa
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TimesLive reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is encouraged by the success of the schoolteacher assistant programme, which is part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus.
Cosatu and Saftu to down tools on Wednesday over ‘impending economic collapse’
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Business Report writes that SA’s two largest trade union federations have put their differences aside in a bid to tackle the country’s worsening economic crisis and rising unemployment.
Joint discussions commence to resolve unrest in Middelburg
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Maroela Media reports that following the devastating strikes of recent months, joint discussions between employees of the Steve Tshwete district municipality at Middelburg and the municipality’s management commenced on Monday.
Nurses’ union to picket outside Northern Cape health department over the looming closure of only nursing college in the province
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The Citizen reports that the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union (YNITU) is set to picket outside the Department of Health in the Northern Cape on Tuesday, as the only nursing college in the province is on the brink of closure.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 23 August 2022
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In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Sama chair hid in bushes after being stabbed on Saturday night near Spaghetti Junction in Durban
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TimesLive reports that a bleeding Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa, who is chair of the SA Medical Association (Sama), had to “run for his life” and hide in bushes next to the N2 freeway when he was attacked on Saturday night.
Labour Department to pursue demand-led skills development rather than “willy-nilly” funding of training
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Engineering News reports that the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) has put a stop to the “willy-nilly” funding of skills training programmes, after some resulted in poor employment outcomes.
R1-trillion needed to reignite economy, says Saftu ahead of national shutdown on Wednesday
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BL Premium reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has called on the government to set aside at least R1-trillion – or one-fifth of GDP – to address the socioeconomic crises dogging the country and create much-needed jobs through re-industrialisation.
PSA reaches agreement with Sita on 6% pay increase
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TimesLive reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) on Friday reached a salary agreement with the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) that will see employees getting an increase of 6% for the 2022/2023 financial year.
Cosatu plans to bring economy to a halt in nationwide strike on Wednesday
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The Citizen reports that trade union federation Cosatu has urged workers across all sectors and ordinary South Africans to join a national strike against worsening living conditions in the country.
Independent intervener to facilitate deadlocked public sector wage talks
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EWN reports that public sector wage talks will now enter a process of facilitation by an independent intervener, after negotiations between the government and unions deadlocked on Thursday.
Extortion, deadly violence ‘could bring long-distance bus industry to its knees’
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Sunday Times reports that bus passengers and drivers are putting their lives on the line as a deadly battle for lucrative long-distance routes intensifies.
Two workers drown in Bryanston while connecting a water valve, bodies recovered
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IOL reports that two contractors drowned after they got into difficulty while connecting a large submerged water valve in the Bryanston area in Johannesburg on Friday.