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.
Unisa Nehawu leader warns of mayhem, with ‘nyaope boys’ available for hire to inflict gender-based violence and petrol-bomb cars
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City Press reports that in a leaked audio recording, Thembani Baloyi, National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) branch secretary at the University of SA (Unisa), alleges that for only R200, young, vagrant drug addicts desperate for money for their next hit – known as nyaope boys – were available for hire to molest and sjambok women members of staff at the university.
Mantashe’s artisanal mining policy is ‘sheer fantasy’ – decisive intervention to stop criminality needed instead
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In a hard-hitting opinion piece, Hulme Scholes & Francois Sieberhagen write about the draft Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Policy 2021, which was published in the Government Gazette on 5 May 2021 for public comment.
Calls to reinstate former Heathfield High principal who was axed for refusal to reopen the school amid 2020 Covid-19 infection peak
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Weekend Argus reports that urgent calls have been made to reinstate Heathfield High ex-principal Wesley Neumann to avoid a crisis at the school.
Picket by rural Eastern Cape nurses on Wednesday demanding payment of special allowance
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GroundUp reports that hundreds of nurses picketed outside the provincial Department of Health call centre in East London on Wednesday.
March by domestic workers for decent pay and benefits in Pretoria on Thursday
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GroundUp reports that over a hundred domestic workers dressed in bright uniforms and carrying irons and mops marched through the streets of Pretoria on Thursday to mark International Domestic Workers Day.
Numsa signs above inflation 7% wage increase with Gautrain operator Bombela
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Engineering News reports that according to the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), it has signed an above-inflation wage increase of 7%, effective 1 July, with the Bombela Operating Company (BOC), the agency which operates the Gautrain.
NGO challenges ‘lenient’ sentences given to teachers for assaulting pupils
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SowetanLive reports that according to lawyers representing the SA Council for Educators (Sace), there was nothing legally wrong with fining a teacher who assaulted a pupil R10,000 and allowing the teacher to keep his or her job.
Solidarity demands intervention by Parliament to address ‘dreadful’ shortcomings at Department of Social Development
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Solidarity announced on Thursday that it would be approaching Parliament to demand urgent intervention at the Department of Social Development (DSD). This came after a report by the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) revealed significant shortcomings at the department.
Morning roundup of labour news on Friday, 17 June 2022
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In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Auditor-General finds municipalities are paying consultants millions to do very basic tasks
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Fin24 reports that according to Auditor-General (AG) Tsakani Maluleke, there has been no improvement in the audits of SA’s municipalities, with only 41 out of the country’s 257 municipalities receiving clean audits.
Iata seeking more information on skills situation in aviation worldwide, including South Africa
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Engineering News reports that the representative body of the worldwide airline industry, namely the International Air Transport Association (Iata), has announced that it has extended the deadline for its Global Skills Survey until 24 June.
Health Minister’s advisory committee urges more research on long Covid
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TimesLive reports that the Health Minister’s Covid-19 advisory committee has made its first recommendations about long Covid, but conceded that many questions remained about the condition.
SCA dismisses minister's appeal on tobacco products ban during lockdown
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TimesLive reports that the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) on Tuesday agreed with an earlier Western Cape High Court judgment that the regulation banning the sale of tobacco products during Covid-19 lockdown was invalid.
World Bank approves low-interest loan of over R7.5bn for SA’s Covid-19 vaccine programme
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News24 reports that the World Bank has approved a €454.4 million (R7.6 billion) low-interest loan to help fund SA’s purchase of vaccines. The government had asked for assistance in financing vaccine procurement.
Fees levied by the City of Johannesburg on organisers of protests unconstitutional, High Court rules
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GroundUp reports that Johannesburg High Court Judge Margaret Victor has ruled that fees levied by the City of Johannesburg on organisers of protests and pickets are unconstitutional.
Health Department e-mails view public opposition to proposed new regulations as ‘instigating terrorism’
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Moneyweb reports that “anti-progressive”, “instigating terrorism”, “sabotage” and “forcing government to waste resources” are how groups opposed to government’s proposed health regulations are characterised in internal emails floating around the Department of Health.
Gauteng hospitals hit by staff shortages, lack of equipment and security challenges
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SowetanLive writes that the dire conditions recently laid bare by a medical doctor at the Rahima Moosa Hospital in Johannesburg are a true reflection of problems experienced by Gauteng hospitals.
Tshwane Bahlali Dudula leads march of young people to Ford Motor Company to demand jobs
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Pretoria News reports that a large crowd of young people from Mamelodi, Nellmapius and Eersterust marched on Tuesday to the headquarters of Ford Motor Company and the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone to demand the employment of young people who resided in their communities.
Treasury’s two-pot retirement plan largely rejected, Sanlam survey reveals
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BL Premium reports that more than half of those who took part in the latest annual Sanlam benchmark survey are opposed to the Treasury’s proposal to give individuals limited access to their retirement savings before retirement via the so-called two-pot system.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 15 June 2022
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In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
PIC looking to boost investment in unlisted assets to create jobs, transform economy
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Fin24 reports that the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) is seeking to up its share of unlisted investments from 5% of its portfolio to 25% over the next five years to create jobs.
Harmony employees in Free State contribute R1m worth of donations in response to KNZ flood disasters
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Mining Weekly reports that employees at Harmony Gold's operations, in Free State, have contributed R1-million worth of donations to the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) government in response to the recent floods that left over 7,600 people homeless.
Comair placed in provisional liquidation by High Court
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Fin24 reports that Comair, which operates Kulula and regional flights for British Airways, was placed in provisional liquidation by the South Gauteng High Court on Tuesday due to the airline not being able to meet its financial obligations.
NHI will be implemented incrementally, says Health Minister
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BL Premium reports that the government plans to implement National Health Insurance (NHI) incrementally and gradually phase out the role medical schemes play in funding private healthcare services.
Police officer killed, another critically injured in shootout on Monday along the N12 in Joburg
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News24 reports that a police officer was killed and another critically injured during a shootout along the N12 in Johannesburg on Monday afternoon.
Social Employment Fund to create 50,000 jobs in phase 1, claims Ramaphosa
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Engineering News reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that government would continue to champion programmes and initiatives that limited the impact of unemployment on young people until such time as the private sector started creating more jobs at scale.
Suspended with full pay: Over R12 million for six top government workers sitting at home
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News24 reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa's impending transfer of the human settlements department's director-general (DG), Mbulelo Tshangana, to a yet-to-be revealed portfolio highlights the volatility of the government's top echelons.
Senior police officer and seven businesspeople accused of SAPS corruption and theft released on bail
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TimesLive reports that a senior police officer and seven businesspeople arrested at the weekend in connection with four irregular contracts in the national police commissioner’s corporate services office were released on bail of R3,000 each on Monday.
Hawks on the hunt for home affairs official linked to passport fraud
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The Citizen reports that the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) are searching for an official from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for his involvement in fraud and corruption.
Cape Town teacher who sexually assaulted pupil in 2017 finally suspended after criminal court case
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Cape Argus reports that according to Western Cape Minister of Education David Maynier, a Cape Town teacher who sexually assaulted a pupil five years ago has finally been suspended and will face a disciplinary hearing.