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.
Joburg suspends senior officials after Pikitup makes a mess of renewing fleet contract
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TimesLive reports that the City of Johannesburg has suspended senior officials over their alleged bungling of a Pikitup fleet tender.
Nugent inquiry interim report urges Ramaphosa to fire suspended tax head Tom Moyane
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Reuters reports that a commission of inquiry reviewing evidence on Tom Moyane, suspended head of the SA Revenue Service (Sars), issued an interim report on Tuesday urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire the head of the agency.
Solidarity to undertake protest action at Denel over payment of salaries
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Reuters reports that trade union Solidarity said on Tuesday that its members at state-owned arms manufacturer Denel would begin with protest action on Wednesday over a dispute concerning payment of salaries.
Eskom’s head of generation, Thava Govender, quits, days after Johnny Dladla's resignation
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BusinessLive reports that another Eskom veteran has resigned from the embattled state-owned power utility.
Germiston train fire on Tuesday: Metrorail suspects arson
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News24 reports that arson is suspected to be the cause of a train fire at the Germiston Station on Tuesday morning.
Police use stun grenades to disperse Cosatu fuel price protest on N3 on Friday
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Daily News reports that motorist travelling to Durban on the N3 on Friday were forced to sit in traffic as protestors - led by Cosatu - blockaded the freeway and demanded an end to escalating fuel prices.
Raising of Clanwilliam Dam wall to create thousands of jobs in Western Cape
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ANA reports that according to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), construction on the Clanwilliam Dam in the Cederberg district in the Western Cape was envisaged to create more than 4,000 job opportunities.
Numsa to challenge Toyota's strike interdict, questions labour court judge’s neutrality
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Fin24 reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) indicated on Friday that it would be approaching the Labour Court in Durban to challenge Toyota's interdict against its strike at the car maker's operations.
CCMA stepping in to facilitate over possible retrenchments at SABC
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News24 reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) announced on Saturday that the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) would be stepping in to help facilitate possible retrenchments at the public broadcaster.
Court orders Prasa to comply with requirements set by Railway Safety Regulator
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News24 reports that the North Gauteng High Court has issued a supervisory order instructing the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) to comply with the safety requirements set out by the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR).
Still no money for 253 Marikana wounded and arrested
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Mail & Guardian reports that the more than 250 people who were shot and arrested during the Marikana massacre in 2012 are angered by the Department of Justice’s failure to make payments to them for their losses.
Gama heads to court to stop Transnet from firing him
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City Press reports that Transnet group chief executive Siyabonga Gama will be heading to court this week to interdict the state rail company from firing him.
Access of SMEs to funding key to addressing unemployment
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Financial Mail writes that against the backdrop of last week’s jobs summit, it’s worth considering the potential for job creation and economic growth that lies in the country’s SME sector.
Jobs summit’s commitment to pay-gap disclosure will do nothing to narrow rapidly widening gap
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Ann Crotty writes about the “remarkably vague” commitment at the recent jobs summit that “business" would be encouraged to disclose pay differentials.
SABC splurged almost R80m on salaries of directors and executives, Parliament told
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EWN reports that the cash-strapped SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) splurged almost R80 million in pay for its directors and executives in 2017.
Fatal Lethabo power station incident will negatively affect power system, Eskom warns
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BusinessLive reports that a fatal incident at the Lethabo Power Station is expected to negatively affect the national power system as it has resulted in a unit being put out of service for three months.
Lack of growth in medical scheme membership indicates lack of affordability
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BusinessLive reports that the number of medical-scheme beneficiaries remained virtually unchanged for the past seven years.
Government considering capping the fuel price
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The Citizen reports that Energy Minister Jeff Radebe has confirmed the government is considering a maximum fixed price for unleaded petrol as a solution to the consecutive increases the country faced in recent months.
Leaderless NPA crippled by financial crisis and 1,064 vacant posts
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BL Premium reports that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), still leaderless after the Constitutional Court ruled Shaun Abrahams’ appointment invalid, is in the midst of a financial and staffing crisis that is compromising its ability to do its job.
Numsa laments that appointment of ‘arrogant’ Mboweni as finance minister means more suffering for workers
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ANA reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said on Thursday it was disappointed by the appointment of former central bank governor Tito Mboweni as new finance minister, adding that it spelt doom for workers.
Correctional Services appalled by ‘drunk officer’ video
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The Citizen reports that the Department of Correctional Service (DCS) said it was appalled by a video of a “plastered” officer found sleeping on duty with a misplaced firearm.
Deadly explosion at Eskom power station should not have happened, says energy expert
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News24 reports that energy expert Chris Yelland has described Wednesday's fatal explosion at the Eskom Lethabo power station in the Vaal as a failure on the part of the state utility. One person was killed and another was critically injured in the blast.
Denosa welcomes commitment by Thelle Mogoerane to hire new staff
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EWN reports that the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) has welcomed a commitment by the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital in Vosloorus that it will hire 50 more nurses and 90 additional staff.
Man hands himself over to police after ‘domestic-related’ murder of NUM leader
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ANA reports that a KwaZulu-Natal man, 53, handed himself over to police at the Pietermaritzburg police station on Wednesday for allegedly killing a mother and her daughter in the Tongaat area earlier in the week.
Woolworths executives coin it despite the slump
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Financial Mail writes that Woolworths’ shareholders might take comfort from knowing that none of the group’s executive directors or senior executives received performance bonuses for last year — one of the worst in the group’s history.
Social Development Department suspends Sassa's biometric system amid Nehawu strike
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EWN reports that the Social Development Department on Wednesday agreed to suspend the South African Social Security Agency’s (Sassa's) biometric system following talks between Minister Susan Shabangu and the National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu).
Almost 1,500 coaches vandalised, losses of R636 million in train arson attacks
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City Press reports that arson attacks on trains have cost the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) R636-million in the last three and a half years.
Why precisely formulated laws regulating racist speech are needed
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Dr Joanna Botha, who lecturers in the law faculty at Nelson Mandela University, writes that society is becoming increasingly polarised by racist speech, with fresh cases involving racial slurs occurring weekly.
Fourth industrial revolution must not reproduce and cement inequality
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Hamadziripi Tamukamoyo, who heads the Youth Development Institute of SA, writes that there is considerable global interest about the potential of the so-called fourth industrial revolution – undergirded by artificial intelligence – to propel economic and social progression.
At least one death in boiler explosion at Eskom’s Lethabo power station
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ANA reports that at least one worker died in an explosion at Eskom’s Lethabo power plant in Free State on Wednesday afternoon, while another worker has been seriously injured.