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.
Truck driver wounded after kidnap, robbery ordeal in Gqeberha
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News24 reports that an Eastern Cape truck driver who was on his way to buy vegetables at a local market was assaulted and robbed in Gqeberha on Thursday.
Omnia Holdings launches broad-based employee share scheme
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Moneyweb reports that on Tuesday, Omnia Holdings announced the launch of a Broad-Based Employee Share Scheme, which will see all eligible permanent staff employed as of 1 July this year receiving an equal number of fully funded shares.
Trade union Amcu reports fatality at Impala mine
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Mining Weekly writes that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has reported that a mineworker died in an accident at Impala Platinum's (Implats') Impala mine, in Rustenburg, on 4 August.
Head of HPCSA placed on precautionary suspension over corruption allegations
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News24 reports that the chief executive officer of the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA), David Boikhutso Motau, has been placed on precautionary suspension for corruption and fraud he allegedly committed between 2011 and 2015 when he was the head of the Free State health department.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 5 August 2021
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In our Thursday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Asset forfeiture unit to recover more money from Eastern Cape group that defrauded UIF
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EWN reports that the Asset Forfeiture Unit on Wednesday said it might be able to recover more money from a group that defrauded the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
Labour inspector finds that Musina Magistrate’s Court building in danger of collapse and ’may kill people’
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Independent Media reports that a Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) occupational health and safety inspector has found that the Musina Magistrate’s Court building poses an immediate danger of collapse and may cause fatal injuries to persons using the facility on account of structural support failure.
‘Caring’ Tito Mboweni under fire from both Numsa and Cosatu
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Fin24 reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and labour federation Cosatu said this week that they were skeptical of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's interventions aimed at supporting struggling workers.
Block 'sleepy' Pravin Gordhan's salary if Denel salaries go unpaid, says Numsa's Irvin Jim
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Fin24 reports that Irvin Jim, general secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), has accused Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan of "sleeping on duty" in respect of Denel's ongoing difficulty with securing the salaries of employees.
Teacher unions claim they were 'not consulted about proposed reduced social distance of 0.5m' at primary schools
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News24 reports that five unions in the education sector advised in a joint statement on Wednesday that they had not been consulted about the Department of Basic Education's (DBE’s) plan to reduce physical distancing to 0.5m in primary schools.
State Security Agency without a head of domestic intelligence following Mahlodi Sam Muofhe’s retirement
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News24 reports that amid concerns around instability at the State Security Agency (SSA), the organisation is now also without a head of domestic intelligence.
Farm worker critical after being attacked by buffalo at Gauteng game farm
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The Witness reports that a 29-year-old man was left critically injured after he was attacked by a buffalo at a Gauteng game farm in Hekpoort Magaliesburg.
Sanef calls on SABC to remove 'illegal' surveillance clause from employees' contracts
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News24 reports that that the SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef) says a clause in the contracts of employees of the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) infringes on their rights.
Reinstated Covid-19 social relief grant of R350 a month to pay out from the end of August
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Moneyweb reports that the new iteration of the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant of R350 a month will open its channels for applications from 9am on Friday, 6 August, with the first payments expected to be made in the final week of the month.
Telkom names Serame Taukobong as new group CEO to take over from Sipho Maseko in July 2022
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BusinessLive reports that Serame Taukobong, who is currently the CEO of Telkom’s consumer business, will take the helm at Telkom from July 2022 as successor to eight-year veteran Sipho Maseko.
Morning roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 4 August 2021
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In our Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries f our selection of recent South African
labour-related reports.
Cops who rape are rarely disciplined, and many stay on the job
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GroundUp points out that in South Africa, police officers are accused of thousands of violent crimes every year. Among them, rape and sexual assaults account for some of the most serious and opportunistic abuses of power by police in the country.
Medical aids in pound seats, but amid Covid-19 concerns, regulator still supports fee hikes in 2022
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Fin24 reports that while many medical schemes are sitting on record reserves, having paid much lower hospital claims in the past year than usual, the regulator says they can still hike their fees next year because of the many uncertainties about Covid-19.
Cosatu ‘deeply bothered’ by fuel and electricity hikes, warns small businesses might not survive the new increases
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The Citizen reports that union federation Cosatu is “deeply bothered” by the rise in fuel and electricity prices. As of Wednesday, consumers will be paying an extra 91 cents for a litre of petrol, while the diesel price will increase by 55 cents per litre.
Numsa threatens ‘mother of all strikes’ in steel and engineering sector, but Seifsa says more talks are scheduled
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BL Premium reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) on Tuesday called on its members in the steel and engineering sector to prepare for a strike that could see workers in the automotive industry, component supplies, tyre sector, mining, aviation and all ports joining in solidarity.
Mango Airlines gets extension for appointment of business rescue practitioner
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BusinessLive reports that Mango Airlines was granted an extension to appoint a business rescue practitioner on Tuesday, pending the outcome of a court application by unions to place the embattled budget airline in business rescue.
KwaZulu-Natal agriculture department employee in court accused of R3.9m fraud
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News24 reports that a KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Department of Agriculture and Rural Development employee has appeared in court, along with service providers, for allegedly defrauding the province.
Director of SA Rugby Rassie Erasmus faces misconduct hearing after his criticism of match officials
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Reuters reports that World Rugby indicated on Monday that SA Rugby’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has been called to a misconduct hearing after his 62-minute video critique of match officials after the Springbok’s first test loss to the British & Irish Lions.
Seifsa and Numsa to meet on 10 August to discuss wage deadlock
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Engineering News reports that the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC) has scheduled a special management committee meeting for 10 August for the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) to discuss their wage deadlock.
Safa’s interference in Robert Marawa’s exit ‘ill informed’, says SABC
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The Citizen reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) hit back at the SA Football Association (Safa), after the country’s football mother body openly condemned the unpopular decision by the public broadcaster not to renew the contract of sports presenter Robert Marawa.
Medical aids can’t force members to get the Covid-19 vaccine, says Board of Healthcare Funders
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The Mercury reports that according to the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), existing health laws prohibit any medical aid scheme from forcing members to vaccinate against Covid-19.
Survey reveals almost 90% of businesses hurt by recent unrest were SMMEs, while 10% have retrenched staff
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The Citizen reports that according to the latest NPC BeyondCOVID survey, some 89% of businesses impacted by the recent unrest in the country were SMMEs.
In more violence, man shot dead at Joe Slovo taxi rank only hours after new agreement signed
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Cape Argus reports that on Tuesday afternoon, another taxi operator was shot and killed, just a few hours after an agreement between warring taxi associations was signed by the Cape Amalgamated Taxi Association (Cata) and the Congress of Democratic Taxi Association (Codeta).
Morning roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 3 August 2021
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In our morning roundup, see summaries
of our selection of recent South African labour-
labour-related reports.
Western Cape could see stricter lockdown measures, but premier claims current restrictions strike right balance
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News24 reports that stricter lockdown measures could be on the cards for the Western Cape, with both President Cyril Ramaphosa and acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi raising concerns about the high number of infections in the province.