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.
Government 'stuck at 2%' in public sector wage talks, sees cost containment proposals as a way to raise offer
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Fin24 reports that public service wage talks between government and unions are "stuck" as the state is struggling to move beyond its offer to public servants of a 2% wage increase without drastic cost-containment measures.
SARS wage strike suspended as unions give talks a chance
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Fin24 reports that the SA Revenue Service (SARS) has announced that unions have suspended their strike at the tax body and have reported for duty, with the wage negotiations process to continue.
Saftu, allies gear up for shutdown which it says will bring SA to standstill on 24 August
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IOL reports that the SA Federation Trade Union (Saftu) will be embarking on a national shutdown on 24 August against the rising cost of living and other issues affecting the working class.
Seven more zama zamas charged with Krugersdorp gang rape, including a minor and a South African
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TimesLive reports that on Thursday, seven more people were charged with raping eight women in West Village, Krugersdorp, bringing the number of suspects to 14.
With unions threatening to declare a dispute, clock is ticking for state to improve its wage offer to public servants
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BL Premium reports that the cash-strapped government, which is trying to rein in public spending, has until Friday to table a revised wage offer to its 1.3-million public servants, failing which the unions have threatened to declare a dispute that could lead to a debilitating national strike if unresolved.
Numsa won't budge on 20% demand in auto manufacturing wage talks
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Fin24 reports that according to National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) general secretary Irvin Jim, the union won’t budge from its 20% wage increase demand in the ongoing auto manufacturing sector wage negotiations, as workers in the sector have had little protection from rising costs.
Denel finally pays employees’ outstanding salaries
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BL Premium reports that state-owned arms manufacturer Denel has fully paid outstanding salaries of R318m to its staff up to end-July and has payment plans in place with the SA Revenue Service for PAYE and the pension fund to settle its obligations.
10,000 unemployed graduates to be employed in home affairs digitisation project
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BL Premium reports that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has embarked on a R2,4bn, three-year project to digitise more than 350-million documents, with about 90% of the funds to be used to employ 10,000 unemployed young graduates to undertake the work.
Payment of over R170m to Marikana victims said to be ‘a small token to the bigger problem’
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The Citizen writes that there is still a feeling of justice denied to the victims and families of the tragic Marikana massacre, which cost the lives of 34 miners, days before the 10th anniversary of the incident.
Operation Dudula targets Cape Town employers who employ foreign staff
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TimesLive reports that Operation Dudula members marched to shops and filling stations in Cape Town on Wednesday, demanding that they should get rid of their foreign staff.
Residents of Borwa in the West Rand go on the rampage looking for illegal miners, hurl stones and bottles at police
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News24 reports that police used pepper spray and fired rubber bullets on Wednesday to prevent the residents of Borwa, a newly developed community on Gauteng's West Rand, from crossing over Jan Blignaut Road to an area where they claimed illegal miners were hiding.
Eskom withdraws technicians from Mabopane, Winterveldt because of threats and attacks
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SowetanLive reports that as Eskom withdraws its technicians from certain areas in Tshwane because of threats and attacks on them, sections of Mabopane and Winterveldt have been left to live in darkness for months.
Security guards killed annually in South Africa could total as many as 600
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The Citizen reports that security guards, the first line of defence for many South Africans, have come under increasing attack, with up to 300 security guards apparently killed in the line of duty annually.
With twenty-four of the 48 claims finalised, Marikana litigation will be wrapped up by month-end, says solicitor-general
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TimesLive reports that solicitor-general Fhedzisani Pandelani says the litigation between the state and victims of the Marikana massacre will be finalised by the end of the month.
Tongaat seeks to claw back half a billion in salaries, perks and fines from former CEO and other executives
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Fin24 reports that Tongaat Hulett is seeking almost half a billion rand in civil claims from a group of former executives of the JSE-listed company.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 11 August 2022
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In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Nedbank has cut one in four branches and 16% of full-time staff since 2015
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Moneyweb reports that Nedbank has cut a quarter of its branches (25%), or 140 outlets, since 2015. To offset the branch closures, the bank continues to grow its in-store footprint, chiefly with partner Boxer.
Grade R teachers march in Cape Town for permanent jobs
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Cape Times reports that Grade R teachers from various schools in the Western Cape took to the streets of Cape Town on Tuesday over permanent employment issues.
‘Armed’ with coffee and blankets, Khayelitsha residents guard Eskom employees doing repair work
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TimesLive reports that last Thursday, Khayelitsha Site B residents came out in numbers to guard Eskom employees who were repairing a transformer after it exploded that morning.
Employers in motor manufacturing industry offer Numsa three-year deal with inflation-based pay increases
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BL Premium reports that employers in the automotive sector have offered unions a multi-term wage agreement for increases of up to 6.2%, but a pay-hike deal has yet to be hammered out.
Vital Labour Court case on Numsa’s future postponed to 19 August
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GroundUp reports that Ruth Ntlokotse’s application in the Labour Court in Johannesburg against the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), its general secretary Irvin Jim, and its president Andrew Chirwa, which was to have been heard on 5 August, has been postponed to 19 August.
Billionaire Mandla Lamba ordered by CCMA to fork out R750,000 to fired worker
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City Press reports that Agilitee SA, the company of self-proclaimed billionaire Mandla Lamba that manufactures electric vehicles, has been ordered to pay more than R750,000 to a senior employee who was dismissed last year.
SIU freezes former Transnet executives' properties pending final determination of review application
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SowetanLive reports that the Special Tribunal has granted a preservation order to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and Transnet to freeze five luxury properties worth millions of rand belonging to two of the state entity’s former executives and their spouses.
Nursing council hits back at claims it prevented private hospitals from training nurses
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News24 reports that the SA Nursing Council (SANC) has denied allegations that it prevented private hospitals from training nurses to address personnel issues.
Financial Sector Conduct Authority orders massive fines, removal of trustees from private security guards' retirement fund
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Fin24 reports that SA’s financial watchdog, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), has ordered that five members of the board of trustees of the Private Security Sector Provident Fund (PSSPF) be removed for improper conduct.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Ismail Momoniat to hold the fort at Treasury for a year beyond August
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BL Premium reports that Ismail Momoniat, interim director-general at the National Treasury, will remain in that position for 12 months beyond August as the department continues its search for a permanent replacement for Dondo Mogajane, who vacated the position in June.
Patel’s year-long suspension of additional chicken import duties a ‘licence to dump’
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Business Times reports that local chicken producers are threatening to cancel or postpone up to R570m in new investments in protest against the suspension of additional duties on imported chicken from five countries for 12 months.
Unions reject government’s 2% wage offer, with time running out for parties to seal a deal
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Fin24 reports that unions representing employees in the public service met with the government on Friday in a bid to strike a wage deal, but unions roundly rejected the government's offer of a 2% wage increase.
Solidarity hits out at planned MTN retrenchments
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Business Report writes that multinational mobile telecommunications company MTN has come under fire for plans to start a retrenchment process.