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.
Tourism sector in intensive care and wants priority in phase 2 of vaccination
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BL Premium reports that the tourism industry is lobbying for its front-line workers to be prioritised in the second phase of the vaccination rollout to reassure travellers of their safety.
‘Terrible’ jobs catastrophe in fourth quarter will take years to fix, say economists
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BL Premium writes that the true cost of the Covid-19 pandemic was writ large in SA’s record-beating unemployment numbers on Tuesday, ratcheting up the pressure for reforms to unlock investment and boost job creation.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Tuesday, 23 February 2021
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In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Tuesday, 23 February 2021.
Ahead of budget speech, Beer Association calls for tax relief to save jobs
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TimesLIVE reports that the Beer Association of SA (Basa) has called on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to offer the industry some tax relief in his budget speech on Wednesday.
Public sector wage bill a major issue for Mboweni, trade unions ahead of Wednesday’s budget speech
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EWN reports that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni will deliver his Budget Speech on Wednesday with the critical issue of the public wage bill still in limbo ahead of a Constitutional Court appeal by trade unions.
Nehawu defends Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi amid backlash over comments about Ace Magashule’s fraud case
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Independent Media reports that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) has strongly defended the election of Zingiswa Losi as president of Cosatu following social media accusations that her appointment was solely because she was a woman.
Public Servant Association welcomes axing of 'incompetent' Sindiswa Gomba as Eastern Cape health MEC
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News24 reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) has welcomed the dismissal of former Eastern Cape health MEC Sindiswa Gomba.
SA’s Uber drivers working with UK lawyers for rights to overtime and holiday pay
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TimesLIVE reports that a group of Uber drivers in SA will be heading to court to seek rights including compensation for unpaid overtime and holiday pay, their lawyers advised on Tuesday.
Agricultural sector warns of devastating impact on jobs of minimum wage increase
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Business Report writes that the agricultural industry has warned that the recently announced increase in the national minimum wage (NMW) would cripple the sector and impact any prospects of creating further jobs.
Higher national minimum wage was not a ‘thumb suck’, says labour minister
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BusinessTech reports that Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) Minister Thulas Nxesi has reiterated that adjustment of the national minimum wage (NMW) was the outcome of an extensive consultation process.
SA's jobless grew to 7.2 million in fourth quarter of 2020, with unemployment rate of 32.5% setting new record
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Fin24 reports that SA’s official unemployment rate increased to a record 32.5% in the fourth quarter of 2020 as the number of jobless in the country grew to 7.2 million.
Netcare 911 helicopter 'broke up in flight', preliminary probe into deaths of four medics and pilot finds
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TimesLIVE reports that a preliminary investigation by the SA Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that the helicopter which crashed en route to KwaZulu-Natal last month killing Netcare 911 medics and the pilot broke apart in midair and the impact was “not survivable”.
KZN has lost 253 teachers and 38 non-teaching staff to Covid-19
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Independent Media reports that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) education MEC Kwazi Mshengu said during the release of the province’s matric results on Tuesday morning that he was doing so with a heavy heart, having lost 253 teachers and 38 non-teaching staff to Covid-19 related illnesses.
Top North West government official arrested following discovery of 100 stolen livestock on his farm
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Independent Media reports that a top North West government official and his shepherd have been arrested after 100 stolen cattle and calves was found on his farm.
Healthcare workers clamouring to get Covid-19 vaccinations urged to remain calm because ‘all will be helped’
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TimesLIVE reports that senior health experts driving SA's biggest inoculation programme have called for calm among healthcare workers who fear missing out on the Covid-19 vaccine, saying that all of them will be helped.
Mboweni ‘not oblivious’ to South Africa’s shrinking tax base, as emigration numbers rise
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Business Tech writes that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni is considering his options to improve the current economic and fiscal position of SA ahead of his National Budget speech on Wednesday.
Any job gains in fourth quarter won't impact SA's unemployment crisis
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Fin24 reports that Statistics SA (Stats SA) is due to release the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the fourth quarter of 2020 on Tuesday.
KZN health MEC says some health workers have declined Covid-19 vaccine, but won’t be forced to take the jab
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TimesLIVE reports that according to KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, some health workers have refused to be vaccinated, but won't be forced to do so.
Budget axe falls on new NSFAS student aid for key disciplines, including teaching and nursing
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BL Premium reports that the government’s bursary scheme for poor students is to halt funding in 2021 for new students in a wide range of programmes, including teaching and nursing.
Two roving HIV/Aids health team nurses hijacked and robbed by armed men near Pietermaritzburg
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TimesLIVE reports that two nurses — part of a roving HIV/Aids health team — were left traumatised after they were ambushed and hijacked outside Pietermaritzburg on Friday.
KZN government condemns execution-style murders of two Pietermaritzburg cops
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TimesLIVE reports that the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) government has condemned the brutal murders of two police officers in Pietermaritzburg, saying the latest attack showed that officers remained the targets of criminals.
Pressure mounts to streamline Covid-19 vaccine appointment system
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BL Premium reports that officials are working about the clock to improve the appointment system for Covid-19 vaccinations to avoid a repeat of the chaotic scenes at Steve Biko Academic Hospital this past weekend when doctors queued for hours to get jabs.
Companies with more than 50 employees must submit weekly data on Covid-19 cases
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TimesLIVE reports that it is now a legal requirement for all businesses with more than 50 employees to submit weekly data on Covid-19 cases to the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOH).
Economic growth must be central to Tito Mboweni’s budget on Wednesday, say Cosatu and DA
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BL Premium reports that trade union federation Cosatu and the Democratic Alliance (DA) each said on Monday that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni needed to give financial backing for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s economic recovery and reconstruction plan with the national budget.
Denel appoints chief operating officer, William Hlakoane, as acting CEO
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BusinessLive reports that state-owned arms manufacturer Denel has appointed its chief operating officer, William Hlakoane, as the company’s acting group CEO.
Roundup on Monday, 22 February 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, 19 February 2021.
No welcome sign for immigrants in Department of Home Affairs’ draft critical skills list
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BL Premium reports that after a two-year delay, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) on Thursday published a draft of the "critical skills list" — occupations earmarked for skilled immigration — identifying 126 narrowly defined jobs for eligibility.
Outgoing Gold Fields CEO Nick Holland’s biggest regret is worker fatalities
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Moneyweb reports that outgoing Gold Fields chief executive Nick Holland says his biggest regret during the 13 years he has been at the helm of the gold producer is the high number of employee fatalities.
Deadline for Early Childhood Development (ECD) relief fund applications extended by a week
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News24 reports that the Department of Social Development has announced that the deadline for applications for the Early Childhood Development (ECD) Stimulus Relief Fund has been extended to Friday, 26 February.
Government Employees Medical Scheme rocked by corruption allegations totalling over R300 million
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News24 reports that the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), which is positioning itself to administer the National Health Insurance (NHI) fund, has been rocked by allegations of tender rigging, fraud, maladministration and corruption totalling more than R300 million.