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.
NUM urges government to investigate incident at Modikwa platinum mine
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Mining Weekly reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has expressed shock over a health and safety incident at African Rainbow Minerals’ (ARM's) Modikwa platinum mine, in Limpopo, and has urged the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to investigate the incident.
Public Interest SA calls on Public Protector to probe ‘controversial’ IT tender at Office of the Chief Justice
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Sunday Times Daily reports that public benefit organisation Public Interest SA has written to the Public Protector (PP) requesting an independent probe to establish whether public procurement prescripts were breached during the procurement of IT services by the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ).
Telehealth gets Covid-19 boost, with remote consultations higher than before the pandemic
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Saturday Citizen reports that with telemedicine on the rise, early research into virtual consultations is highlighting the benefits for users, as well as areas where progress needs to be made for patients and healthcare providers alike.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 14 June 2022
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In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Labour movements call for SA government to up struggling CCMA’s budget
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Business Report writes that labour movements have called for the immediate full reopening of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and an increase in its budget to meet its growing case load.
Eskom offers employees wage increases of up to 5.3%
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BL Premium reports that Eskom, saddled with about R392bn in debt, has offered unions wage increases of 4%-5.3%, which is in line with the Reserve Bank’s inflation target range of 3%-6%, for its nearly 30,000 employees in the bargaining unit.
Sibanye-Stillwater to restart SA gold mines in a phased manner following prolonged strike
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Mining Weekly reports that Sibanye-Stillwater will restart its South African gold operations in a phased manner over the next two to three months, in order to ensure the safety of the operations and employees.
Second fire at Steve Biko Hospital in two weeks, no casualties reported
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News24 reports that another fire has broken out at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria – the second in just two weeks.
Boosting exports can help reduce unemployment, says PwC
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City Press reports that higher exports could make a huge contribution to solving SA’s unemployment crisis, as the supply of agricultural products such as citrus, vegetables and livestock for export is one of the best industries that helps create jobs.
Bushveld Minerals, AMCU sign five-year wage agreement
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Mining Weekly reports that vanadium producer Bushveld Minerals has signed a five-year wage agreement with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).
Gauteng health department lifts suspension on whistleblower doctor at Rahima Moosa Hospital
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News24 reports that the Gauteng health department advised on Friday that a doctor who blew the whistle on the state of the province's healthcare facilities was back at work.
After a record year, The Foschini Group plans thousands of new factory jobs
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Fin24 reports that The Foschini Group (TFG) – which also owns Markham, Jet, @home, and American Swiss, among other retail brands – saw a 32% increase in its turnover to a record R43.4 billion for the year to end-March.
Wage deal at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations finally signed off on Saturday after week of tense talks
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Business Times reports that striking unions and Sibanye-Stillwater signed a gold wage deal at the weekend after days of tense talks during which several sticking points threatened to derail the agreement thrashed out at the CCMA.
Comair liquidation puts 1,200 jobs at risk
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Business Times reports that the Covid-19 pandemic, soaring fuel prices, an ambitious relaunch and a grounding due to safety management issues in March led to Comair being left with no option last week but to apply for liquidation, putting 1,200 jobs at risk.
Stalemate in Eskom wage talks
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Bloomberg News reports that talks between state-owned power utility Eskom and its largest trade unions on wage increases have reached a stalemate.
SARS strike set to drag on as most recent talks failed to break deadlock
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Fin24 reports that the failure last week by the SA Revenue Service (SARS) and the unions representing its employees to find common ground in their latest talks means that the industrial action at the tax authority will officially continue into this week.
Roundup on Monday, 13 June 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, 10 June 2022.
EFF rejects Ismail Momoniat's appointment as acting D-G at Treasury
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EWN reports that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has rejected the appointment of Ismail Momoniat as acting Director-General of the National Treasury.
Home Affairs suspends four more officials linked to passport fraud syndicate
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The Citizen reports that the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has suspended four more officials liked to passport fraud operations involving Pakistani nationals.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 9 June 2022
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In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Thulas Nxesi has spent over R1.6m on official trips abroad, with daily allowances amounting to over R88K
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BL Premium reports that Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister Thulas Nxesi, who is tasked with addressing the country’s spiralling unemployment rate, has spent nearly R2m on official trips abroad since President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed him to the portfolio in 2019.
Comair June salaries doubtful as airline tries to find investor or face going belly-up
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Business Report writes that Comair, which suspended its flights last week, would most likely not be able to pay its workers’ salaries for June as pressure mounts for the airline to find an investor in the next few weeks or go belly-up.
KZN teacher dies after being shot in the head at school by unknown assailants
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News24 reports that a teacher, aged 28, was shot dead at Riverdene Secondary School in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Tuesday morning.
Allegations of nepotism in hiring of executive’s son dog Information Regulator
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City Press reports that alleged failure by the Information Regulator to comply with the provisions for hiring staff members has drawn the attention of the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Public Protector.
Presidency’s application to review lifting of suspension of Public Works and Infrastructure D-G Sam Vukela to be heard next week
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Cape Times reports that the review application by the Presidency to overturn the lifting of the suspension of Public Works and Infrastructure director-general Sam Vukela will be heard in the Labour Court next week.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 8 June 2022
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In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Numsa tells workers Comair could be weeks away from liquidation
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EWN reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has told workers that Comair reckoned it was just weeks away from liquidation if it did not urgently secure investors to get the airline flying again.
With their stance seemingly softening, unions resume talks with SARS to resolve wage strike
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Fin24 reports that as unions representing workers at the SA Revenue Service (SARS) resume talks on wages to end their strike, the position of the Public Servants Association (PSA) and the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) appears to be softening.
Solidarity calls for action after illegal miners kill Sibanye-Stillwater employee
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Mining Weekly reports that Solidarity has expressed “utter disgust” at the killing of an electrician by illegal miners at Sibanye-Stillwater’s Cooke plant.
Mpumalanga Cogta head gets R10,000 bail in R6-million PPE tender fraud case
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SowetanLive reports that Mpumalanga co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) head Samkelo Ngubane has been released on R10,000 bail by the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court in connection with a R6-million personal protective equipment (PPE) tender.