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.
Mhlathuze Water takes disciplinary steps against CEO and CFO
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Engineering News reports that the board of Mhlathuze Water has resolved to take disciplinary action against its CEO and CFO on charges of financial misconduct and maladministration, following an intensive investigation commissioned by the board in December 2021.
Two Prasa workers shot and critically wounded by suspected cable thieves in Cape Town
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News24 reports that two Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) workers are in a critical condition after being shot and wounded while repairing cables on Cape Town's beleaguered Central Line.
Outsourcing company challenges extension of bargaining agreement to non-parties in road freight and logistics sector
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TimesLive reports that Innovative Staffing Solutions (ISS) has launched an urgent application before the Labour Court in which it seeks to block the extension of the collective agreement in the road freight and logistics sector to non-members.
Electrician killed in shootout involving 150 zama zamas at Sibanye-Stillwater’s moth-balled Cooke shafts
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Daily Maverick reports that an electrician and Sibanye-Stillwater employee was shot and killed on Monday night in a shootout between zama zamas (illegal miners) and mine security at the company’s moth-balled Cooke shafts near Randfontein.
Western Cape premier Alan Winde calls for end to all Covid restrictions
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BL Premium reports that on Tuesday Western Cape Premier Alan Winde called for an end to the last remaining coronavirus restrictions, which he said were hampering economic activity and job creation.
Harmony Gold reports yet another fatality at its Kusasalethu mine
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Fin24 reports that Harmony Gold has reported a fatality at its Kusasalethu mine near Carletonville caused by an engineering-related incident on Monday afternoon.
Stats SA says official definition of employment limited to agreed international standard
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EWN reports that Stats SA on Monday said that its use of the official unemployment rate and the expanded unemployment rate was merely to keep up with international standards and was not meant to disregard those who were not looking for work at the time of its data collection.
SACP to lead ‘massive’ campaign on right to work and food
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SowetanLive reports that in a bid to reduce the rising numbers of unemployment and poverty, the SA Communist Party (SACP) is planning to lead a “massive campaign” on people’s right to work and food.
Mangaung ghost workers hold city manager hostage, force him to sign off millions in salaries
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Saturday Citizen reports that at least 163 ghost workers at the Free State’s Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality will continue to get paid while sitting at home, after they allegedly held the acting city manager hostage and forced him to sign off on the illegal payments.
KZN pension funds take local government bargaining council to court as it tries to become gatekeeper
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Fin24 reports that a group of pension funds in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is taking the SA Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) to court for forcing them to get accredited by the council – or lose business from municipalities.
SANDF nurse wins interim interdict against being cashiered
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Cape Argus reports that a SA National Defence Force (SANDF) nurse has obtained an interim injunction from the Western Cape High Court preventing the armed forces from implementing a Court of Military Appeals (CMA) sentence dismissing him in disgrace.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 7 June 2022
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In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Amahlathi municipality in Eastern Cape fails to pay its workers their May salaries
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GroundUp reports that municipal workers in the struggling Amahlathi Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape have not been paid for May.
Shootout ensues as cops, SANDF arrest 158 undocumented Lesotho nationals at roadblock
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News24 reports that one person was injured in a shootout in the Free State on Sunday when police and SA National Defence Force (SANDF) officials stopped 158 allegedly undocumented foreigners from entering the country in 16 vehicles.
Organisation drops case fighting implementation of Covid-19 vaccine mandate at Rhodes University
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News24 reports that after months of fighting the Covid-19 vaccine mandate at Rhodes University, an organisation called Makhanda Against Mandates has abandoned its court action.
Hankey residents force seasonal workers out of Eastern Cape town in violent clashes
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GroundUp reports that about 400 seasonal workers were forcefully evicted from their homes in Hankey in the Eastern Cape by local residents following violent clashes at an informal settlement in the town last week.
Labour Court puts Denel under pressure to pay salaries of Uasa members
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Business Report writes that Denel has been backed into a corner after the Labour Court dismissed the state-owned arms manufacturer’s tactics for further payment delays to members of union Uasa.
Higher education on track to meet NDP targets, but some graduates struggle for jobs
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BL Premium reports that according to Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande, the sector is on track to achieve some of the crucial National Development Plan (NDP) targets, including increasing the number of university enrolments as well as graduates attaining doctorates or advanced qualifications.
Gold strike has cost Sibanye-Stillwater workers dearly, say analysts
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BL Premium writes that as Sibanye-Stillwater gold mineworkers prepare to return to work after agreeing on a wage deal, analysts say their victory could be short-lived as it will take them years to recoup the more than R1.2bn they forfeited in wages during the protracted strike.
Saftu’s Zwelinzima Vavi and his wife could have their multimillion-rand home put up for auction
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City Press reports that the general secretary of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), Zwelinzima Vavi, and his wife Noluthando, could lose their multimillion-rand home in the affluent suburb of Morningside Manor in Johannesburg after Standard Bank approached the court to have it put up for auction.
Roundup on Monday, 6 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, 3 June 2022.
Standard Bank’s chief engineer quits with immediate effect after recent system crashes
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BL Premium reports that Standard Bank’s chief engineering officer has resigned following a series of systems outages in recent months that have left customers unable to use many of the bank’s services.
Lucky Star owner Oceana fires chief financial officer for 'gross misconduct'
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Fin24 reports Oceana has fired its chief financial officer after she was found guilty of gross misconduct as part of a disciplinary process, which was chaired by a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Presidency instructs security agencies to investigate ‘bullet’ threat against director-general Phindile Baleni
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IOL reports that the Presidency has instructed security agencies to investigate the serious threat made against the director-general in the Presidency, Phindile Baleni, at her home.
End to Sibanye gold strike in sight as union members mandate acceptance of CCMA proposal
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BL Premium reports that an end to the three-month long wage strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations is in sight.
MPs hear from unions that 'meagre' salaries, promotion woes and low morale affecting police officers
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News24 reports that according to the leaders of policing unions, police officers cannot continue to be grateful to merely survive, while management structures are bloated and high-ranking officers idle in over-resourced, airconditioned offices.
AMCU and NUM leaders to update workers on Friday at Union Buildings about Sibanye wage strike
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BL Premium reports that the two striking unions at Sibanye-Stillwater's gold operations are expected to brief their members at the Union Buildings on Friday on progress made in trying to hammer out a pay hike deal.
Morning roundup of labour news on Friday, 3 June 2022
- Details
In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Numsa to picket outside Comair’s offices, wants CEO to resign and end of business rescue process
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The Citizen reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) says it’s “shocked and surprised” by the latest developments at Comair and its decision to suspend all of its operations.
Scientific study finds that lockdowns had little effect on stemming Covid-19 deaths
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BL Premium reports that a study published in the latest edition of the SA Journal of Science concludes that SA’s coronavirus restrictions had little effect on Covid-19 deaths after the initial hard lockdown because the measures were too blunt and timed too late to dampen provincial surges.