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.
PSA to continue with its strike ballot until Friday after public sector pay talks remained deadlocked last week
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BL Premium reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA), which represents more than 235,000 public servants, is expected to continue with its strike ballot this week after talks between the government and public service unions failed to hammer out a pay hike deal on Friday.
Nupsaw to stage ‘unprecedented march’ in Pretoria on Tuesday
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IOL reports that members of the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) are set to descend onto the streets of Pretoria on Tuesday in what they termed “an unprecedented march” over grievances including widespread corruption and poor governance.
Roundup on Monday, 22 August 2022 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, 19 August 2022.
Nehawu members march in solidarity with eSwatini nationals
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TimesLive reports that members of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) in Gauteng and eSwatini nationals marched to the eSwatini consulate in Johannesburg on Thursday to protest against the kingdom's monarchy.
City of Tshwane suspends bus services due to ongoing strike
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EWN reports that the City of Tshwane has suspended its bus services due to an ongoing strike by workers affiliated with the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu).
Eskom wants ‘dishonest’ ex-manager and two coal suppliers to pay back millions in ‘kickbacks’
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City Press reports that Eskom has taken a former employee and two coal suppliers to court, saying they should repay money to the parastatal that was exchanged as kickbacks.
Former Mpumalanga prosecutor sentenced to 10 years behind bars for corruption, defeating ends of justice
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News24 reports that the Standerton Magistrate's Court in Mpumalanga has sentenced its former district court control prosecutor Aaron Pule Mohanwe to 10 years in jail for accepting bribes.
Mpumalanga security guard who tried to fight off armed robbers shot, stabbed to death
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News24 reports that a security guard was shot dead on Saturday morning while trying to fight off armed robbers in the Coronation informal settlement near Emalahleni in Mpumalanga.
ANC's failure to pay pension contributions potentially opens it up to massive fines, but convictions for noncompliance extremely rare
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Fin24 reports that according to a pension lawyer, the failure by the ANC to pay millions of rands in contributions into its employees' retirement fund has potentially opened party members up to massive fines.
Salaries of staff of Vhavenda royal house stopped until new monarch appointed
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SowetanLive reports that staff members at the troubled Vhavenda Royal House in Nzhelele, Makhado in Limpopo have had to rely on loans and friends since April as they have not been paid.
National Arts Council interim CEO challenges her dismissal for allegedly wanting to report wasteful expenditure
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The Citizen reports that National Arts Council (NAC) interim CEO Marion Mbina-Mthembu, who was fired with immediate effect on Monday, has hit back at the NAC in another eventful episode of the crisis engulfing the arts agency.
Bookkeeper who stole R11m from UIF’s Covid Ters scheme to spend 20 years behind bars
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IOL reports that Lindelani Gumede, a bookkeeper who stole over R11m through the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF’s) Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) has been sentenced to 135 years, but is likely to spend only 20 years behind bars.
Free State cop on bail for falsely accusing man of rape, then allegedly extorting money to drop case
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News24 reports that Free State police are looking into a possible extortion syndicate after arresting a second police officer this year for allegedly accusing innocent men of rape and then demanding money to quash the non-existent cases.
Domestic worker who accused her employer of rape is still waiting four years later for justice due to DNA test delays
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GroundUp reports that an East London domestic worker who laid charges of rape against her employer four years ago is still waiting for the case to come to court.
Cosatu to embark on national strike on Wednesday next week as SA economy struggles to create jobs
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EWN reports that the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has issued a call to all workers and South Africans to join its national strike next week.
JMPD and unions reach 'amicable agreement' after wage-related strike on Thursday
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News24 reports that according to Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla, the City of Johannesburg reached an amicable resolution with striking police officers after they embarked on wage-related industrial action on Thursday.
Morning roundup of labour news on Friday, 19 August 2022
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In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Reserve Bank warns that above-inflation wage deals risk causing a price increase spiral
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BL Premium reports that deputy SA Reserve Bank (SARB) governor Kuben Naidoo warned MPs on Wednesday about worrying wage rises above the bank’s inflation target range of 3%-6%.
Government estimates only 48% of employers fully complied with Covid-19 workplace directives
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Fin24 reports that according to research revealed by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), only 48% of employers across the country complied fully with government's Covid-19 occupational health and safety guidelines aimed at keeping employees safe from the lethal virus.
Mathematics doesn’t build cars people do, marchers seeking jobs tell Ford Motor Company
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Pretoria News reports that people, and not mathematics, build cars at the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa in Pretoria. This was asserted by unemployed persons who marched from Mamelodi, Eersterust and Nellmapius on Tuesday to the carmaker and the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone to demand work opportunities.
Operation Dudula women’s movement wants soldiers roped in to combat zama zamas
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TimesLive reports that Izimbokodo – a movement for women under the Operation Dudula banner – wants the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) to be deployed in areas where illegal mining is rife.
‘Racial bust-up with black teacher was long coming’, says SAHRC
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SowetanLive writes that according to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the heated exchange between a black teacher and a coloured parent at a school in Ennerdale, south of Johannesburg, is a symbol of rising tensions in the community that the government failed to address three years ago.
Proposed Gautrain expansion gets heavy flack at Gauteng portfolio committee meeting
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Engineering News reports that the proposed Gautrain expansion project was harshly criticised as a vanity project, a white elephant and a waste of government finances by members of the Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Roads and Transport, which convened on Tuesday to discuss its viability.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 18 August 2022
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In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Eight JMPD officers fired for fraud, corruption in first six months of 2022
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EWN reports that eight Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers were axed for fraud and corruption in the first six months of this year, according to the department’s performance statistics released on Wednesday.
Joseph Mathunjwa confirms unity talks between AMCU and NUM
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EWN reports that Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) leader Joseph Mathunjwa has confirmed that they are in unity talks with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
Government warned to raise wage offer or face strike as ‘workers are ready to fight’
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The Citizen writes that thousands of public service workers are willing to down tools across state departments, unless government comes up with a better offer when the parties return to negotiations at the Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council (PSCBC) on Thursday.
FSCA orders ANC to make monthly payments of R10m to staff provident fund to clear R86m contribution arrears
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BL Premium reports that the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has ordered the ANC staff provident fund to compel SA’s ruling party to settle about R86m in accumulated contribution arrears that it owes members of the fund.
Cape Town Uber drivers stage two-day protest over safety and low minimum trip fees
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TimesLive reports that increasing petrol prices, poor safety for drivers and low minimum trip fees were among the main concerns for Uber drivers who marched in Cape Town on Wednesday.
One worker killed and three others injured as 'guards shoot at municipal workers' at Steve Tshwete municipality’s head office
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SowetanLive reports that one worker has been killed and three others injured at the Steve Tshwete local municipality's head office in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, after they were shot, allegedly by security guards employed by the council.