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.
Sibanye-Stillwater faces action by unions on two fronts
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Business Times reports that Sibanye-Stillwater's ageing gold mines face another strike after key unions downed tools last week for higher pay. The company says the wage demand is not sustainable.
City of Joburg says job ads weren't racist but based on ANC's employment equity plan
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News24 reports that the City of Johannesburg claims it adhered to employment equity legislation when it compiled job adverts that encouraged Indian and white people to apply.
Roundup on Monday, 14 March 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, 11 March 2022.
Senior civil servants flourish as directors of private companies that score huge government
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City Press reports that despite the political leadership’s repeated promises to crack down on public servants doing business with the state, employees who hold strategic positions in national and provincial departments continue to hold positions as directors of private companies that are scoring big business deals with government.
Public service and administration minister Ayanda Dlodlo gets top World Bank job
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The Sunday Times reports that Department of Public Service & Administration (DPSA) Minister Ayanda could be headed for a top job at the World Bank in Washington DC.
Golden Arrow bus torched, Metrorail sub-station vandalised in Cape Town on Friday
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News24 reports that a Golden Arrow bus was torched at the Nyanga terminus in Cape Town on Friday, hours after Metrorail said its train services were being sabotaged by repeated vandalism of a major power sub-station that feeds the line.
NUM demands immediate removal of Neal Froneman as Sibanye-Stillwater CEO
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Mining Weekly reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has called on Sibanye-Stillwater’s shareholders to remove Neal Froneman as the company’s CEO with immediate effect.
No commuter trains have been operating in the Eastern Cape for over two months
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GroundUp reports that it has largely gone unreported that since 7 January there have been no commuter trains operating in the Eastern Cape, with neither Metrorail nor other trains running between Kariega, Gqeberha and East London.
Numsa demands resignation of Comair CEO Glenn Orsmond and withdrawal of retrenchment notice
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The Citizen reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has expressed dismay over the indefinite suspension of Comair’s Air Operator Certificate and has demanded the resignation of Comair CEO Glen Orsmond.
Imminent health regulations to replace state of disaster, but no word from Phaahla on vaccine mandates
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News24 reports that according to Health Minister Joe Phaahla, regulations in terms of the National Health Act to bring the national Covid-19 lockdown to an end should be published in the "next few days" for public comment.
Protesting KZN driving schools block N3 on Wednesday, demand share of Covid-19 relief fund
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TimesLive reports that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) driving school owners took to the highway on Wednesday demanding their share of Covid-19 relief funds and demarcated spaces for training.
As pay strike starts, Sibanye-Stillwater to oppose Solidarity’s legal challenge to lockout
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BL Premium reports that the indefinite wage strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold operations is in full swing after members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) downed tools during the night shift on Wednesday in support of their demands for above-inflation pay increases.
'Not surprising': trade unions not shocked by high inequality in SA
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EWN reports that trade unions on Thursday said they were not surprised by a new report from the World Bank that found South Africa was the most unequal country in the world.
Deliberate sabotage of Cape rail infrastructure causes cancellations along the southern line
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IOL reports that Metrorail has suffered another setback as vandalism and attempted theft left commuters along the southern line stranded.
State of disaster not likely to be lifted yet despite cabinet pledge
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BL Premium reports that the government is considering extending the national state of disaster despite the cabinet’s promise that it would end on 15 March, because it has yet to finalise alternative legislation to manage Covid-19.
Samwu says without a court order City of Joburg has no legal grounds to reverse contracts of 130 political appointees
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News24 reports that the SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) says the City of Johannesburg has no legal grounds for reversing the employment contracts of 130 employees without a court order.
Doctors and other health workers picket outside crisis-ridden Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital
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GroundUp reports that doctors and other health workers picketed outside the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto on Thursday, calling on the provincial department of health not to dismiss more than 800 staff members recruited during the Covid pandemic.
Morning roundup of labour news on Friday, 11 March 2022
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In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Sibanye-Stillwater stops operations at SA gold mining as wage strike begins
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Reuters reports that Sibanye-Stillwater advised on Thursday that it had stopped operations at its gold mines in SA after two major unions began a strike over wages.
Commission for Gender Equality welcomes initiatives to decriminalise sex work in SA
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News24 reports that the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) believes recent developments regarding the future of sex work in SA mark "significant progress" towards legalising the practice and the status of sex workers.
High Court orders City of Tshwane to rehire over 200 unlawfully dismissed workers
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The Citizen reports that justice was served when the City of Tshwane was ordered to reappoint and reimburse more than 200 former Capacity employees who had been unlawfully dismissed.
Solidarity submits warrants of execution to seize Denel assets over failure to pay staff
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Engineering News reports that trade union Solidarity announced on Wednesday that it had submitted warrants of execution, worth some R90-million, against state-owned defence industrial group Denel to the sheriff of the court.
Golden Arrow to implement interim 8% fare hike from next Monday
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EWN reports that Cape Town bus service Golden Arrow is set to implement an interim fare increase of 8%. The across-the-board increase will come into effect from next Monday.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 10 March 2022
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In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Solidarity seeks urgent interdict against Sibanye to block ‘immoral’ lock-out
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Mining Weekly reports that trade union Solidarity advised on Wednesday that it would be approaching the Labour Court on an urgent basis to obtain an interdict against the lock-out of its members at Sibanye-Stillwater’s SA gold mines.
Andrew Levy estimates wage settlements in 2022 to range between 4.8% and 5.9%
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BL Premium reports that in a webinar on Tuesday on the wage negotiating outlook for 2022, well-known labour economist Andrew Levy said it was likely that under the current circumstances other industries might take the lead from the government, which successfully challenged implementing the last leg of a three-year wage agreement reached in 2018 due to a lack of money.
Material conditions have made strikes unviable, says Cosatu’s Bheki Ntshalintshali
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TimesLive writes that on the streets, the once-mighty Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) that could bring the country to a standstill a decade ago is no more. But there are many more victories in the boardroom in the form of policies that are pro-worker than was the case 10 years ago.
Sanco vows to make Joburg mayor’s job untenable as 130 city workers face the chop
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TimesLive reports that the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) has vowed that Joburg executive mayor Mpho Phalatse won’t find peace until she reverses a decision to review the permanent employment of 130 city employees.
Bus drivers strike at Gautrain depots, but rail service still operational
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SowetanLive reported on Tuesday that Gauteng’s rapid rail service was operating, but its bus link service had been suspended due to protest action by drivers.
Western Cape Metrorail suspends all train services due to power issues
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EWN reports that Metrorail train services in the Western Cape have been suspended due to the blackouts.