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.
Proposed new law will force wage gap disclosure
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City Press reports that government is finalising legislation aimed at highlighting the huge gap in what companies’ highest paid bosses and the lowest paid employees earn.
R6.3bn cut in KZN education budget will 'severely' affect pupils and teachers, MEC warns
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SowetanLive reports that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) education MEC Kwazi Mshengu says a R6.3bn budget cut will severely affect pupils, teachers and the building and renovation of schools.
Community conflict around Richards Bay Minerals appears to have stepped up
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BL Premium reports that a senior manager at Richards Bay Minerals (RMB) in northern KwaZulu-Natal was shot dead on Monday while driving to work at the mineral sands operation, which has been the source of violent community conflict.
Labour Court dismisses application by SAA pilots to prevent airline from using scab labour
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Fin24 reports that the Labour Court on Monday dismissed an application by the SAA Pilots' Association (Saapa) that sought to prevent the state-owned airline from using so-called 'scab labour'.
Experts call for restrictions to limit impact of third wave of Covid-19 infections
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SowetanLive reports that with Covid-19 daily infections having exceeded the 4,000 mark in the past weekend, the government has been urged to consider moving the country to lockdown level 3 or to hit hotspot provinces and districts with localised restrictions.
Vavi wants Metrobus to recognise the rebel union that has been on strike for four weeks
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The Star reports that according to Zwelinzima Vavi of the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), the indefinite Metrobus strike will only end when the City of Johannesburg recognises rebel union the Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers Union of SA (Demawusa) as a bargaining partner.
General manager of Rio Tinto's Richards Bay Minerals shot dead on Monday whilst travelling to work
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Miningmx reports that Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), a company controlled by Rio Tinto, confirmed that its GM Nico Swart had been shot dead on Monday morning whilst travelling to work.
Transport union Untu to interdict Prasa over implementation of 5% wage increase
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BL Premium reports that the majority union at the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) says it will this week interdict the cash-strapped rail passenger operator for failing to implement a 5% wage increase that forms part of a multiyear agreement signed with unions.
Roundup on Monday, 24 May 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, 21 May 2021.
Cop who was nabbed for not wearing seatbelt, ends up being guilty of corruption
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News24Wire reports that the Tzaneen Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo has found Warrant Officer Nilos Butifana Maholobela guilty of corruption for trying to pin a crime on a traffic officer who had penalised him for not wearing a seatbelt while driving.
SIU sets the record straight on Bandile Masuku’s ‘misleading’ claims
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POWER Digital reports that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has refuted claims made by former Gauteng health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku.
We’re working tirelessly to return passenger rail operations to service, Transport Mininster Fikile Mmbalula assures
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Power Digital reports that Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has assured the nation that his department is working around the clock to restore the services of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa).
Sassa chief executive ignores allegation of R45m tender nepotism
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Mail & Guardian reports that the chief executive of the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa), Busisiwe “Totsie” Memela-Khambula, is embroiled in an alleged R45.6-million corruption cover-up for a cleaning tender in the Eastern Cape.
Local defence sector in death spiral, but Cuban companies scored defence maintenance contracts worth R1bn
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BL Premium reports that SA’s cash-strapped defence force has spent more than R1bn on Cuban service providers for the maintenance and repair of key equipment over the past seven years.
Huge ramp up of Covid-19 vaccine rollout planned, with aim of reaching 192,500 daily vaccinations by end of May
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BL Premium reports that SA’s Covid-19 vaccination programme took a leap forward last week as the public sector ramped up and the private sector joined the drive.
ANC disciplinary committee clears both Diko and Masuku of PPE wrongdoing
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BL Premium reports that the ANC has cleared President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, as well as Gauteng’s former health MEC, Bandile Masuku, of wrongdoing after investigating whether they had brought the party into disrepute through their alleged involvement in personal protective equipment (PPE) corruption.
Employer body Seifsa expects tough wage talks in metals and engineering sector
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BL Premium reports that the upcoming wage talks in the metals and engineering sector are expected to be difficult given the negative economic climate spawned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mangaung municipal manager placed on precautionary suspension after violent service delivery protests
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EWN reports that the Mangaung municipality has confirmed that its city manager Tankiso Mea has been suspended.
Government to oppose Solidarity’s court application over use of Cuban engineers on SA’s water infrastructure
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News24Wire reports that in a statement on Saturday, the Department of Water and Sanitation advised that it will be opposing a court application by Solidarity to reverse the deployment of engineers from Cuba in SA.
SAICA’s dismissal for sexual harassment of ‘beard-tickler’ upheld in Labour Court
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GroundUp reports that Labour Court has upheld the dismissal of a man who “tickled” a colleague’s face with his newly grown, long beard, and then hugged and kissed her.
Public Protector intervenes in dispute between protesting artists and NAC over Covid funds
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GroundUp reports that the Office of the Public Protector (PP) is mediating the dispute between the National Arts Council (NAC) and a group of protesting artists who have been staging sit-ins for two months.
Almost 80 municipal officers being disciplined for financial misconduct, with 29 from eThekwini Metro alone
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Moneyweb reports that according to National Treasury, disciplinary processes in respect of the 2020/21 financial year have been started against 79 municipal officials for financial misconduct in 15 municipalities.
Morning roundup of labour news on Friday, 21 May 2021
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In our morning roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared on Thursday,
20 May 2021 and recently.
Gauteng teacher filmed slapping Grade R pupil suspended after protest by parents
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SowetanLive reports that it took a protest by parents to get the Department of Education in Gauteng to suspend a teacher who was filmed meting out corporal punishment to a Grade R pupil.
Gauteng teacher accused of raping pupil at school turns himself in and appears in court
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News24 reports that a Gauteng teacher who handed himself over to police in connection with allegations that he raped a pupil made a brief appearance in the Tembisa Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
NUM and Numsa adamant Eskom can afford 15% wage increase
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BL Premium reports that the two biggest unions representing workers at Eskom said on Thursday that if the power utility could spend billions of rand on contracts for coal and renewable energy independent power producers (REIPPs), then it could afford the 15% wage increase workers were demanding.
Cosatu ‘worried’ about slow implementation of economic recovery and reconstruction plan
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BL Premium reports that labour federation Cosatu has criticised the government and the business sector for moving slowly to implement the economic recovery and reconstruction plan and has called for decisive action to address SA’s stubborn socioeconomic challenges.
Vaccinated SA health workers may get booster ImmunityBio shot
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Bloomberg News reports that ImmunityBio’s hAd5 T-cell Covid-19 vaccine candidate is being considered as a booster shot in a study of almost 500,000 South African health workers who have received Johnson & Johnson’s inoculation.
NUM demands a 15% wage increase for workers in gold mining sector
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Fin24 reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has put forward a 15% wage demand for its workers in the gold mining sector covering a three-year bargaining period from 2021 to 2023.
Morning roundup of labour news on Thursday, 20 May 2021
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In our morning roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared on Wednesday,
19 May 2021.