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.
City of Johannesburg to act decisively against those implicated in internal PPE investigation report
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News24 reports that City of Johannesburg municipal manager Ndivhoniswani Lukhwareni has been ordered to act decisively against those implicated in personal protective equipment (PPE) related corruption.
Opposition parties slam 'immoral' SAA bailout in finance minister Tito Mboweni's mini-budget
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TimesLIVE reports that broadsides came thick and fast as opposition parties opened fire on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni's Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday.
Mboweni confirms R100bn allocation to infrastructure spending over 10 years, with R18bn over medium term
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Moneyweb reports that government has confirmed in its Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) its commitment of R100 billion over 10 years to the Infrastructure Fund, of which R18 billion will be over the medium term.
While Mboweni agrees to bailout for SAA, no funds announced for SABC, Post Office or Denel
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News24 Wire reports that while SA Airways will get the R10.5-billion it has requested from government to fund its business rescue process, there were no announcements in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday of additional funding for cash-strapped state-owned entities (SOEs) such as the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the SA Post Office and Denel.
Tito Mboweni announces compulsory annuitisation of provident funds from March 2021
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BL Premium reports that Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has announced that workers will be compelled to buy an annuity with two thirds of their provident funds when they retire, effective March 2021.
Two suspects arrested in Joburg for impersonating police officers by using fake appointment cards
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Independent News reports that two suspects who purported to be police officers were arrested in the streets of Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Two police brigadiers charged with having fraudulently authorised the issuing of firearm licenses
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Independent News reports that two senior SA Police Service (SAPS) officers charged with fraud, defeating the ends of justice and contravention of the Firearms Act were released on R3,000 bail each at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Government has bold plan to freeze public-sector wages
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BL Premium reports that the government has proposed a three-year wage freeze for public servants, placing the state at risk of a public sector strike in the coming months.
SAA bailed out again by government
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Moneyweb reports that the government has allocated R6.5 billion in the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) to SA Airways (SAA) for settling of its guaranteed debt and interest and R10.5 billion for implementation of its business rescue plan.
At 3% in September, consumer inflation slows to lowest in three months
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BusinessLive reports that data from Stats SA showed on Wednesday that consumer inflation, as measured by the consumer price index (CPI), slowed to its lowest level in three months in September.
President Ramaphosa in quarantine after Covid-19 close contact
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BusinessLive reports that The Presidency advised on Wednesday that President Cyril Ramaphosa was in self-quarantine after a guest at a dinner he attended at the weekend tested positive for Covid-19.
Joburg MMC Loyiso Masuku back at work after Gauteng ANC clears her in PPE matter
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EWN reports that City of Johannesburg mayoral committee member (MMC) Loyiso Masuku has officially returned to work.
Acting City Power boss booted out five months into top job due to non-performance
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The Star reports that just five months after being appointed as City Power acting chief executive, Malope Ramagaga has been removed from the position.
Mashaba could turn to private prosecution of Lily Mine management over ‘unsafe’ conditions that led to deaths of three miners
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Sowetan reports that Action SA leader Herman Mashaba says he will be seeking private prosecution against the CEO of Vantage Goldfields and the Lily Mine management over the incident that led to the deaths of three miners.
Numsa on retail motor industry strike to ensure that 8% wage deal is honoured
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The Mercury reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has embarked on a national strike against the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), demanding that an 8% wage deal agreed to last year be honoured.
World Bank tells SA that to get a loan it must cut wage bill and not use the money to bail SOEs out
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Bloomberg reports that the World Bank has apparently told SA’s government it has to cut its wage bill to qualify for a loan of as much as $2 billion and agree the money won’t be used to bail out insolvent state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
Sanral’s new N2 Wild Coast road to create up to 7,000 project-related jobs
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Engineering News reports that according to Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, up to 7,000 project-related jobs will be created during the construction of the new N2 Wild Coast road.
Prasa appoints its group executive for human capital management as acting CEO
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Engineering News reports that the newly appointed board of control of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) held its first meeting on 27 October and appointed group executive for human capital management, Thandeka Mabija, as acting CEO with immediate effect.
Court dismisses Implats’ bid to appeal judgement that reduction of leave days for workers forced to stay at home during violent strike was unlawful
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Business Report writes that the Labour Court has dismissed a bid by Impala Platinum (Implats) for leave to appeal against a judgment relating to the producer’s unlawful reduction of workers’ leave days after the workers were forced to stay at home during the five-month long Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) strike in 2014.
Three Limpopo home affairs officials nabbed for demanding bribe from undocumented immigrant
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News24 reports that three Limpopo officials employed by the Department of Home Affairs were arrested by the Hawks on Tuesday for corruption after allegedly demanding a bribe instead of arresting a man found to be in SA without the necessary paperwork.
Taxi summit aimed at regulating the sector will go ahead despite NTA’s pullout
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BL Premium reports that the national taxi summit, aimed at regulating the industry, will go ahead later this week despite the National Taxi Alliance (NTA), SA’s second-largest taxi association, pulling out at the eleventh hour.
Tsakani Maluleke gets unanimous backing in parliament as next, and first female, auditor-general
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BL Premium reports that Tsakani Maluleke will be SA's first female auditor-general after she was unanimously recommended for the post by parliament on Tuesday.
African Bank starts retrenchment process potentially affecting over 1,200 employees
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News24 reports that African Bank has joined a long list of companies who have to let go of their staff because of Covid-19. The bank announced on Tuesday that it had started retrenchment consultation processes with the banking sector union, Sasbo.
Unresolved public sector wage bill clouds MTBPS
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Nazmeera Moola of SA Investments and Sisamkele Kobus of Ninety One write that starting in the February 2020 Budget and continuing in the June Supplementary Budget, the government committed itself to significant expenditure consolidation.
Date in November set for auction of assets of SA Express
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Sowetan reports that the assets of SA Express will go under the hammer in November after the state-owned airline was placed under provisional liquidation earlier this year.
Mining companies urged to offer community testing for Covid-19
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Business Report writes that the Bench Marks Foundation, the faith-based organisation which monitors corporate performance in the field of corporate social responsibility, has called on mining companies to open their health facilities to enable Covid-19 testing for mining communities.
Former board chairperson disputes the way Post Office fired her
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BL Premium reports that the SA Post Office (Sapo) could be facing a court battle after it fired its former board chair Colleen Makhubele at a special general meeting, which according to her lawyer was not properly constituted.
Two Gauteng traffic cops arrested and two Mpumalanga admin clerks fired for bribery and corruption
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TimesLIVE reports that two Gauteng traffic officers, who allegedly demanded a bribe of R5,000 from a truck driver, were arrested in a sting operation on Friday.
In two violent attacks at KZN schools on Friday, principal gunned down, teacher hijacked and safety officer killed
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TimesLIVE reports that a principal was gunned down in his office, a teacher hijacked and a safety officer screening pupils for Covid-19 symptoms killed in two violent attacks at schools in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Transport union Untu blasts Transnet over R9.9bn worth of irregular spending
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TimesLIVE reports that the United National Transport Union (Untu) has fired a broadside at Transnet after the state-owned enterprise’s (SOE’s) financial statements showed irregular spending of R9.9bn in the past year.