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.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 29 June 2022
- Details
In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Implats and Amcu sign multi-year wage deal with average increases of 6.6% over five year period
- Details
BL Premium reports that platinum group metals (PGMs) producer Impala Platinum announced on Tuesday it had signed a five-year pay hike deal with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction (Amcu) which will see workers getting inflation-beating increases over the multi-term agreement.
Public Protector ordered to reinstate and pay R1.5m to official who was dismissed for calling for probe into Mkhwebane
- Details
News24 reports that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has ruled against the Public Protector (PP) in a case regarding the dismissal of former Free State provincial head, Sphelo Hamilton Samuel.
Worst power cuts in two years kick in due to illegal Eskom strike; unions deny Gordhan’s claim that wage agreement has been reached
- Details
BusinessLive reports that after several days of illegal strikes by Eskom workers due to wage negotiations gone awry, and with diesel reserves at its emergency power plants running low, the state-owned power utility announced on Tuesday that it had to implement stage 6 load-shedding for the first time since 2019.
Gordhan says wage agreement reached between Eskom and unions; hopes second day of Stage 6 load-shedding can be avoided
- Details
Engineering News reports that Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan on Tuesday evening said he was hopeful that Eskom would be able to avoid implementing Stage 6 load-shedding for a second day on Wednesday, after the power utility and unions had reached a wage agreement earlier in the day.
High Court deals major blow to state’s hopes of controlling where doctors work by way of ‘certificate of need’
- Details
BL Premium reports that the Department of Health’s (DOH’s) ambitions for controlling where doctors work have been dealt a massive blow by the High Court in Pretoria, after it declared the National Health Act’s provisions for issuing health establishments with a “certificate of need” unconstitutional and invalid.
Parliament defends 3% pay increase for MPs
- Details
News24 reports that amid a public outcry over a 3% increase for public office bearers, Parliament has defended the increase by noting that public office bearers last received a pay hike in 2019.
Hawks launch inquiry into suspended Mhlathuze Water CEO and suspended CFO
- Details
IOL reports that the Hawks have launched an inquiry that involves two senior officials of the troubled Richards Bay-based Mhlathuze Water Board, which has in the past few years been tainted by allegations of graft.
Cele says agreement with truck drivers is that they will protest outside offices, not on highways
- Details
TimesLive reports that police and truck drivers have come to an agreement that protesting truckers should do so in front of trucking companies' offices and not on the highways.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 28 June 2022
- Details
In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Thirty-nine people, including nine children under five years, rescued on Mpumalanga farm from alleged human trafficking ring
- Details
The Citizen reports that two suspects have appeared at the Belfast Magistrate’s Court on charges of trafficking in persons after the Hawks in Mpumalanga rescued 39 victims on a farm in Belfast.
Numsa claims Eskom provoked the 'rage' that led to protests and more load shedding
- Details
Fin24 reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has laid the blame for the protests at power stations that plunged SA into Stage 4 load shedding late last week at Eskom's door.
With a petrol price increase of about R2.50 expected in July, Outa calls for extension of R1.50 fuel levy reprieve
- Details
BusinessLive reports that the war in Ukraine continues to keep the international price of oil bouncing between $110 and $120 per barrel, and for most of June this price has remained closer to $120, which is about 7% up on May.
Thirteen wards at Fort Beaufort Provincial Hospital declared a health hazard by labour department
- Details
GroundUp reports that a large section of Fort Beaufort Provincial Hospital has been shut down by the Eastern Cape Department of Employment and Labour, which has deemed 13 wards to be a health hazard.
Eskom’s biggest unions distance themselves from illegal strike
- Details
BL Premium reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which represent most of Eskom’s workforce of about 42,300 workers, have distanced themselves from the crippling illegal industrial action that resulted in the troubled power utility ramping up load-shedding at the weekend.
Numsa shopsteward at Implats contractor Reagetswe Mining murdered
- Details
Fin24 writes that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has reported that one of its shopstewards, Mahlomola Hlothoane, was murdered at his home on Friday evening by two unknown gunmen.
Implats contractor Triple M says Numsa not recognised, cannot bargain collectively
- Details
Fin24 reports that according to Triple M Mining CEO Sipho Xipu, the company cannot negotiate wages with the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) because the union has not passed the threshold for recognition at the Impala Platinum (Implats) contractor.
Labour tension rises at Eskom as wage fight tips SA into Stage 4 load shedding
- Details
Fin24 writes that as Eskom grapples to arrest the impact of protests at its power stations, which plunged SA into Stage 4 load shedding on Friday morning, tensions with unions run the risk of polarising employees at the power utility too.
Latest employment equity report slams lack of transformation at top management levels
- Details
Business Times reports that the government's latest workplace transformation report has found that more than a quarter of private sector employers are not investing in meaningful training and development, and more than 20% do not have clear succession plans for the advancement of African, coloured and female employees to top, senior and middle-management levels.
Masks are gone, but employees can still refuse to work for fear of SARS-CoV-2 in terms of republished regulations
- Details
Business Insider SA writes that SA’s last Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, with the requirement to wear a mask in public buildings and restrictions on gatherings gone. But in terms of republished rules, any employees with reason to fear they may be infected with SARS-CoV-2 still have the right to refuse to work, and may face no repercussions for doing so.
Battle to place graduate teachers funded by Funza Lushaka bursary
- Details
City Press reports that provincial departments of education have yet to place more than 2,000 graduate teachers funded by the Department of Basic Education’s (DBE’s) Funza Lushaka bursary.
‘Tension’ with Gordhan sees Public Enterprises DG suspended
- Details
City Press reports that on Thursday the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) announced that director-general Kgathatso Tlhakudi was being placed on precautionary suspension pending a disciplinary process.
Consortium begs Tiger Brands for extra time to raise money before closing Ashton canning facility
- Details
Business Times reports that the consortium scrambling to find funding to take over Tiger Brands’ deciduous fruit business in the Western Cape is pleading for extra time, without which more than 4,000 jobs will be lost and 300 farmers face ruin.
Roundup on Monday, 27 June 2022 of weekend labour reports
- Details
In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 24 June 2022.
Stage 4 power cuts to continue until Wednesday due to labour action, Eskom warns
- Details
Fin24 reports that Eskom has announced that Stage 4 loadshedding will continue to be implemented until at least midnight on Wednesday.
Robber left dead, two guards injured in CIT robbery in Brakpan on Saturday
- Details
News24 reports that a shootout between cash-in-transit (CIT) security guards and a gang of armed robbers has left one suspect dead and two G4S guards wounded.
Sibanye-Stillwater’s Neal Froneman warns PGM wage negotiations “will not have quick outcome”
- Details
Miningmx reports that Sibanye-Stillwater’s CEO, Neal Froneman doesn’t expect a speedy outcome to wage negotiations with unions at the producer’s platinum group metal (PGM) mines owing to the complexity of discussions.
With load-shedding pushed to stage 4, Eskom granted interdict to stop unprotected strike at its plants
- Details
TimesLive reports that Eskom has been granted a court order stopping the unprotected strike action at nine of its power stations and facilities.
Outa pickets in support of whistle-blowing doctor, calls for investigation into CEO of Rahima Moosa Hospital
- Details
The Citizen reports that members of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) on Thursday picketed outside Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital in Johannesburg, in support of the doctor who blew the whistle on the poor conditions at the facility.
Eskom warns that if power station protests persist, there’ll be much more load-shedding
- Details
News24Wire reports that power utility Eskom warned on Friday morning that if protests at nine of its power stations and facilities continued, the risk of higher stages of load-shedding would increase.