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.
Crime intelligence bosses lose appeals to have suspensions overturned
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TimesLIVE reports that national crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Peter Jacobs and five other senior crime intelligence officers have lost a high court bid to have their suspensions overturned.
Freeze for four months on payment of salaries at Amathole municipality in Eastern Cape
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TimesLIVE reports that the Amathole municipality in the Eastern Cape will not be able to pay salaries to councillors, traditional leaders and all staff for four months beginning in February due to strained financial resources.
Roundup on Monday, 11 January 2021 of recent labour reports
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In our roundup of labour news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that recently appeared.
Desperate SAA pilots who left locked-out union to get 13th cheques and backpay still haven't been paid
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Fin24 reports that the SAA Pilots' Association (Saapa) wants to know why – unlike other employees at state-owned SA Airways (SAA) – their 13th cheques for 2019 have not yet been paid from the R1.5 billion in funding that the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) made available to the business rescue practitioners (BRPs) in December.
In a smoother process than after 2020 lock-down, SA’s mines bring hundreds of thousands of employees back to work after year-end break
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BL Premium reports that mining companies are applying the tough lessons they learnt in 2020 as they return 450,000 people to work after the year-end break.
Employment and labour deputy minister Boitumelo Moloi hospitalised with Covid-19
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News24 reports that Employment and Labour Deputy Minister Boitumelo Moloi has been hospitalised with Covid-19. She was hospitalised on Tuesday and received a positive result on Wednesday, Cabinet spokesperson Phumla Williams advised on Sunday.
Solidarity and AfriForum to challenge government’s Covid-19 vaccine monopoly in court
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BusinessLive reports that the government’s monopoly on the buying and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines is to be challenged in court by trade union Solidarity and NGO AfriForum. They have instructed their legal team to prepare a case for such a challenge.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko faces disciplinary hearing for failure to disclose financial interests
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BL Premium reports that according to the Presidency, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, is to face an internal disciplinary process after failing to disclose her financial interests.
Public sector wage demands to be known at latest in February
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BL Premium reports that according to unions, the government will know at the latest in February what public sector workers’ demands are for the next round of wage negotiations.
Office of Limpopo premier ordered to pay R1.4m to unsuccessful applicant who lost job to candidate with bogus qualifications
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News24 reports that the Office of the Premier in Limpopo has been ordered to pay the equivalent of 12 months' salary to an employee who was overlooked for a senior position in favour of a candidate who apparently misrepresented his academic qualifications.
Covid-19 fells National Teachers’ Union leader Allen Thompson
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The Witness reports that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) joined others on 4 January 2021 in expressing sadness at news of the death of the president of the National Teachers’ Union (Natu), Allen Thompson.
SAA pilots head to court to interdict lockout, saying it’s unlawful and unprotected
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Moneyweb reports that the Airline Pilots’ Association SA (Alpa-SA) has launched an urgent process to interdict the SA Airways (SAA) business rescue practitioners (BRPs) from continuing with a lockout of its members.
Death on Christmas Day of NUM general secretary David Sipunzi
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News24 reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) general secretary David Sipunzi has died.
Sars to lock down offices for two weeks from 24 December to curb spread of Covid-19
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BusinessLive reports that the SA Revenue Service (Sars) will be instituting a two week lockdown of its offices due to concerns over the rise in Covid-19 cases.
Colonel in KZN anti-corruption unit nabbed for R5,000 Christmas bribe
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TimesLIVE reports that a 56-year-old senior police officer from the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Anti-Corruption unit is scheduled to appear on Wednesday in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court for corruption over an alleged R5,000 Christmas bribe.
Two men who killed Brits cop in 2017 sentenced to life in jail
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News24 reports two men have been sentenced to life in prison for their part in the murder of a Limpopo police officer during a robbery in Letlhabile near Brits in June 2017.
Body of Kruger Park game ranger found a month after he went missing during a routine patrol
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TimesLIVE reports that police have launched an investigation after the remains of a game ranger were found in the Kruger National Park last week.
Hawks arrest 36 illegal miners, seize AK47s during turf battle in North West town of Stilfontein
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TimesLIVE reports that the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation) averted a deadly fight between illegal miners in the North West town of Stilfontein on Sunday.
PetroSA expects to shed about 500 jobs due to “precarious” financial position
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TimesLIVE reports that PetroSA has announced that it will likely shed about 500 jobs due to its “precarious” financial position.
Bleak outlook for jobs despite marginal third-quarter uptick in formal sector jobs
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BL Premium reports that Stats SA’s latest quarterly employment statistics (QES) for July-September showed that formal-sector, non-farm jobs increased by 75,000 (0.8%) in the third quarter in comparison with the second quarter, when SA had been in a hard lockdown and those jobs declined 6.4%.
SAA’s business rescue practitioners send notice to pilots’ association of lockout from Friday
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BusinessLive reports that SA Airways’ (SAA’s) joint business rescue practitioners (BRPs) have sent a lockout notice to the airline’s pilots warning they will be excluded from the workplace from Friday until they agree to the terms of a proposed agreement aimed at bringing the state-owned carrier back to profitability.
Cash-strapped Prasa commits to implementing 5% wage increase on 22 December, backdated to 1 April
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BL Premium reports that the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) has bowed to pressure from workers by committing to increase their salaries after a union mounted legal action to force the rail operator to implement a multiyear wage agreement agreed to in October.
Big victory for state as unions lose Labour Appeal Court bid to force implementation of public sector wage increases
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BusinessLive reports that the government does not have to pay out increases to public sector workers, after the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) handed it a huge win by declaring the implementation of a disputed collective agreement unlawful.
Platinum producer Tharisa and three unions reach four-year wage agreement
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Mining Weekly reports that platinum group metals and chrome concentrate producer Tharisa has concluded a four-year wage agreement with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu), the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Solidarity.
Long queues on Monday at some Durban hospitals where many staff are booked off with Covid-19
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TimesLIVE reports that scores of patients, many of whom didn't observe social distancing, waited outside Durban’s Addington Hospital on Monday.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Monday, 14 December 2020
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In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Monday, 14 December 2020.
Over 600 jobs to be saved by Sanlam Investments' Covid-19 debt fund
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News24 reports that three Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are set to benefit from R110 million in debt relief capital, provided through Sanlam Investments' SME Debt Fund.
Eskom executive 'quietly enjoyed' free electricity at his Fourways home for 14 years
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Sunday Times reports that a top executive at Eskom quietly enjoyed free electricity at his home for 14 years.
More than 50 staffers test positive for Covid-19 at Addington Hospital, Nehawu requests meeting with health department
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Daily News reports that more than 50 staff members at Addington Hospital in Durban tested positive for Covid-19 in the past three weeks, with about 20 more said to be waiting for their results.
IFP to table bill that will put SA jobseekers first
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The Sunday Independent reports that according to a proposed Employment Services Amendment Bill to be tabled by the IFP, foreign nationals could be barred from working in some unskilled and semi-skilled jobs in some sectors of the SA economy.