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.
Delays at SA Qualifications Authority, where staff numbers have been slashed, may leave students and job seekers in limbo
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BusinessLive reports that the state agency tasked with the verification and evaluation of local and foreign academic qualifications has been forced to operate at limited capacity due to funding constraints.
State offers ‘sweeteners’ to public servants, but holds firm on 0% salary increase
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BL Premium reports that in its latest offer to unions in wage talks, the government has offered public servants the standard 1.5% “pay progression” increase, which is automatically due to all public servants, as well as a cash gratuity of nearly R1,000.
Unions decline Eskom’s 1.5% wage increase offer, want 3.2% inflation rate added in before even considering it
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BL Premium reports that unions have rejected Eskom’s wage increase offer of 1.5%, saying the proposal will only be considered if it is in addition to the 3.2% inflation rate.
Johannesburg metro cop convicted of murder, attempted murder in 2019 'road rage' incident
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News24 reports that a Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officer has been found guilty of murder and three counts of attempted murder.
Chinese jobs could save SA, says CDE
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City Press writes that the millions of factory jobs that China is likely to lose to countries that provide cheaper labour over the next decade could be the last chance for developing countries like SA to pick up these labour-intensive industrial jobs to solve its high unemployment crisis.
Johannesburg commuters bear the brunt of Metrobus strike
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Sunday Independent reports that many commuters were left stranded after Johannesburg Metrobus announced last Monday that services would come to a complete halt as a result of ongoing strike action by some of its drivers.
Public sector strike likely next month, after last-ditch weekend meeting to resolve wage dispute fails
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City Press reports that, despite a last-ditch emergency meeting over the weekend between government and public service unions to avert full-blown industrial action, no consensus was reached and yet another deadlock was declared.
Police portfolio committee shocked to find SAPS members still working in unsafe Veritas building
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TimesLIVE reports that according to the parliamentary portfolio committee on police, the SA Police Service (Saps) wisas endangering the lives of its employees.
SAQA faces a bleak future, with almost half of its staff retrenched earlier this month
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Sunday Independent reports that there are growing concerns over the ability of the SA Qualifications Authority (SAQA) to fulfil its role of registering qualifications.
No salary increases for senior political officer bearers for third year in a row
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TimesLIVE reports that the take-home salaries of high-ranking political office bearers will stay the same this year, for the third year in a row. President Cyril Ramaphosa signed off and gazetted the salaries last week.
SABC plans three-year wage freeze to be lifted only once the broadcaster brakes even
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BL Premium reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), which has just gone through a retrenchment process, is planning to impose a wage freeze on its employees for the next three years to contain costs.
SAA’s hopes to get flying in July or August depends on pandemic and resolving dispute with striking pilots
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BL Premium reports that SA Airways (SAA) plans to resume flying in July or August, though this is dependent on the Covid-19 pandemic and on resolving its dispute with striking pilots.
For over two years, ‘broke’ ANC hasn’t paid over retirement fund contributions deducted from salaries
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Sunday Times writes that families of deceased ANC employees are suffering because Luthuli House has not been contributing to their pension and provident funds for more than two years, despite making deductions from salaries.
Prasa loses application for leave to appeal reinstatement of three executives
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GroundUp reports that on Thursday, Acting Judge Moses Baloyi in the Johannesburg Labour Court dismissed an application for leave to appeal launched by the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) against a 2 March ruling of the court.
Samwu appeals Labour Court ruling that planned strike at Rand Water is unprotected
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BL Premium reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) advised on Thursday that it was appealing a Labour Court ruling which had declared the union’s intended strike at Rand Water unprotected.
Samwu berates Salga for hailing ‘progress’ during second round of wage talks at bargaining council
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BL Premium reports that the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) has lashed out at the SA Local Government Association (Salga), which represents SA’s 257 municipalities, for trying to create the impression that parties in the bargaining council were “warming up to each other” and that a wage agreement would be reached soon.
Ill East London employee 'forced' to report for duty at Spur, collapsed during shift and died in hospital
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News24 reports that a gravely ill employee of Las Vegas Spur, in East London's Hemingways Mall, collapsed mid-shift and died in hospital.
Western Cape company under investigation for Ters fraud of R3m
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News24Wire reports that a Western Cape company is under investigation for allegedly fraudulently claiming benefits from the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF’s) Covid-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (Ters).
NPO goes to court to stop state from hiring top FSCA executives ‘secretly’
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The Citizen reports that Open Secrets and the Unpaid Benefits Campaign was scheduled to square off against Finance Minister Tito Mboweni in the Pretoria High Court on Thursday over how the Financial Services Conduct Authority’s (FSCA’s) executives are appointed.
Numsa demands release of ABM shack dwellers activist Mqapheli Bonono
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The Citizen reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and Abahlali baseMjondolo (ABM) on Wednesday demanded the immediate release of the deputy president of the shack dwellers movement who was arrested last week in Durban.
Amid internal corruption concerns, Kruger National Park staff to be polygraphed to stop rhino poaching
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TimesLIVE reports that according to the Kruger National Park, it is closer to implementing polygraph testing on all officials and personnel dealing with endangered species such as rhino.
Gruelling duels lie ahead over public sector wage bill as well at state-owned entities
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Financial Mail writes that the state’s coffers are bare and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration is on a desperate drive to rein in the ballooning public sector wage bill and pull state-owned enterprises (SOEs) out of intensive care.
SA nurses struggle as they mark International Nurses Day
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TimesLIVE reports that on Wednesday the world recognised International Nurses Day, with 12 May being the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who discovered the link between disease and healthcare, from the cleanliness of wards to the food and quality of the air patients received.
SAA Technical’s revenue plunges 83% due to SAA business rescue and toll of pandemic on operations
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Moneyweb reports that state-owned aircraft maintenance company SAA Technical (SAAT) has suffered a steep decline in its monthly revenue as the SA Airways (SAA) business rescue combined with the Covid-19 pandemic led to a drastic reduction in passenger numbers.
Two bogus recruiters of nursing trainees arrested in Mpumalanga
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The Star reports that on Tuesday the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) arrested two bogus recruiters related to R610,000 in theft in Mpumalanga.
Medical Research Council says SA’s Covid death toll is one of the worst in the world
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BL Premium reports that a new report from the Medical Research Council (MRC) indicated that SA has experienced one of the world’s worst death tolls from Covid-19 relative to the size of its population.
Since beginning of the year, 93 armed robberies have taken place on Golden Arrow buses
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News24 reports that Golden Arrow Bus Services has recorded 93 armed robberies since the beginning of the year and is concerned about the ongoing spate of attacks on its buses.
Three bogus Pikitup recruiters, who made R400k from scamming jobseekers, in the dock on fraud charges
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The Star reports that three bogus recruiters made an appearance in the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for allegedly selling job opportunities at the City of Johannesburg’s waste management service provider Pikitup.
Samwu cancels Thursday’s strike Rand Water after employer gets court order halting protest
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EWN reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has cancelled its planned strike on Thursday at Rand Water. This came after the water supplier obtained a Labour Court order to prevent the union from taking industrial action.
Special Investigating Unit hails ‘significant progress’ as it probes PPE contracts worth R40bn
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BL Premium reports that by end-April the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) had been investigating allegations related to the irregular procurement of Covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) with a contract value of R40.2bn.