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.
Ters dispute process streamlined, with dedicated officials handling complaints from businesses
- Details
In a letter to Business Day, Democratic Alliance (DA) deputy shadow employment & labour minister Michael Bagraim MP reports that most of the outstanding disputes regarding the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) are slowly being resolved.
Eskom operations 'disrupted' as 48 contractors at Medupi test positive for Covid-19
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that according to state-owned power utility Eskom, Covid-19 has affected its operations at the Medupi power station, where 48 of 75 contractors have tested positive for Covid-19.
Matric exam markers protest at three Eastern Cape marking centres over Covid-19 cases
- Details
News24 reports that the Eastern Cape education department is racing against time to recover matric examination marking time that was lost due to marker protests at three centres over four days.
Covid-19 leaves a trail of devastation at SA’s colleges
- Details
SowetanLive reports that a total of 23 staff members from SA’s 50 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, and four from community education colleges, died of Covid-related complications between 15 December and 11 January.
Uber Eats drivers to strike on Friday over fees, pickets planned for this week at fast-food outlets
- Details
Business Insider SA reports that Uber Eats drivers plan a nationwide strike on Friday to demand an increase in their fees. Last month, drivers brought deliveries in Gauteng to a standstill for two days in protest over a sharp fall in their income over recent months.
Cape Town activist launches women-only taxi service in the Cape Flats
- Details
Thomson Reuters Foundation reports that from a women-only driving school to an all-female taxi service — a SA activist-turned-entrepreneur is tackling high rates of sexual assault by providing safe transport in one of the country’s most crime-ridden areas.
‘Caring’ Western Cape grape farmer making transport of farm workers safer with removable seat and roll bar canopy
- Details
News24 reports that a Western Cape table grape farmer is hoping a removable seat and roll bar canopy will make it safer to transport farm workers on the back of a truck.
Seven matric markers die of Covid-19, while 308 test positive ‘serving the nation’
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) advised on Saturday that six matric markers had died of Covid-related complications, while 308 had tested positive at marking centres and had been sent home.
Sibanye-Stillwater mourns death after contracting Covid-19 of SA gold operations VP Shadwick Bessit
- Details
Mining Weekly reports that Neal Froneman, CEO of precious metals miner Sibanye-Stillwater, has announced the “tragic passing” of its South African gold operations executive VP Shadwick Bessit, who succumbed to Covid-19-related complications on 16 January.
Eskom can't blame Covid-19 infections for power cuts, says Cosatu
- Details
EWN reports that labour federation Cosatu says that Eskom cannot blame coronavirus for failing to meet its obligation to supply power to the country.
Private schools make U-turn after earlier insisting on in-person schooling
- Details
BusinessLive reports that after insisting that classroom education would take place in its schools, Curro, SA’s largest private education provider, made a U-turn on Monday, saying it would now provide online learning until 15 February.
Numsa to press on with its strike over retrenchments at Macsteel
- Details
BL Premium reports that operations at Macsteel Service Centres SA, one of SA’s leading suppliers of steel, almost ground to a halt on Monday after workers downed tools demanding the reinstatement of 99 colleagues retrenched in December.
Minerals Council says mining industry committed to help accelerate vaccine roll-out
- Details
Mining Weekly reports that the Minerals Council SA (MCSA), which was previously called the Chamber of Mines, has pledged its support for government’s vaccine roll-out programme, stating that access to an effective Covid-19 vaccine would help reopen the economy and save lives and livelihoods.
Amcu 'dismayed' at mining fatalities following death at Harmony’s Bambanani shaft
- Details
Mining Weekly reports that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) has expressed its “dismay” following the death of a mineworker and the injury of another, reportedly at Harmony Gold's Bambanani shaft, in the Free State, on 13 January.
Post Office CFO resigns after only three months on the job
- Details
BL Premium reports that the SA Post Office’s (Sapo’s) CFO, Khathutshelo Ramukumba, has resigned from the state-owned entity after three months in the role, deepening leadership instability at the embattled organisation.
Ramaphosa keeps his promise to fill vacant top posts at the NPA
- Details
BL Premium reports that the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA’s) top leadership is finally fully staffed after President Cyril Ramaphosa filled the last vacancy of the four deputy national directors of public prosecutions.
AA warns that fuel prices set for hefty hikes in February
- Details
BusinessLive reports that according to the the Automobile Association (AA), sharp fuel price hikes are expected in February, including an 80c/l increase in petrol and 61c for diesel, while Illuminating paraffin is set for a 63c/l increase.
Waltloo licensing centre among services hit by Covid-19 infections in Tshwane
- Details
Pretoria News reports that Covid-19 is increasingly causing disruption in the City of Tshwane, forcing public facilities to close down much to the frustration of residents.
Khayelitsha residents shut down medical centre housing ’fake doctor’
- Details
Cape Times reports that angry Khayelitsha residents have taken matters into their own hands by shutting the gates of the Khayelitsha Medical Centre following allegations of a bogus doctor operating as a gynaecologist at the facility.
Employers scramble to comply with new compensation law for domestic workers
- Details
Cape Argus reports that employers are scrambling to comply with the law following a ground-breaking judgment by the Constitutional Court that domestic workers are eligible for compensation under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (Coida).
Two Durban male nurses from private hospitals arrested for stealing credit card from dying patient
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that two male nurses, aged 40 and 45, from private hospitals in Durban were arrested and charged for fraud and theft after stealing a credit card from a businessman who was on his death bed at St Augustine's Hospital.
Coronavirus command council recommends reopening of schools be delayed by two weeks until 15 February because of spike in infections
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has recommended that the reopening of schools be postponed from 27 January until 15 February because of the spike in Covid-19 infections.
Amathole municipality can’t afford to pay salaries, but from 2013 to 2018 hired 900 employees who weren’t needed
- Details
News24 reports that from 2013 to 2018 the Amathole District Municipality hired more than 900 people who were not needed, resulting in a bloated organogram and unaffordable salary bill. Of those, 500 were hired in a single month in 2013 in what the municipality termed mass employment.
Numsa calls firing by Volkswagen SA of 14 shop stewards 'union bashing'
- Details
News24 reports that according to the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), 14 of its shop stewards at Volkswagen SA's plant in Port Elizabeth were fired three weeks ago for organising a strike, which was over safety concerns.
Healthcare workers won't be vaccine 'guinea pigs', Western Cape health department assures
- Details
News24 reports that the Western Cape health department said on Wednesday that some 100,000 health workers would be the first to be offered a Covid-19 vaccine, but they would not be "guinea pigs" for the new initiative.
Amid strike threat, SABC confident job cuts can withstand legal scrutiny
- Details
BL Premium reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is unperturbed by looming strike action as it believes the drive to cut its wage bill can withstand any legal scrutiny.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 13 January 2021
- Details
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Wednesday, 13 January 2021.
Eastern Cape lost 161 health workers to Covid-19 since March last year
- Details
EWN reports that 161 healthcare workers have died from Covid-19 complications in the Eastern Cape since the pandemic reached SA’s shores in March last year.
Centurion Hotel retrenching over 80 staff members because of flood danger
- Details
Rekord East reports that at least 86 Centurion Hotel staff members are being retrenched after the hotel’s temporary closure in August last year. The process started two weeks ago and next week another meeting with the unions is due to be held.
Trade union federation Fedusa calls for moratorium on retrenchments amidst level 3 restrictions
- Details
Algoa FM reports that according to the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa), the re-imposition of alert level 3 lockdown restrictions by the government was a “bittersweet” move in the light of the hardships being experienced by its members.