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.
Most graduates want to work for the government and state institutions – but for noble reasons rather than job security
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Business Insider SA reports that working for the government and state institutions is where most graduates want to work. This is according to The Most Attractive Employers in South Africa 2022 report, compiled by Employer branding agency Universum Global.
Home Affairs fires and suspends staff over sale of SA identity documents
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IOL reports that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has dismissed two employees for fraud relating to selling of South African identities to foreign nationals who did not warrant the documents.
Western Cape EMS staff looking to relocate to other provinces to escape continual attacks and violence
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Cape Argus reports that the brave men and women from the Western Cape’s emergency medical services (EMS) are increasingly looking to relocate to other provinces, because of the trauma of working in the province.
Eskom says deal that will add R1bn to wage bill is unaffordable
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BL Premium reports that union leaders have signed a 7% across-the-board wage deal with Eskom. This added R1bn-plus to the salary bill of the cash-strapped state-owned company and ended a week-long wildcat strike that deepened SA’s electricity supply crisis.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 6 July 2022
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In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
With 27 deaths in first three months of the year, SA Policing Union wants killing of police officers to be declared 'treason'
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News24 reports that the SA Policing Union (SAPU) has called on the government and the SA Police Service (SAPS) to declare the killing of officers treason.
Dlamini-Zuma proposes skills exchange between municipalities to aid poorly-performing councils
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News24 reports that Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has proposed a skills exchange between the worst and best-performing municipalities.
Seven months on, Umgeni Water appoints yet another acting CEO
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Fin24 reports that it was announced on Tuesday that KwaZulu-Natal's (KZN’s) largest water board, Umgeni Water, has appointed Sipho Manana as acting CEO to replace Mboniseni Dlamini, whose contract expired at the end of June.
Unions sign one-year wage agreement with Eskom for 7% increase
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Moneyweb reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Solidarity came to an agreement with Eskom on Tuesday for a 7% wage increase, costing Eskom an extra R1 billion.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 5 July 2022
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In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Teacher assaulted by learner given green light by court to sue Mpumalanga education department
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GroundUp reports that a court ruling has paved the way for a teacher to sue the Mpumalanga Department of Education for R8-million for loss of earnings and damages after he was attacked in his classroom by a learner.
Staff member at Skukuza golf club survives leopard attack
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Getaway reports that a staff member at the Skukuza Golf Club in Kruger National Park was attacked by a leopard outside his accommodation on 26 June.
Fuel prices to rise to record highs on Wednesday
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BusinessLive reports that the pain for SA motorists will continue in July with fuel prices to reach new record levels on Wednesday.
Gauteng health department claims no nurses 'due for retrenchment', as more than 50 trainee nurses await salaries
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News24 reports that the Gauteng Department of Health has denied reports that it is retrenching nurses. On Sunday, the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) accused the department of planning to retrench nurses.
Unions' decision on Eskom’s revised wage increase offer expected on Tuesday
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Fin24 reports that after a weekend of marathon meetings with Eskom leadership to reach a wage agreement, labour is likely to emerge with a position on whether to accept the power utility's latest offer on Tuesday.
Is CEO André de Ruyter to blame for Eskom's blackout woes?
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City Press writes that there was much hope of a light at the end of the load shedding tunnel when André de Ruyter was appointed CEO of Eskom two years ago, but that was not to be.
Joint parliamentary oversight committee finds minimum wage not paid on some North West farms
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Cape Times reports that a joint parliamentary committee has found that the minimum wage was not paid on some farms during an oversight visit in North West over the weekend.
Numsa says murders won’t stop it recruiting in mining sector
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Business Times reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) says it will not stop recruiting members in the mining sector despite the murders of a union shop steward and a volunteer recruiter on the platinum belt in North West.
Half of last week’s power cuts attributable to illegal strike, claims Eskom
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Bloomberg reports that about half of SA’s record electricity outages last week were caused by employees staying away from work during illegal protests, Eskom CEO André de Ruyter told reporters on Friday.
Court rules that Ramaphosa can be sued personally for Marikana massacre
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City Press reports that a scathing court ruling has found President Cyril Ramaphosa might carry some blame for the lead-up to the bloody Marikana massacre.
Potential investors line up to keep Tiger Brand’s canning business in Ashton open and save jobs
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BL Premium reports that potential investors are said to be circling to give financial backing to a consortium of farmers for whom the clock is ticking to find the money to purchase the Tiger Brands canning factory in Ashton, Western Cape, before the listed food producer shutters it.
PSL clubs caught up in row over unpaid salaries
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City Press reports that nearly 50 players in the PSL have not been paid salaries for the past two months and some claim they are even owed salaries for December.
Adding e-tolls cost to fuel levy no longer an option, says Transport Minister
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BusinessLive reports that Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says the government scrapped plans to add the cost of e-tolls to the fuel levy after things became “messy”.
Limpopo Health HOD resigns amid dark cloud of PPE procurement scandal
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Pretoria News reports that Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha has accepted the resignation of Department of Health head Thokozani Mhlongo amid the cloud of a PPE scandal she is alleged to be involved in.
Striking Eskom workers aren't underpaid, but others at a more senior level are
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City Press reports that the lowest-paid Eskom employee, typically a general worker, currently receives R176,820 a year. That equates to R14,735 a month – just a few rands more than the R14,696 which, according to BankservAfrica, was the average take-home pay for the whole economy in May.
Roundup on Monday, 4 July 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, 1 July 2022.
Unions consider Eskom’s revised wage offer, with NUM ‘confident’ it may bring end to strike
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The Citizen reports that trade unions are consulting with their members after Eskom tabled a revised 7% wage offer and agreed to some of the workers’ demands on Saturday.
Harsh power cuts in store this week, while Eskom’s recovery from strike could take several weeks
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BL Premium reports that SA is set to enter a second week of intense power cuts, with state-owned power utility Eskom warning it could take several weeks to recover from last week’s wildcat strike, which prevented up to 90% of staff going to work at some plants.
Business leaders beg Ramaphosa to show some urgency and fix 'national crisis' at Eskom
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Fin24 reports that as Eskom and trade unions sit down on Friday to discuss a deal that it is hoped will end a week of labour unrest and intense load shedding, business leaders have written to President Cyril Ramaphosa to say his government's efforts are not enough and more must be done to address the crisis.
Sluggish economy and pandemic payouts depleting UIF coffers
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TimesLive reports that if SA's economy continues to suffer, workers who lose their jobs could in future have less to fall back on as the Unemployment Insurance Fund's (UIF’s) kitty gets depleted.