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.
June’s salary payments to ANC staff twice delayed
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SowetanLive reports that ANC employees are again facing uncertainty about their finances after the party failed to pay their June salaries.
Nehawu to visit Covid-19 hot-spot facilities to highlight workers ‘carelessly’ exposed to the virus
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BusinessLive reports that with the Covid-19 infection rate among front-line workers seemingly spiraling out of control, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehaw) will be visiting hot-spot facilities across the country.
Transnet deploys staff from Durban to tackle paralysis at Cape Town port caused by operational issues and staff shortages
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BusinessLive reports that state-owned freight transport and logistics company Transnet is deploying some staff from its Durban operations to Cape Town in a bid to boost capacity in the region.
UIF’s Covid-19 benefit website down again due to ongoing glitch
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BusinessLive reports that the website for the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF’s) Covid-19 relief benefit has been taken down again because it continues to show the confidential information of applicants.
Cape Town taxi bosses undecided on joining Santaco defiance of lockdown regulations
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EWN reports that taxi bosses in the Western Cape have not yet reached agreement over whether to support a call to disregard lockdown regulations.
Labour Appeal Court reserves judgment in appeal against SAA retrenchment decision
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BusinessLive reports that the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) has reserved judgment after hearing arguments on behalf of the business rescue practitioners (BRPs) for SA Airways (SAA) and the airline’s unions on whether employees could be retrenched before finalisation of a rescue plan.
Eastern Cape school ready to welcome back pupils despite a Covid-19 outbreak that saw over 200 positive cases
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SowetanLive reports an Eastern Cape high school at the centre of a major Covid-19 outbreak is preparing to open its doors to more of its learners despite over 200 learners and employees having tested positive for the virus.
UIF won’t pay out Covid-19 Ters benefits for period after end of June
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Moneyweb reports that the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has announced that it would pay workers their relief Covid-19 Ters benefit until the end of June. Nonetheless, those thereafter who still had outstanding documents would be attended to.
Unions might approach parliament to stop 3,700 job losses at SAA
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Business Report writes that some unions at SA Airways (SAA) have threatened to approach parliament to stop the loss of 3,700 jobs following the collapse of their joint restructuring platform with the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE).
Dis-Chem’s CE received modest remuneration increase of 3.04% for year to February
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Business Report writes that Dis-Chem chief executive Ivan Saltzman’s total remuneration increased 3.04% to R13.23-million for the year to the end of February, from R12.84m the previous year.
Mixed feelings over taxis defying lockdown restrictions and operating at full capacity
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SowetanLive reports that commuters are scared of the possibility of getting infected with the coronavirus after taxis began loading at full capacity and resumed inter-provincial travel on Monday.
Some Limpopo teachers accused of using fake sick notes to avoid returning to school
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The Citizen reports that Limpopo’s Provincial Coronavirus Command Council has accused some teachers of submitting fake doctor’s certificates on their vulnerability to Covid-19 because of comorbidities to avoid returning to work on 6 July.
Taxi industry on a collision course with the law by resuming interprovincial travel and reverting to 100% loading capacity, Mbalula warns
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BusinessLive reports that the taxi sector deliberately breached lockdown regulations on Monday by resuming interprovincial travel and reverting to 100% loading capacity.
SAA unions claim Public Enterprises has been dishonest about wanting to build a new airline
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BusinessLive reports that the majority trade unions at SA Airways (SAA) have called the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) dishonest, and have accused it of derailing the airline’s rescue process.
Intensive communication playing key role in South Deep’s campaign to curb Covid-19
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Mining Weekly reports that way ahead of the national lockdown, South Deep gold mine started an intensive and focused communication awareness campaign to shield its people from the coronavirus pandemic.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Monday, 29 June 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, 29 June 2020.
Teachers at Ivory Park down tools over dangerous structural defects to school building
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SowetanLive reports that teachers at Eqinisweni Secondary School outside Tembisa, north of Johannesburg, have downed tools, complaining about structural defects at their school which pose a danger to their lives.
Rough ride for commuters this week as taxis hike fares and trains will probably still not be running
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City Press reports that commuters are in for a rough ride this week as they face not only a hike in taxi fares, but also the possibility of being unable to use the country’s trains.
Nationwide 775 schools have had to temporarily close in past three weeks due to Covid-19
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News24 Wire reports that according to the Department of Basic Education (DBE), 523 pupils and 1,169 school staff members have tested positive for Covid-19, impacting on 775 schools across the country.
Rustenburg municipal council hit hard by Covid-19 cases
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SowetanLive reports that the Rustenburg local municipality has been hit hard by Covid-19 cases in respect of its leadership.
Pravin Gordhan accuses unions of having set SAA on path to liquidation
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BL Premium reports that the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), which has fought to save SA Airways (SAA), says the rescue process has been derailed by trade unions whose actions have set the airline on the path to liquidation.
No need to employ extra teachers to accommodate social distancing, says Angie Motshekga
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Independent News reports that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) does not expect a significant number of teachers to be employed during the coming period, with only a few cases of schools requiring more classrooms.
Jobs lost now due to Covid-19 lockdown might never be restored
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Business Times writes that the economic devastation inflicted by the Covid-19 lockdown has already forced several companies to shed jobs and more job cuts appear inevitable as the pandemic rages on.
ICTU threatens to strike at Cell C over possible job cuts
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Business Report writes that the Information Communication Technology Union (ICTU) has threatened to down tools across Cell C’s operations if the company does not withdraw the section 189 notice that it issued last week informing employees of possible retrenchments.
Safety measures not observed at Livingstone Hospital, audit report warns
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HeraldLIVE reports that screening protocols are falling through the cracks at Livingstone Hospital, common areas are not being regularly sanitised and staff are not wearing their personal protective equipment (PPE) properly, increasing the risk of Covid-19 spreading through the Port Elizabeth hospital and into the community.
More than 450 health-care workers in KZN have tested positive for Covid-19
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TimesLIVE reports that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) premier Sihle Zikalala on Sunday revealed that more than 450 health-care workers have tested positive for Covid-19 in the province.
Medics at Rietvlei Hospital in KZN halt operations as fears mount over death and Covid-19 cases
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Sunday Tribune reports that nurses and doctors have halted operations at Rietvlei Hospital, in Umzimkhulu in southern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), demanding that the facility be sanitised after patients and nurses tested positive for Covid-19 last week.
Cadre deployment memo is ‘fictitious’, says ANC, despite confirmation from highly placed sources
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City Press reports that the ANC has distanced itself from a document bearing its letterhead, suggesting that Luthuli House has been warning its ministers that the appointment of senior staff must be guided by the party’s deployment committee.
Covid-19 drives private health sector to the brink with huge decline in patient numbers in hospitals and private practices
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City Press reports that a new healthcare framework has been proposed to resuscitate the ailing private healthcare sector, which has been dealt a huge blow by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic as patient numbers in hospitals and private practices have plummeted.
SAA staff being offered generous severance packages, averaging R580,000 each, to leave
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City Press reports that SA Airways (SAA) staff are being offered extremely generous severance packages – averaging R580,000 each – at a total cost of R2.2 billion. This would include retrospective increases and incentive bonuses, but is still not enough for several trade unions.