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.
Fifth wave of Covid-19 infections expected as SA approaches winter
- Details
News24 reports that Health Minister Joe Phaahla believes that as the country moves closer to winter, there will be an expectation of a fifth wave of Covid-19 infections. But, the fifth wave could even come earlier, depending on variants of concern.
ANC unpaid salaries dispute remains unresolved
- Details
City Press reports that African National Congress (ANC) staffers are adamant that they will not go back to work unless all the party’s employees are paid their salaries in full.
Liliesleaf workers picket over unpaid salaries
- Details
SowetanLive reports that the prolonged nonpayment of salaries has seen some workers from the iconic Liliesleaf Farm museum facing eviction from their homes.
Sibanye-Stillwater ups wage increase offer at its gold mines to nearly R1,000
- Details
BL Premium reports that Sibanye-Stillwater has revised its wage offer to four mining unions, proposing annual increases of nearly R1,000 in an effort to avoid industrial action that could hold negative consequences for its SA gold operations.
Government needs a task team to look into violent attacks on teachers
- Details
Sunday Independent reports that violent attacks on teachers seem to be on the increase in SA as yet another teacher was attacked by a Grade 11 pupil and her parents at Setjhaba se Maketse Combined School in Botshabelo on Friday.
More legal challenges as opposition to state of disaster mounts
- Details
BL Premium reports that as President Cyril Ramaphosa prepares to deliver his state of the nation address (Sona) on Thursday, the National Liquor Traders Council (NLT) has told him it expects him to consider scrapping the national state of disaster.
SA’s employment and labour department urges Rio Tinto workers to report cases of discrimination and bullying
- Details
Reuters reports that SA’s Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) on Thursday urged Rio Tinto workers to report instances of discrimination after the Anglo-Australian miner released an internal report detailing sexual assault, racism, and bullying across its mines.
Axed Prasa CEO Matthews' Labour Court case withdrawn, referred to CCMA
- Details
Fin24 reports that according to the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), axed CEO Zolani Matthews' Labour Court case against the entity has been withdrawn and referred to the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
Four North West cops arrested on some 300 counts of fraud involving use of state petrol cards
- Details
News24 reports that four police officers in North West have been arrested in connection some 300 counts of alleged fraud.
Urgent application by Solidarity to stop mandatory Covid-19 jabs at Pretoria firm struck off Labour Court roll
- Details
BusinessLive reports that an urgent application by trade union Solidarity challenging a Pretoria-based company’s policy on mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations was struck off the Johannesburg Labour Court roll on Thursday.
ANC finally pays its employees in full after being slapped by Nehawu with a court application
- Details
News24 reports that ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile confirmed on Thursday that the party had finally paid all outstanding staff salaries in full.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 3 February 2022
- Details
In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Axed SABC head of news must accept responsibility for her actions, says group CEO
- Details
BL Premium reports that SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) group CEO Madoda Mxakwe has lashed out at axed group executive of news and current affairs Phathiswa Magopeni, saying she abused her position, distorted facts and refused to accept responsibility for her actions.
Amid stayaway over nonpayment of salaries, ANC employees insist that retrenchment is a ‘non-starter’
- Details
The Star reports that ANC staff say they will remain on what their representatives have labelled a “full-blown stayaway” from party offices due to their employer’s failure to meet contractual obligations, including the party’s inability to pay salaries.
NUM backs Gwede Mantashe in call to sustain coal mining, use
- Details
Mining Weekly reports that following Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe having voiced his concern earlier this week that SA’s coal mining sector could not be allowed to diminish and fade away, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has added its support for efforts to sustain the industry.
March by security guards and cleaners on Wednesday to demand permanent employment at Gauteng hospitals
- Details
GroundUp reports that more than 100 security guards and cleaners affiliated to the SA Cleaners, Security and Allied Workers’ Union (SACSAWU) and the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (NUPSAW) marched from the Johannesburg Library Gardens to the Gauteng Department of Health in Marshalltown on Wednesday.
Two KZN paramedics in ICU after having been shot on Wednesday in scuffles for cellphone
- Details
The Citizen reports that two paramedics are currently in ICU after being shot by a lone gunman early in KwaMashu, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), on Wednesday morning.
Ramaphosa criticised by Saftu for not standing in solidarity with striking Clover workers
- Details
EWN reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa for failing to stand in solidarity with striking Clover workers.
Nehawu files court papers against ANC, demands party pay staff salaries immediately
- Details
EWN reports that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has filed court papers against the African National Congress (ANC) on behalf of its unpaid members, demanding that their salaries be processed by the party immediately.
https://solidariteit.co.za/en/state-of-disaster-court-papers-served/
- Details
TimesLive reports that trade union Solidarity on Wednesday served court papers seeking the annulment of the Covid-19 state of disaster, saying SA needed to return to a functioning democracy.
Denel hauled to Labour Court by Solidarity as salary woes continue
- Details
BL Premium reports that the battle between state-owned arms manufacturer Denel and trade union Solidarity over the company’s nonpayment of salaries is set to continue in the Labour Court next week after Denel continuously failed to meet its contractual obligations to employees.
Compensation Fund tightens up its relationship with PIC
- Details
BL Premium reports that the Compensation Fund (CF), which pays benefits to workers who are injured or fall ill at work, is tightening up its relationship with state-owned asset manager the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) so it can have advance knowledge of impairments, among other issues.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 2 February 2022
- Details
In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Zondo says executive can't be trusted with SOE appointments and independent recruitment board must be set up
- Details
TimesLive writes that politicians have failed to ensure that those who are able to do the job are appointed to the boards and senior positions at state-owned enterprises (SOEs) — with devastating consequences.
DA’s Michael Bagraim asks whether Nxesi is thumbing his nose at the president over quotas for foreign nationals
- Details
In a letter to the editor, Michael Bagraim MP, who is the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) shadow employment & labour minister, writes that much to his horror, employment & labour minister Thulas Nxesi recently said he wanted to investigate the possible introduction of quotas for the employment of foreign nationals in each workplace.
No ‘outsiders’ for school’s senior jobs, say Limpopo villagers as they prevent new appointees from starting work
- Details
SowetanLive reports that parents at a village school in Limpopo are demanding that senior management posts advertised last year be given to qualified officials from the school and not to outsiders, as has been the case.
Suspended public works director-general hasn’t been at work since July 2020, but has 'earned' R3.3m
- Details
News24 reports that public works director-general Sam Vukela, who was placed on precautionary suspension in July 2020, has "earned" a salary totalling R3.3 million while waiting for his disciplinary case to be concluded.
Following Mthimkhulu conviction, Prasa puts faith in skills audit to root out qualification frauds
- Details
Fin24 reports that the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) said in a statement on Tuesday that it would continue with the work of auditing the qualifications of its staff, following the conviction of its former head of engineering, Daniel Mthimkhulu, on three counts of fraud.
Suspended vice-chancellor Dr Enoch Malaza 'parts ways' with Mangosuthu University of Technology
- Details
TimesLive reports that suspended vice-chancellor Dr Enoch Malaza, who earlier this month was granted an interdict preventing Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) from ending his contract, has agreed to leave the institution.
Mitchells Plain train stations in ruins, but transport minister says Central Line will be running again by July 2022
- Details
GroundUp reports that the ongoing closure of Metrorail’s Central Line in Cape Town has left thousands of people who live along this route with very few options to get to work and school.