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.
Salga clinches deal with municipal unions for 3.5% wage hike plus once off cash allowance
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BL Premium reports that parties to the local government wage negotiations have agreed to a 3.5% wage hike deal and a once off non-pensionable cash allowance for SA’s nearly 300,000 municipal workers.
Helen Suzman Foundation calls for transparency around identity and appointment of special advisers
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BL Premium reports that the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) has called for transparency around the identity and appointment of special advisers to the president, deputy president, ministers and premiers, which costs taxpayers millions of rand each year.
Emigration of skilled professionals a red-flag for SA economy
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BL Premium writes that the emigration of SA’s skilled professionals is a major risk for job-creation efforts and the dwindling tax base and cannot be ignored by policymakers as the country battles the aftermath of Covid-19 and one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.
Eskom safely evacuates staff who hid in locked Ga-Rankuwa offices to escape angry residents
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News24 reports that on Monday power utility Eskom safely evacuated nine of its employees whom it claimed were being held against their will by angry residents of Morula View in Mabopane, north of Pretoria, over the lack of power supply in the area.
Stats SA reports shows mining industry lost 23,000 jobs between 2012 and 2019
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Mining Weekly reports that a report compiled by Statistics SA (Stats SA) shows that about 23,000 jobs were lost in the mining sector between 2012 and 2019.
ANC staffers, led by Carl Niehaus, threaten to lay criminal charges against governing party over nonpayment of salaries
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BL Premium reports that disgruntled African National Congress (ANC) staffers, led by dismissed party employee Carl Niehaus, threatened to lay criminal charges against the party’s top leadership on Wednesday over the continued nonpayment of salaries.
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 14 September 2021
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In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Saphra reports no one in SA has died from Covid-19 vaccines; special compensation fund to be established for serious vaccine injury
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Moneyweb reports that the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) and the Department of Health (DoH) claimed in a webinar on Monday that no one in SA has died to date as a direct result of receiving a Covid-19 vaccine.
Teacher unions want government to consider taking Covid-19 vaccination drive to schools
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News24 reports that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) says there is a need for government to urgently consider taking the Covid-19 vaccination drive to schools.
Universities weigh up mandatory jabs for staff and students, but move could put them on collision course with trade unions
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BL Premium reports that as the debate about mandatory vaccination policies intensifies, some of SA’s leading universities are mulling making it compulsory for staff and students to get jabs against Covid-19 to ensure the academic programme is not disrupted.
Western Cape trains 250 more officers to send to hotspots during festive season
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TimesLIVE reports that the Western Cape‘s crime-fighting efforts received a boost when 250 law-enforcement officers were recruited for the province’s most dangerous neighbourhoods.
Pfizer vaccine approved for children older than 12, but roll-out not yet on the way as priority remains those aged 60 years and older
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Mail & Guardian reports that children aged 12 years and older may now be given a shot of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine.
Take a jab or lose your job, Western Cape farmer warns his employees
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Cape Times reports that a Western Cape farmer has warned his employees to vaccinate or face being banned from work. This has sparked outrage from workers' unions who have described Rob Duncan's threats as “abusive master/slave tactics”.
Business Leadership SA goes big in UK to get SA off red list and restart tourism
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BL Premium reports that Business Leadership SA (BLSA) has enlisted some of the world’s best-known companies to campaign for the removal of UK travel restrictions that threaten to bring a second summer of misery to SA tourism.
Roundup on Monday, 13 September 2021 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, 10 September 2021.
Cosatu and most political parties welcome easing of lockdown restrictions, but DA wants more
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Independent News reports that labour and political parties have welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Sunday night to move the country from adjusted level 3 to 2 with effect from today.
Extra hour for restaurants, taverns under lockdown level 2 said to be ‘much better’
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Fin24 reports that from Monday restaurants, bars and gyms can close an hour later, namely at 22:00, after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced SA’s move to lockdown level 2.
Soccer bosses, entertainers back Covid vaccination incentives
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SowetanLive reports that soccer bosses and the entertainment industry say they will support initiatives to give incentives to vaccinated people.
Employees not paid full salaries since May 2020 ask court to place Denel under business rescue
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Daily Maverick reports that the Denel Employees Association has applied to the Pretoria High Court to have the cash-strapped arms manufacturer placed under business rescue and controlled by independent administrators to solve its financial crisis.
‘Broke’ ANC starts paying employees their July salaries
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City Press reports that following a public crowdfunding initiative, the African National Congress (ANC) has started paying some of its staff, especially junior employees at Luthuli House.
Thousands of teacher posts in Eastern Cape schools vacant
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City Press reports that thousands of schools in the Eastern Cape are without teachers, with some of the posts only likely to be filled next year.
President eases alcohol and gathering restrictions, as SA moves to adjusted level 2 lockdown
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The Citizen reports that on Sunday President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the easing of national lockdown restrictions from adjusted alert level 3 to adjusted alert level 2, with effect from Monday.
We won't make vaccination mandatory, but we might move anti-vaxxers around, says Momentum CEO
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Fin24 reports that Momentum Metropolitan's CEO Hillie Meyer says the insurer won't make Covid-19 vaccination mandatory, but it may be forced to move around employees who don't want to vaccinate.
Naptosa says lack of counsellors at schools contributes to violent incidents
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EWN reports that according to the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA (Naptosa), there are insufficient counsellors at schools to deal with the violence occurring on school premises.
Dirco Director-General fired amid probe into botched R118m New York land deal
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News24 reports that on Friday, Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) Minister Naledi Pandor advised that the department’s suspended Director-General (DG), Kgabo Mahoai, was no longer employed by the department.
With big expansion plans, Shoprite eyes more stores and up to 10,000 new direct jobs
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Business Times reports that Shoprite has big expansion plans that will see hundreds of new outlets open and could create up to 10,000 direct jobs.
Morning roundup of labour news on Friday, 10 September 2021
- Details
In our Friday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Discovery assures that rights of employees who cannot be vaccinated will be protected
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EWN reports that Discovery Health has reiterated its assurance that the rights of employees who cannot be vaccinated will not be violated.
No mandatory vaccines for Momentum Metropolitan staff
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Business Report writes that financial services group Momentum Metropolitan Holdings will not force its staff to vaccinate against Covid-19.
Prasa building a world-class commuter rail system, CEO tells MPs
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GroundUp reports that the CEO of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa), Zolani Matthews, told MPs on Wednesday that they were building a rail system “that is definitely going to be a world-class system.”