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.
Struggling Lily and Barbrook mines could face liquidation
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Business Report writes that Rob Devereux, business rescue practitioner of the Lily and Barbrook mines, is considering placing the mines under liquidation.
Call by asset manager for Eskom to go business rescue route
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Business Report writes that asset management firm Anchor Capital has called for power utility Eskom to enter a “negotiated” business rescue process and for there to be a partial listing of its business to ensure its financial sustainability.
How affording unions a say over outsourced contracts became the gateway to corruption
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Theto Mahlakoana writes that the hard-fought right of workers to be consulted on workplace services that affect their welfare, such as catering and company transport, has been hijacked by corruption and self-enrichment.
Numsa slams ‘nefarious’ plans to privatise Eskom, other SOEs
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ANA reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has accused the governing African National Congress (ANC) of pursuing what it called “nefarious” plans to privatise power utility Eskom and other cash-strapped state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
Labour minister to review earnings threshold in Basic Conditions of Employment Act
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ANA reports that the United National Transport Union (UNTU) said on Monday it had received word from Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant indicating that she was reviewing the current earnings threshold of R205,433.30 per year contained in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA).
Roundup on Monday, 28 January 2019 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, 25 January 2019.
Police will fund education of slain PE policeman's children, Bheki Cele tells mourners
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TimesLIVE reports that police minister Bheki Cele received thunderous applause from mourners after promising the widowed wife of slain Port Elizabeth flying squad member Dwane Kemp that the police would assist the family in any way possible, including funding their daughter and unborn son's education.
With 31,000 jobs lost since January last year, farmers seek R3bn in emergency drought relief
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Business Times reports that organised agriculture is to ask the government for R3bn in emergency relief after a multi-year drought left five of SA's nine provinces critically parched and two others extremely vulnerable.
Troubled rail agency Prasa to have a permanent CEO by April, says transport minister
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BusinessLive reports that the troubled Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) is set to have a permanent CEO by April, transport minister Blade Nzimande has confirmed.
'I hold no grudge', says Schweizer-Reneke teacher as court lifts unlawful suspension
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News24 reports that the teacher who was suspended by the Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke for taking and distributing a picture of pupils seated by race, said she holds no grudges against the school and the North West education department after a judge ruled that her suspension had been unlawful.
CEO of SAA says banks have agreed in principle on R3.5bn lifeline
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BL Premium reports that according to SA Airways (SAA) CEO Vuyani Jarana, commercial banks have in principle approved R3.5bn of the funding required to keep the national airline operating until April.
Mildred Oliphant finally puts national minimum wage commission in place
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BusinessLive reports that labour minister Mildred Oliphant has finally appointed the 13-member national minimum wage commission following a tussle over candidates that delayed the implementation of the law in 2018.
Amcu’s appeal against Sibanye’s takeover of Lonmin set down for 2 April
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BusinessLive reports that the appeal brought by the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) against the Competition Tribunal’s conditional approval of Sibanye-Stillwater’s takeover of Lonmin has been set down for 2 April.
Netcare plans to cut more than 500 staff members
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Business Times reports that hospital group Netcare plans to retrench over 500 employees as it seeks to cut costs following a failed offshore expansion and amid a tough economic environment in SA.
Bail for three senior eThekwini employees arrested for EPWP recruitment fraud
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Daily News reports that three senior eThekwini municipality staff members were arrested and released on bail on Thursday in connection with the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) recruitment process.
Sibanye-Stillwater not shaken by Amcu's one-day secondary strike 'warning shot'
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City Press reports that members of the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) embarked last week on a one-day secondary strike at Sibanye-Stillwater’s platinum operations in Rustenburg.
Suspected killer of Westenburg cop arrested in Limpopo
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News24 reports that a 31-year-old man suspected of killing a policeman was arrested in Limpopo on Friday night.
Mhlathuze Water boss Makhanya finally axed over dodgy tenders - three years after original suspension
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TimesLIVE reports that the chief executive of Mhlathuze Water, Sibusiso Makhanya, has been axed three years after he was suspended.
Business rescue at Basil Read sees significant reduction in staff complement, with just 17 left at HQ
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Moneyweb reports that the rescue of listed group Basil Read’s construction business has run into “significant challenges”, including the withdrawal of R40 million in post-commencement financing, lower than expected revenue, and slow progress in the sale of non-core assets.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Thursday, 24 January 2019
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In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Thursday, 24 January 2019.
Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke teacher's victory a lesson in democracy, says Solidarity
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The Star reports that Solidarity has claimed victory in the case of the Laerskool Schweizer-Reneke teacher who had been suspended following an uproar over a picture purporting to show pupils racially segregated in a Grade R class.
Memo to Bosasa staff 'not an attempt to stop them speaking to Zondo commission'
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TimesLIVE reports that a memo circulated to staff at African Global Operations (AGO), formerly known as Bosasa, was apparently not intended to stop them speaking to the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture.
KZN prisons boss suspended amid Bosasa bribe claims
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BusinessLive report that KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) prisons head Mnikelwa Nxele, who was implicated in state capture testimony by former Bosasa executive Angelo Agrizzi, has been suspended.
Prasa’s safety permit could still be revoked by Railway Safety Regulator
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GroundUp reports that following the recent fatal train collision in Mountainview, Pretoria, the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) is again considering the suspension of the Passenger Rail Agency of SA’s (Prasa’s) safety permit.
Dis-Chem and Blue Ribbon workers march in Cape Town demanding investigation into police behaviour during strikes
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GroundUp reports that about 150 workers from Dis-Chem and Blue Ribbon Bakeries, as well as union officials, marched to Cape Town’s central police station on Wednesday to protest about police treatment of striking workers last year.
Don't fall victim to bogus colleges, warns higher education and training department
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News24 reports that as it embarked on a countrywide public awareness campaign, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) warned that bogus colleges were mushrooming up all over South Africa.
DAFF Minister go to court to stop disciplinary hearings of three of his officials
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News24 reports on the attempt by Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) Minister Senzeni Zokwana to get the Western Cape High Court to order the department's director general to stop the disciplinary proceedings of three officials.
Metrobus in Johannesburg served with notice of strike to start on 28 January
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Fin24 reports that Metrobus in Johannesburg said in a statement on Thursday morning that it had been served with a strike notice by one of its unions.
No record of Bosasa donating R100,000 to help SABC8, says Sanef
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TimesLIVE reports that the SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef) has found no evidence of a R100,000 donation by Bosasa to a crowdfunding campaign for the so-called SABC8.
Back to school for Schweizer-Reneke teacher after labour court lifts her suspension
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TimesLIVE reports that North West primary school teacher Elana Barkhuizen has won her labour court challenge against her suspension.