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.
Consumer inflation spikes in April to 14-month high of 4.4%
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Moneyweb reports that a shock rise in consumer price inflation (CPI) has left the SA Reserve Bank’s (Sarb) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) with a difficult choice when it comes to considering interest rates today.
In bid to boost tourism sector by attracting digital nomads, Western Cape calls for visa covering remote working
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BL Premium reports that in a bid to boost SA’s ailing tourism sector, the Western Cape government has called for the urgent introduction of a one-year remote working visa that will allow international tourists to stay longer in the country.
SAHRC told that many pupil-teacher sex cases in Limpopo not reported by principals
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TimesLIVE reports on a submission made by Mashudu Ramulumo of the SA Principals' Association at a SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) hearing in Limpopo on bullying, corporal punishment and sex between educators and pupils in schools in the province.
Treasury outflanked by ANC MPs on DA’s pensions amendment bill to allow fund savings to be used as security for loans
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BL Premium reports that the Treasury was outflanked by ANC MPs on Wednesday over the possibility of salvaging a Democratic Alliance (DA) bill proposing that up to 75% of the value of pension fund savings could be used as security for loans.
As Covid-19 lockdowns bit, Liberty’s claims showed a six-fold increase in retrenchments
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TimesLIVE reports that insurance group Liberty’s retrenchment claim statistics for 2020, released on Wednesday, give an indication of just how many people lost their jobs in the formal sector as a result of Covid-19.
Negotiations for new metals and engineering wage agreement to start in June
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Engineering News reports that with the current wage and working conditions agreement in the metals and engineering sector close to expiration, it was agreed at the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council management committee meeting on May 18 that negotiations will formally get under way on 3 and 4 June to create a new main agreement.
Gauteng MEC Mamabolo calls on City of JHB to intervene in dispute between Metrobus and union Demawusa
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EWN reports that Gauteng Transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo on Thursday said it was time that government stepped in and mediated the dispute between Metrobus and Demawusa.
Two former Durban cops handed jail time for taking R7,500 bribe to release a suspect
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News24 reports that two former Durban police officers have been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each for corruption after they were found to have taken a R7,500 bribe to release a suspect.
Transport of farmworkers under scrutiny in the Western Cape
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News24 reports that the Western Cape government is looking at ways of ensuring that farmworkers in the province are transported in a safe and dignified manner.
Emotional officer testifies under cross-examination at Marikana trial
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News24 reports that a police officer struggled to contain himself at the Marikana trial in the North West High Court on Wednesday when he testified about the death of one of his colleagues on 13 August 2012 at Lonmin's K3 shaft.
Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi, who was vaccinated in February, tests positive for Covid-19
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News24 reports that Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi has tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently in self-isolation.
Samwu revises its demands in effort to reach a new wage deal
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BusinessLive reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has revised its wage demands as it seeks to hammer out a new wage deal without having to resort to strike action.
Eastern Cape social development department says it has no obligation to absorb graduates whose education it funded
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News24 reports that according to the Eastern Cape's Department of Social Development, it has no obligation to absorb social work graduates just because it paid for their education.
Four Khayelitsha cops to appear in court on corruption and theft charges, while SACP calls for broader probe
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Cape Times reports that four Harare police officers accused of “selling suspects their freedom” are expected in the Khayelitsha Magistrate's Court on Wednesday on charges of corruption, theft and robbery.
Cosatu public sector unions consulting members on government’s wage offer
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Independent Media reports that SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) general secretary Mugwena Maluleke says unions are currently consulting members following government’s recent wage offer of a 1.5% pensionable increase plus R978 per month from April 2021 to March 2022.
MPs told that five IEC officials dismissed for mismanaging funds
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The Citizen reports that the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) has revealed that five officials have been dismissed as a result of irregular expenditure incurred by the commission.
Numsa in ConCourt application to compel Parliament to save SOEs from liquidation
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The Star reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has approached the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) to compel Parliament to save SA’s ailing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) from liquidation.
Western Cape taxi drivers putting incentive rewards in passengers' hands by participating in new Blue Dot project
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TimesLIVE reports that some 1,000 Western Cape taxi drivers are putting their money where their driving skills are and are opening themselves up to scrutiny from their passengers.
Tembisa teacher on the run after allegedly raping grade 10 pupil
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TimesLIVE reports that Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has urged the police to intensify the hunt for a teacher who is on the run after allegedly raping a grade 10 pupil at a Tembisa school on Friday.
Patel’s new bill to seek pay gap transparency and disclosure of what executives earn
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BL Premium reports that a requirement that companies disclose wage differentials between executives and workers was among the measures unveiled by Department of Trade, Industry & Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel on Tuesday.
Research shows Joburg taxi drivers' reckless driving caused by poor working conditions
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News24 reports that a research study conducted by a Wits University occupational therapist has revealed that poor working conditions contribute to the number of minibus taxi crashes in Johannesburg.
Joburg Roads Agency suspends two staffers who weren’t using a construction vehicle to fix a pothole
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News24 reports that the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has initiated an investigation after a video emerged on social media showing its workers using a regular vehicle to conduct road maintenance in Norwood, instead of a construction vehicle.
Defence industry faces collapse due to budget cuts, warns Minister Mapisa-Nqakula
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BL Premium reports that Department of Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has warned that the extreme budget cuts that her department has had to endure in recent years could cripple the entire defence industry, including small, medium and micro enterprises.
Solidarity to serve court papers on Minister Sisulu over Cubans engineers
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Engineering News reports that trade union Solidarity is to serve court papers on Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu to force the disclosure of information and stop the deployment of Cuban engineers to SA, pending an application for a review of the government’s decision.
Numsa demands 15% wage increase in metals and engineering sector
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BL Premium reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has given notice of its intention to initiate wage talks in the Metals and Engineering Industry Bargaining Council (MEIBC) and is demanding a one-year agreement with a 15% wage increase across the board.
Imatu rejects ’revised offer’ from Salga in municipal wage talks
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The Mercury reports that the wage demands of municipal workers have received another boost, with the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu) also rejecting revised offers by the SA Local Government Association (Salga).
Anguish as unpaid Denel workers crash board meeting
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The Citizen reports that unpaid Denel workers have no relief in sight as a recent court case only granted relief for one subsidiary. Meanwhile, workers stormed into a meeting where the board was sitting with unions to tell them in person how they struggled to live without their salaries.
With Metrobus strike entering its third week, Samwu urges its members to continue reporting for work
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The Star reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has urged its members at the Johannesburg Metrobus service to keep reporting for work. The majority of workers at Metrobus belong to Samwu.
ANC brings out big legal guns to oppose Ace Magashule’s court bid to overturn his suspension
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Independent Media reports that the ANC has formally decided to oppose the court bid by the party’s suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule to have his suspension by the party overturned.
Nehawu’s wage strike at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University enters second week
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GroundUp reported on Monday that a strike by over 300 workers at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) in Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria, had entered its second week.