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.
SAPS to recruit 10,000 new police officers in new financial year
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IOL reports that the SA Police Service (SAPS) is planning to recruit 10,000 new recruits in the financial year starting in April 2022 to bolster the force.
Cosatu CEC gives its backing to Saccawu’s wage strike at Massmart
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BL Premium reports that Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali addressed journalists on Thursday after the labour federation’s central executive committee (CEC) meeting held from Monday to Wednesday.
DBE reminds teachers of ethics code after report reveals 443 misconduct complaints
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Eyewitness News reports that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has reminded educators of the code of professional ethics that governs their field.
Mining industry recommits to ‘zero harm’
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BL Premium reports that the mining industry has renewed its commitment to eliminating injuries and fatalities at all operations even as the number of deaths continues to decline.
Coalition of unions mulls strike after rejecting Sibanye-Stillwater’s revised gold wage offer
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BL Premium reports that a coalition of mining unions is drafting picketing rules after wage talks with Sibanye-Stillwater deadlocked when workers this week rejected a wage hike deal from the gold producer.
Government ends Zimbabwean Special Dispensation Permits, but allows 12-month grace period
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BL Premium reports that Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele advised on Thursday that the government would no longer issue extensions to the Zimbabwean Special Exemption Permit (ZEP), which is set to end on 31 December this year.
Old Mutual becomes latest company to implement mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations for employees
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The Citizen reports that insurance giant Old Mutual is implementing a mandatory vaccination policy for all its employees, at all its subsidiaries, and employees have until 1 January 2022 to get at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Cosatu calls for alliance summit after ANC’s poor performance in local government elections
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BL Premium reports that Cosatu, which campaigned relentlessly for the ANC ahead of the recent municipal elections, has called for an urgent tripartite alliance summit to discuss what went wrong after the governing party’s support fell below the 50% mark for the first time.
Labour Court sets aside Joseph Mathunjwa's election in 2019 as Amcu president
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Business Maverick reports that Joseph Mathunjwa’s 2019 election as president of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union has been declared ‘unlawful’ and set aside by the Labour Court in Johannesburg.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 25 November 2021
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In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Twelve retirement funds set up forum to boost infrastructure investment
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Citywire reports that twelve retirement funds with an estimated R3 trillion in assets under management have established a forum to collaborate regarding infrastructure investment in SA.
Eleven teachers fired by education department over misconduct charges, including sexual offences against learners
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Cape Times reports that a total of 11 teachers have been axed by the Department of Basic Education after they were found guilty of a range of charges, including sexual misconduct.
MPs told that naming and shaming of parties who received fraudulent Ters payments from UIF would be illegal
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BL Premium reports that companies which received fraudulent payments from the Covid-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (Ters) from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) won’t be named and shamed because do to so would be illegal.
Minerals Council says over 300,000 partial and full Covid-19 vaccines have been given in mining sector
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BusinessLive reports that the Minerals Council SA (previously called the Chamber of Mines) has hailed the mining industry reaching more than 300,000 full and partially vaccinated employees.
GEPF to cut allocation to PIC unit, new mandate to include ‘more consequence management’ for poor investment decisions
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Bloomberg reports that the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) expects to cut the amount of money it allocates to a division of Public Investment Corporation (PIC) that has to date helped it fulfill some of its environment, social and governance aspirations.
Cosatu affiliates NUM and Limusa merge
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IOL reports that the Liberated Metalworkers Union of SA (Limusa) has merged with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
Sibanye-Stillwater, unions still at odds over gold mine wage increases
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Mining Weekly reports that precious metals producer Sibanye-Stillwater says it and labour unions were again unable to reach an agreement on wage increases for employees at Sibanye's SA gold operations.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 24 November 2021
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In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Eskom lifestyle audits highlight 34 high-risk cases
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IOL reports that according to Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, lifestyle audits on 383 executives and senior managers and their partners at the state-owned power utility highlighted 34 high-risk cases that were referred to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
Legal Practice Council and Minister oppose court challenge by Zimbabwean-born law graduates on basis that legal profession is not a rare or critical skill
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GroundUp reports that SA’s Legal Practice Council (LPC) and the Minister of Justice are opposing a court bid by three Zimbabwean-born graduates to change legislation which bars them from practicing law in SA.
'Declare police station attacks treason', policing union demands after arms theft at Limpopo police station
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News24 reports that the SA Policing Union (SAPU) says attacks on police offers are "crimes against the state" and it wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare them acts of treason.
'Tactical' resignations have seen some Eskom employees avoiding disciplinary processes, De Ruyter tells MPs
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Fin24 reports that according to Eskom CEO André De Ruyter, some of the state-owned power utility’s employees have avoided disciplinary processes with "tactical" resignations.
GEPF sees problems with proposal of bonds-to-equity conversion to save Eskom
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Bloomberg reports that according to the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), which is the biggest investor in Eskom debt, there are significant hurdles to a proposal that its bonds be converted to equity to help rescue the struggling power utility.
Another mineworkers dies at Sibanye’s Marikana operations, AMCU calls for inquest into SA mining fatalities
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Mining Weekly reports that after mining house Sibanye-Stillwater recorded a fifth death at its Marikana platinum group metals (PGM) operations for 2021, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) called for an inquest into the high rate of fatalities in the SA mining industry.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 23 November 2021
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In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Popcru 'enraged' by attack on Limpopo police station, calls for better resourcing of rural cops
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News24 reports that the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) is "enraged" over the theft of arms and ammunition during an attack on a Limpopo police station.
As NICD warns of 'sustained increase' in Covid-19 infections, Gauteng accounts for nearly 80% of SA's 239 new cases
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TimesLIVE reports that the latest data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases showed that Gauteng accounted for nearly 80% of SA's new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours.
Jobs boost in store as supply crisis spurs move by retailers to source products locally
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SowetanLIVE reports that spiralling shipping costs and Covid-19 supply chain disruptions are accelerating a shift by SA retailers to end their heavy reliance on Asia and move to source products locally.
CCMA and Busa launch free-to-use small business labour advice app
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Engineering News reports that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in collaboration with business association Busa (Business Unity SA) has launched a free-to-use Labour Advice mobile application (app) aimed at offering practical labour-related guidance and support to small businesses and other interested persons.
Eskom Pension Fund’s chief investment officer steps down to pursue other interests
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BL Premium reports that the Eskom Pension and Provident Fund’s (EPPF’s) chief investment officer is stepping down to pursue other interests.