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.
Netcare sending extra staff to its Eastern Cape hospitals as Covid-19 cases surge in the province
- Details
BL Premium reports that private hospital group Netcare is sending additional staff to its Eastern Cape facilities and is considering suspending elective surgery as the region grapples with a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Monday, 23 November 2020
- Details
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Monday, 23 November 2020.
Labour Court dismisses Numsa’s application to stop retrenchments in terms of Comair’s business rescue
- Details
Fin24 reports that an application by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) against Comair, Solidarity and other parties was dismissed by the Labour Court on Monday. Comair, which operates kulula.com as well as British Airways domestically, is currently in business rescue.
Taxi industry bemoans conditions set down by transport department to qualify for Covid-19 relief funds
- Details
Pretoria News reports that the taxi industry has bemoaned the conditions set out by the Department of Transport for its members to qualify for the Covid-19 relief funds.
Africa Check finds no evidence for Mashaba’s claim of 15 million undocumented foreigners in SA
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that fact-checking group Africa Check has responded to Action SA leader Herman Mashaba’s statement that SA has 15 million “undocumented foreigners” by indicating that there is no evidence to support the claim.
David Mabuza’s protection over six-month period cost taxpayers R8.4 million, excluding salary costs
- Details
Lowvelder reports that the 28 policemen who were responsible for the safety and security of Deputy President David Mabuza cost taxpayers R8.4 million over a six-month period.
Search for last miner trapped at Gamsberg zinc mine continues
- Details
Reuters reports that rescuers were still searching for the last of 10 miners trapped at the Gamsberg zinc mine on Saturday and mining activity remained suspended until further notice, owner Vedanta Zinc International advised.
Retirement fund ordered to pay for costs of DNA test in death benefit dispute
- Details
Rising Sun Overport reports that a pension fund has been slated by the Deputy Pension Funds Adjudicator, Advocate Matome Thulare, for not including a deceased member’s romantic partner and child in the distribution of the deceased’s death benefit.
Fitch says SA’s ability to tame public sector wage bill uncertain
- Details
Bloomberg reports that Fitch Ratings said on Monday that SA might struggle to stick to a plan to rein in government spending by freezing public-sector wages.
Two former Fidelity staffers who allegedly tipped off cash-in-transit robbers arrested on Friday
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that the Hawks on Friday arrested two men for their alleged involvement in a cash-in-transit robbery in Soshanguve, Pretoria, in October last year. They will join four others who were previously arrested for the robbery.
Two bogus Hawks officers bust in Mpumalanga after demanding R50K bribe to quash nonexistent PPE corruption docket
- Details
News24 reports that two people have been arrested in Marble Hall for allegedly impersonating Hawks officers and attempting to solicit a R50,000 bribe.
Eskom security guard shot dead while on patrol in Soweto
- Details
News24 reports that a security officer who was contracted to Eskom was shot dead last week while patrolling in Soweto. "An Eskom-contracted security officer sustained gunshot injuries on Thursday evening while on patrol along the Chris Hani Road in Soweto," the power utility indicated in a statement.
Hundreds of truck drivers protest in Durban on Monday over hiring of foreign national drivers
- Details
TimesLIVE writes that government's inability to resolve the deep-rooted issue of the hiring of foreign national truck drivers has again resulted in protest action.
Roundup on Monday, 23 November 2020 of weekend labour reports
- Details
In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 20 November 2020.
IFP calls for urgent debate in Parliament on planned SABC job cuts
- Details
EWN reports that with employees of the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) demanding an end to planned retrenchments, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on Saturday said that it had written to National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise requesting her to consider allowing an urgent debate to discuss the crisis.
Numsa in Labour Court bid to get Comair retrenchments scrapped
- Details
Moneyweb reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has accused Comair of colluding with another union, Solidarity, to circumvent the airline’s ongoing retrenchment process.
SABC’s ‘fat cat’ managers and supervisors far outnumber ‘general’ workers
- Details
Saturday Citizen reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC’s) managers and supervisors far outnumber “general” workers and that is one of the reasons that the average salary at the public broadcaster is almost R800,000 a year.
Mining industry responded well to new Covid-19 directives
- Details
Mining Weekly reports that legal firm Webber Wentzel’s annual Mining Roundup seminar heard on Thursday that the mining industry in SA responded well to the new directives to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and to ensure employee health.
Sasol gets slap at AGM from unhappy investors over executive pay policy and ‘golden handshakes’
- Details
BL Premium reports that at the Sasol annual general meeting on Friday, 28% of shareholders voted against the petrochemical group’s remuneration policy.
CWU to meet with SABC on Monday to discuss alternatives to staff lay-offs
- Details
News24 reports that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) is set to meet with representatives of the SA Broadcasting Corporation on (SABC) on Monday, the union advised in a statement on Sunday.
ANC suggests tapping UIF surpluses for Eskom and other developmental causes
- Details
BL Premium reports that the ANC has outlined what it believes should form the basis of a social pact, which would include using the surpluses of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to support Eskom and other developmental causes.
Civil servants continue to be hit with fraudulent insurance policy deductions
- Details
Business Times reports that fraudulent insurance policies are a source of misery for many civil servants in SA and have been for years.
After putting retrenchment notices on hold for seven days, SABC board likely to make final decision on job cuts next week
- Details
BL Premium reports that the board of the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is set to make a final decision next week on its retrenchment plans.
CWU gives SABC an ultimatum to abandon retrenchment plans or face blackout on Friday
- Details
Independent News reports that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) has given the board and management of the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) until Thursday evening to abandon its current plans to retrench hundreds of employees or face a blackout on Friday.
Union’s Dale Fish “no longer welcome” at I&J after Gansbaai strike
- Details
GroundUp reports that general secretary of the Independent Commercial Hospitality and Allied Workers’ Union (Ichawu), Dale Fish, has been banned from all I&J workplace sites after a strike by employees of I&J Aquaculture Danger Point in Gansbaai.
Eight Northdale hospital staff suspended after protest in which CEO was marched out of building
- Details
GroundUp reports eight shop stewards at Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg have been suspended following a protest last week by National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) members who vandalised offices and forcefully removed hospital CEO, Edward Manyokole, from the building.
Denel seeks to cut 13% of jobs as it fails to secure government bailout
- Details
Bloomberg reports SA’s insolvent national arms company Denel is seeking to lay-off about 13% of its workers in a bid to survive after the government spurned its plea for a bailout. The manufacturer has told 379 workers in its artillery, ammunition and armoured-car divisions that they could lose their jobs, according to Helgard Cronje of trade union Solidarity.
Cut jobs or collapse, says SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini
- Details
BL Premium reports that according to SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board chair Bongumusa Makhathini, job cuts were unavoidable if the public broadcaster was to avert a collapse similar to national carrier SAA or state-owned arms maker Denel.
More budget cuts will kill us, CCMA warns MPs
- Details
BL Premium reports that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has taken steps to cut costs by suspending the services of 40% of commissioners and closing its doors to walk-ins from the public.
Port Elizabeth health workers sing derogatory song and level insults at Health Minister Zweli Mkhize
- Details
TimesLIVE reports that dozens of health care workers braved the rain to protest outside Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday, demanding to meet Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.