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.
Five years after Life Esidimeni tragedy, still no action taken against officials
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City Press reports that five years after the Life Esidimeni catastrophe, which resulted in the deaths of 144 mentally ill state patients, four of those accountable for it have still not been suspended by their professional councils.
Covid-19 vaccinations sharply down as centres shut down in fear of rioters destroying and looting medicines
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City Press reports that government wants to have looters who stole dying patients’ chronic medication charged with murder in cases where those patients died.
Employee dies in mine-related incident at Harmony's Tshepong South mine
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Mining Weekly reports that an employee died in a mine-related incident at Harmony Gold's Tshepong South mine, in the Free State, on 15 July.
Covid-19 vaccination rollout for social development sector to commence from Monday
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News24 reports that early childhood development (ECD) teachers, Sassa officials and other social development department staff will receive Covid-19 vaccines from Monday.
Game and Makro owner Massmart to prioritise employee safety and well-being
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Fin24 reports that as Makro and Game owner Massmart moves to prioritise protecting the jobs of its employees affected by the looting and violence that recently spread through parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, it says plans are also underway to restock its stores.
UIF to bypass 'unscrupulous employers' by paying Ters monies directly to workers
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Fin24 reports that the new round of Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) payments for industries that can't operate fully during the Level 4 lockdown will be made directly to workers in an effort to avoid fraud by "unscrupulous employers".
Two Cape Town police officers arrested for replacing missing suspect with random person off the street
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EWN reports that two Cape Town police officers have been arrested for allegedly replacing a suspect with a random person.
CEO of Ubuntu Wealth Management suspended after allegedly taking part in looting in KZN
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News24 reports that Ubuntu Wealth Management CEO Qhawe Sithole has been suspended with immediate effect, following looting allegations.
Agreement between SAA and pilots finally signed on Friday
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Fin24 reports that SA Airways (SAA) announced on Friday evening that it had reached an agreement with the SAA Pilots' Association (Saapa), thus marking another significant milestone towards resuming operations.
WHO warns SA to brace for 'very severe' Covid-19 wave after riots
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Bloomberg News reports that according to the World Health Organisation, SA should prepare itself for a surge in coronavirus cases after days of widespread rioting and looting in the two most populous provinces.
Over 23,000 police staff already vaccinated, but KZN rollout delayed due to unrest
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News24 reports that more than 23,000 police staff have been vaccinated against Covid-19 infection since last week's start of the security cluster rollout.
AA warns that fuel price hikes and possible shortages can be expected
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BL Premium reports that the Automobile Association (AA) has cautioned motorists to limit non-essential travel due to the spectre of fuel shortages caused by the recent riots.
Amcu stoppage on Wednesday at Implats’ Rustenburg mine resolved with only one blast shift lost
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Mining Weekly reports that according to Impala Platinum (Implats), a work stoppage on 14 July at its Rustenburg mine, initiated by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), was resolved on the same day.
We will come back stronger, Massmart CEO Mitchell Slape tells staff
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BL Premium reports that Walmart is still backing its struggling SA subsidiary Massmart, owner of Makro and Game, after more than 30 of its stores were looted and a distribution centre near Durban was burnt down.
Business Unity SA urges state to secure N3, impose 24-hour curfew in hotspots and establish a disaster relief fund
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BL Premium reports that according to Business Unity SA (Busa), the damage done by the unrest over the past week to businesses and infrastructure is in the region of R10bn-R12bn, while the government’s response so far has been inadequate and a much bigger security effort is required.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 15 July 2021
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In our early morning roundup, see summaries
of our selection of recent South African labour-
labour-related reports.
Durban looting sees 45,000 businesses affected, R16 billion in lost stock and 129,000 jobs at risk
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City Press reports that Durban has borne the brunt of the ongoing unrest, with 45,000 businesses out of commission, an estimated R16 billion in stolen stock, and damage to infrastructure and equipment.
Economic sabotage behind public violence and looting, says police minister Cele
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BL Premium reports that the government has stated that the acts of public violence and looting that threaten the country’s economic prospects are sabotage and not just a spontaneous response to former president Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment.
New mom tells of eight-month struggle for UIF payout
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The Citizen writes that becoming a new mother is stressful enough, but imagine giving birth in a pandemic and waiting eight months for the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to make a payout.
Transnet says ports, key rail line disrupted by violence
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Reuters reports that logistics and freight companies said on Wednesday that Durban port had suffered major disruption after days of unrest, and operations have also been badly affected at the Richards Bay port and on a national freight rail line.
Food crisis grips riot-torn KwaZulu-Natal, as sabotage continues
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BL Premium reports that dazed and shocked residents of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) are still reeling from the anarchy that has reduced much of the province, including the Durban metro and the provincial capital Pietermaritzburg to rubble in the past few days.
Contract of Mossel Bay’s municipal manager terminated following sexual harassment allegations
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News24 reports that the Mossel Bay Municipality has terminated the contract of its municipal manager following allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct.
Western Cape Education Department reaches 84% of its target in vaccinating teachers against Covid-19
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News24 reports that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has nearly reached its target in the vaccination of teachers in the province against the Covid-19 virus.
Acting minister in the Presidency says 5,000 soldiers now being deployed to quell unrest
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News24 reports that Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni indicated during a media briefing on Wednesday that 5,000 soldiers had been deployed and placed at identified hot spots hit by ongoing civil unrest.
Minerals Council warns of lasting impact of violence, looting on investment
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Mining Weekly reports that the Minerals Council SA (MCSA) has condemned the acts of violence and looting that have been spreading through various parts of the country, particularly KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Despite closure of Sapref refinery, SA has sufficient fuel stocks
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BL Premium reports that motorists have been advised not to panic-buy petrol, as the country’s fuel stocks are deemed sufficient, despite the closure of the SA Petroleum Refineries (Sapref) on Tuesday.
UIF expects to start making Ters payments from 26 July
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BL Premium reports that the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) says employees in sectors hit hardest by the latest Covid-19 lockdown measures will start receiving Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) payments from 26 July.
Sibanye-Stillwater may wind down its gold mines in South Africa’s fading sector
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Bloomberg reports that Sibanye-Stillwater may wind down its three South African gold mines in the next decade or so as it becomes harder to exploit aging assets in an industry that was once the world’s largest.
‘We don’t know where we’re going to work,’ says employee after businesses looted at Vosloorus mall
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The Citizen reports that like a mob of scavengers, looters descended on the Vosloorus Naledi Mall by night, looting everything – money left in ATM machines, food, meat, clothes, computers, furniture – and cleared all medication from the shelves of the centre’s only pharmacy.
State of emergency a last resort, says state security minister
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BL Premium reports that ministers responsible for law enforcement agencies said on Tuesday that the government would impose a state of emergency, something that hasn’t happened since the height of the protests against the apartheid government in the 1980s, only as a last resort.