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.
Sasol’s ‘out-of-town’ allowance for attendance by non-executive directors at just one board meeting exceeds company’s minimum annual wage
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Moneyweb reports that Sasol has been slammed for double-standards in its approach to executive remuneration.
State of disaster inhibits hope for growth or job creation, says Solidarity
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Trade union Solidarity is of the opinion that there is no hope of turning the economy around or of creating jobs until the state of disaster has been lifted in its entirety.
Durban solid waste workers on strike again
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TimesLIVE reports that Durban Solid Waste workers are on strike again. Waste workers have gone on strike at least three times since the start of the year.
With cost of pandemic disproportionately on the poor, jobs bloodbath poses a threat to social stability
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City Press writes that SA’s ever-rising unemployment rate may pose a threat to social stability and could also complicate efforts to stabilise the country’s rapidly deteriorating public finances.
Police nab four suspects who shot traffic cop at KZN roadblock
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Independent News reports that four suspects have been nabbed for allegedly robbing a supermarket and subsequently shooting an RTI officer at a roadblock while fleeing.
Government departments have commenced with initiatives to roll-out job creation initiatives
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Engineering News reports that various government departments have commenced with the roll-out of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan to protect and create jobs as part of his emergency relief package that has been mobilised in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
National minimum wage hotline inundated with complaints
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Independent News reports that the Department of Employment and Labour’s (DEL’s) national minimum wage hotline received about 178,000 complaints over the six months since it was introduced.
Government Employees Pension Fund takes R243bn hit from Covid-19 and credit downgrades
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BL Premium reports that SA’s sluggish economy and the Covid-19 outbreak and associated lockdowns had a devastating effect on the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF).
As SABC posts yet another loss, workers protest against ‘unfair’ restructuring
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BL Premium reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC’s) loss-making streak shows no sign of ending with the embattled public broadcaster reporting a R511m loss for the 2019/2020 financial year.
CCMA forced to cut back on operations due to R600m budget cut
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BL Premium reports that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) says it will no longer be able to operate at full capacity as a result of its upcoming R617m budget cut.
Western Cape agriculture department launches R12m support fund for wine tourism workers
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Cape Times reports that the Western Cape Department of Agriculture is to provide crucial relief to employees in the local wine tourism sector in the form of a R12 million support fund.
Staff tell portfolio committee that NSFAS is a nepotist fiefdom
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Mail & Guardian reports that bugged offices, staff suspended for a year without being charged, positions created for select people and senior executives made redundant are some of the allegations that have been levelled against Randall Carollissen, the administrator of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Taxi driver on the run after knocking down and killing a cop in Khayelitsha on Saturday evening
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EWN reports that a taxi driver who allegedly knocked over a policeman in Khayelitsha on Saturday evening is on the run.
Western Cape government and Prasa sign memorandum of agreement to revive the Central Line
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Cape Argus reports that the Western Cape provincial government and the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to revive the Central Line.
Community health workers to camp on Church Square for three days next week and to protest at National Treasury
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Pretoria News reports that hundreds of community health workers will for three days next week camp at Church Square in Pretoria, even as unions representing them disagree over what’s best for them.
Shareholders berate RCL Foods over reluctance at AGM to answer questions about strategy, leadership and remuneration
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BL Premium reports that RCL Foods, which owns Rainbow Chickens and Selati Sugar, left shareholders with a bitter taste in the mouth after the group was reticent at its annual general meeting on Friday to answer questions about its strategy, leadership and executive remuneration.
Two Gauteng Cogta officials in the human settlements portfolio axed for corruption
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Independent News reports that the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has parted ways with two senior officials in the Human Settlements portfolio.
Roundup on Monday, 16 November 2020 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, 13 November 2020.
Problem with SA's latest unemployment data is that only 0.1% of households were surveyed
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Business Insider SA writes that last week Statistics SA (Stats SA) released a set of horrific unemployment numbers for the third quarter, reporting that 6.5 million people were jobless and that the unemployment rate had jumped to a record 30.8%.
Embattled Far East Rand Hospital CEO fired after only a year into top job
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Independent News reports that the Gauteng Department of Health fired the embattled chief executive of the Far East Rand Hospital, Dr Zacharia Mathaba, after he was only a year into his top job.
State forked out R8.4m on accommodation and other expenses for David Mabuza’s 28 bodyguards during hard lockdown
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BusinessLive reports the government spent R8.39m of taxpayers' money to accommodate Deputy President David Mabuza's security personnel in hotels and lodges in just the first six months of the country's Covid-19 lockdown.
Northern Cape teacher accused of repeated rape of primary school pupil placed on preliminary suspension
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EWN reports that a Northern Cape teacher has been placed on preliminary suspension following alleged sexual assault. Police arrested the man last week in connection with the rape of a 13-year-old girl at a Kimberley primary school.
Full bench to hear Bandile Masuku's review of SIU findings against him in PPE tender scandal
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News24 reports that former Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku's challenge of the Special Investigating Unit's (SIU’s) findings against him will be heard in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria in January 2021.
Cosatu threatens to withdraw election support for ANC if public sector wage increase isn’t implemented
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BL Premium reports that labour federation Cosatu has given its ally the ANC an ultimatum to implement a wage increase agreement for public servants or lose votes in next year’s municipal elections.
SABC staff declare ‘Black Monday’ as a day of silent protest against new structure and appeal for public’s support
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ANA reports that disgruntled employees of the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), dubbed the ‘SABC Section 192 Movement’, have planned a silent protest against the state broadcaster’s announcement that it would be retrenching 400 employees.
Numsa to protest on Monday at National Treasury to thwart approval of contracts of security companies
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Independent News reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and other unions have accused certain security companies of illegally withholding the salary increases of its members and have called on the Treasury not to approve contracts in respect of those companies.
Ten alleged ‘zama zamas’ arrested last week in Rustenburg in two separate operations
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News24 reports that in two separate operations last week, ten ‘zama zamas’ were arrested in Rustenburg for illegal mining.
Cost of SAA bailout has risen from R10.5bn to R14bn, Pravin Gordhan tells MPs
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BL Premium reports that Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) Minister Pravin Gordhan told MPs last week that the restructuring costs for SA Airways (SAA) amounted to R14bn and not the R10.5bn that had previously been cited by business rescue practitioners (BRPs).
National police commissioner fires his suspended deputy following internal disciplinary hearing
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BusinessLive reports that deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Bonang Mgwenya, who is facing corruption and fraud charges in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, has been fired.
Net total of 163,000 domestic workers have lost their jobs since start of the year
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BusinessTech reports that Statistics SA (Stats SA) on Thursday published its Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of 2020, showing the extent to which the country’s employment market has begun to recover after the peak of coronavirus lockdown.