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.
Morning roundup of labour news on Friday, 10 December 2021
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In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Solidarity heading for court to get “certificate of need” for healthcare practitioners scrapped
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Trade union Solidarity announced on Thursday that it had issued a court application against the Director-General of Health, the Minister of Health and the President to have sections 36 to 40 of the National Health Act declared unconstitutional.
Lifestyle audits for all public servants to commence from February next year
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BusinessLive reports that although it’s taken seven years for the government to introduce lifestyle audits for all public servants, this will begin in February 2022 in a bid to prevent and detect fraud and corruption in the public service and to ensure employees’ lifestyles are in line with their declared income.
Deputy President David Mabuza says Eskom management is ‘best available’ to tackle crisis
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TimesLive reports that Deputy President David Mabuza has again come to the defence of Eskom’s beleaguered management. He said during a question-and-answer session in parliament on Thursday that persistent load-shedding was the only reason Eskom’s leadership was criticised.
Cabinet won’t be jumping the gun on lockdown adjustments and vaccine mandates, says Gungubele
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Fin24 reports that briefing reporters on Thursday on the outcomes of Wednesday's Cabinet meeting, Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, said while cases of Covid-19 were rising in SA, Cabinet did not conclude that the public healthcare system was imperiled enough to warrant an immediate decision on lockdown adjustments.
Busa corrects Nxesi on its stance regarding a declaratory order in respect of mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations
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Engineering News reports that Business Unity SA (Busa) has disputed a 7 December claim by Department of Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi that it has approached the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) seeking a mandatory vaccination declaratory order.
Dr Sean Phillips appointed as new permanent DWS director-general
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Engineering News reports that Dr Sean Douglas Phillips has been appointed as the new permanent director-general of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).
On-duty cop shot dead and firearm stolen in dramatic armed robbery at Sandton traffic intersection
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News24 reports that an on-duty police officer has died after being attacked by a group of armed robbers at a traffic intersection in Sandton on Thursday.
Former spy boss Mahlodi Muofhe sues Inspector-General of Intelligence for R500,000 over 'falsified qualifications' claim
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News24 reports that the State Security Agency's former domestic director-general, advocate Mahlodi Muofhe, is suing the Inspector-General of Intelligence (IGI), Setlhomamaru Dintwe, over claims that he (Muofhe) had falsified his qualifications.
World Economic Forum report shows that most workers in SA support vaccine mandates
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BL Premium reports that an international survey has found widespread support for workplace Covid-19 vaccine mandates among SA workers, vindicating companies that have issued such directives.
NEF scores R40m deal to distribute R1.135bn Covid-19 taxi relief fund
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IOL reports that the Department of Transport’s R1.135 billion Covid-19 taxi relief fund will be distributed by the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) for R40 million and qualifying operators will receive a once-off ex gratia payment of R5,000.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 9 December 2021
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In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
State recovers R111m fraudulently claimed by Pretoria businessman from UIF's Covid-19 relief scheme
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News24 reports that the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has declared that R111m in the frozen bank accounts of Hammanskraal businessman Thabo Abel Simbini be forfeited to the State.
Dis-Chem gets tough on unvaccinated employees
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Moneyweb reports that pharmacy retailer Dis-Chem Group is the latest JSE-listed corporate to implement a vaccine mandate for its employees.
Zululand district municipality verification audit unmasks seven senior managers for not being qualified
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TimesLIVE reports that the Zululand district municipality has found that five senior managers are not qualified for their jobs while two do not have post-matric qualifications.
Amid ongoing wage strike, employees at Tiger Brands snacks division to work through holidays to claw back production
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BL Premium reports that the indefinite pay strike at Tiger Brands’ snacks and treats division has disrupted its operations so severely the company will have to continue operations right through the festive period to claw back production.
SA Medical Association Trade Union bemoans discrimination against Cuban-trained doctors in intern placements
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News24 reports that the SA Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) has written to Health Minister Joe Phaahla, bemoaning his department's continued discrimination against Cuban-trained South African doctors.
Task falls to business as government kicks vaccine mandates into touch
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BL Premium reports that less than two weeks after the government signalled urgency in boosting the take-up of Covid-19 jabs, it has left the important task to businesses after saying it would seek a Constitutional Court order before making vaccination mandatory for access to certain places and activities.
NUM concerned about ‘deepening crisis’ in South Africa
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Mining Weekly reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has expressed concern about the “deepening crisis” in SA, saying it felt that the “gains of the 1994 democratic breakthrough were fast withering away under the weight of deepening inequality and mass unemployment”.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 8 December 2021
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In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Nedlac recommends mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations in workplaces
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IOL reports that the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) has recommended the implementation of mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations in workplaces.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 7 December 2021
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In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Booster shots for rural health workers urgent ahead of fourth wave
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BusinessLive reports that almost two-thirds of healthcare workers in the Sisonke Covid-19 vaccine trial, one of the world’s biggest, have not yet taken booster shots, and they only have 10 working days to do so.
While teacher unions canvas members on mandatory Covid-19 vaccines, jabs at private schools gain momentum
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Fin24 reports that while teacher unions survey their members and consult with memberships about their stance on mandatory Covid-19 vaccination, private schools have been gaining momentum in their vaccination drives.
In second incident in a week targeting health workers, thugs rob Tshwane vaccination team
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TimesLIVE reports that according to the Gauteng health department, a Tshwane district Covid-19 vaccination team was robbed at gunpoint in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, on Saturday.
MineSafe attendees recommit to elimination of fatalities in South Africa’s mines
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Mining Weekly reports that stakeholders who attended MineSafe 2021 on 25 November recommitted themselves to working towards the elimination of fatalities, injuries and occupational diseases on SA’s mines in pursuit of Zero Harm and to ensure each employee returned from work unharmed every day.
Twelve truckers to remain behind bars over N3 blockade in KZN on Friday
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News24 reports that tTwelve suspects, the majority of whom are truck drivers, accused of blocking the N3 freeway on Friday last week, are still behind bars after briefly appearing in the Ladysmith Magistrate's Court on Monday.
NPA boss denies ID head Hermione Cronje resigned due to 'interpersonal relations' or that NPA is in crisis
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News24 reports that National Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Shamila Batohi has denied that the resignation of Investigating Directorate (ID) boss advocate Hermione Cronje was a result of "interpersonal relations".
CEO of Business Leadership SA exhorts businesses to drive vaccination uptake
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Engineering News reports that Busi Mavuso, CEO of Business Leadership SA (BLSA), says businesses in SA must do everything possible to encourage employees and the wider public to get vaccinated.
With salaries still not paid, ANC employees face bleak festive season
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IOL reports that ANC employees face a bleak festive season as they continue to wait for their salaries to be paid, despite having staged protests outside Luthuli House.