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.
Lamberti destroyed my career with negative references, claims successful litigant Chowan
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Business Times reports that Adila Chowan, who successfully sued Imperial CEO Mark Lamberti in a race and gender discrimination suit, claims that she cannot find full-time work because her former boss has given her negative references.
Cosatu to object to Eskom's ‘ridiculous’ tariff hike request at Nersa hearing on Monday
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ANA reports that labour federation Cosatu was due on Monday to present its outright rejection of Eskom’s "ridiculous" 30% tariff hike application to the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) at hearings in Cape Town.
National bus strike looms for later this week after expiry of ‘cooling off period’ on Sunday
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EWN reports that workers who fall under the SA Road Passenger Bargaining Council (SARPBAC) could hang up their keys as from later this week after wage talks remained deadlocked.
AngloGold Ashanti chief executive ‘Venkat’ resigns to join Vedanta
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ANA reports that gold producer AngloGold Ashanti said on Monday that its chief executive officer Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan (Venkat) had resigned.
Roundup on Monday, 16 April 2018 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, 13 April 2018.
Seven hurt in furnace blast at Fortune Steel, less than 24 hours after OHS protest by Numsa
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ANA reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) indicated on Monday that at least seven workers were injured when a furnace exploded at Fortune Steel in Nigel in Ekurhuleni.
Early spending on IT shows that economy should pick up strongly later this year
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TechCentral writes that SA’s economy should pick up strongly later this year as early signs of spending on IT by small and medium enterprises, which is happening now, typically precedes corporations opening up their purse strings.
Eskom suspends senior official over Gupta-owned coal mine contract
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Fin24 reports that state-owned power utility Eskom has suspended a senior general manager pending an investigation into irregular conduct in the supply of coal by a Gupta-owned mine.
Solidarity threatens action over R1m Denel bursary to North West premier’s son
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News24 reports that trade union Solidarity has warned that it would not hesitate to take action against any state owned enterprise that continued to squander tax-payers money.
Ramaphosa vows at Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's funeral to go visit Marikana widows
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BusinessLive reports that during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s delivery of the eulogy at Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s official funeral on Saturday at the Orlando Stadium he vowed he would visit the widows of those killed during the Marikana shooting in 2012.
Four alleged illegal miners die in dump truck accident in Limpopo
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ANA reports that four alleged illegal miners died when the “dump truck” mining vehicle they were using at a Limpopo site overturned. Police at Driekop, near Burgersfort have opened a case of culpable homicide.
Gauteng doctors not paid for overtime as department “does not have money to pay them”
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ANA reports that according to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA’s) Jack Bloom, many doctors at Gauteng state hospitals have not been paid for overtime and have been told that the Gauteng health department “does not have money to pay them” for overtime.
Man fatally electrocuted at building site when tipper truck bay made contact with powerlines
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ANA reports that a man died after being electrocuted at a construction site in Fourways in northern Johannesburg on Friday afternoon.
Staff shortages due to surfeit of disciplinary hearings hamper services at Khayelitsha District Hospital
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Parliamentary Services reported on Friday that staff shortages relating to the high number of disciplinary hearings and firing of senior staff members at the Khayelitsha District hospital are some of the major issues hampering service delivery to the community of Khayelitsha.
UNTU negotiates 7.1% wage increase at Transnet, with no forced lay-offs in next three years
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Engineering News reports that the United National Transport Union (UNTU) has signed a 7.1% wage increase agreement for its members at state-owned freight group Transnet for the next three years.
Other unions oppose Solidarity’s bid to have SAA placed in business rescue
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BusinessLive reports that Solidarity announced on Thursday that it would apply to the high court for an order to have SA Airways (SAA) placed in business rescue under the Companies Act.
North West patients go home without chronic medicines due to ongoing Nehawu strike
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Timeslive reports that patients in the North West are being turned back empty-handed due to shortages of medicine as a result of an ongoing strike‚ says the Doctors Without Borders organisation.
Only forced business rescue can save SAA, says Solidarity ahead of court application
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The Citizen reports that Solidarity believes the only way to rescue the financially haemorrhaging SA Airways (SAA) is to have it placed under forced business rescue.
Identities released of mineworkers killed in petrol bomb attack on bus
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ANA reports that police forensics on Thursday released the names of the six mineworkers who were killed after a petrol bomb was set off inside the bus they were travelling in earlier this month.
National minimum wage: Saftu rejects ‘apartheid pay structure’
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BusinessLive reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) says the proposed National Minimum Wage (NMW) of R20 an hour or R3,500 a month will entrench "the apartheid wage structure", while amendments to the Labour Relations Act will limit the right of workers to strike.
More than 30 hurt as chicken firm's staff bus overturns in Cape Town on Thursday
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Timeslive reports that more than 30 people were injured on Thursday morning when a company’s staff bus overturned after colliding with a bakkie in Cape Town.
State requests postponement of further public sector wage talks until 24 April
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BusinessLive reports that government facilitators have requested to push back until 24 April the public servants wage talks in order to consult with their principals, who are the heads of government departments.
Eastern limb of platinum belt hit by over 400 social unrest incidents since 2016
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Reuters reports that the eastern limb of SA’s platinum belt has been hit by over 400 incidents of social unrest impacting mining operations since the start of 2016.
Saftu to march on Thursday against national minimum wage and Cape Town water crisis
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News24 reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) will march to Parliament in Cape Town on Thursday to protest against the proposed National Minimum Wage (NMW) and water issues in the province.
National bus strike looms and could commence on 18 April
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Cape Argus reports that Golden Arrow Bus Services (Gabs) as well as transport unions have warned of a looming national bus strike.
Banker, Tokara farm workers lose R1bn in Steinhoff share collapse
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BusinessLive reports that one of SA’s most respected bankers, GT Ferreira who co-founded FirstRand, has seen more than R1bn of his wealth wiped out by the collapse of Steinhoff as his own direct investment in the retail group has collapsed to a fraction of its initial value.
Unions distrustful of Eskom’s plan to reduce staff numbers by natural attrition
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BusinessLive reports that, while Eskom has stuck to its plan of reducing its headcount through "natural attrition", there is distrust among trade unions about its intentions.
Lamberti poised to resign from board of Business Leadership SA, but not from Imperial
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BusinessLive reports that Imperial Holdings CEO Mark Lamberti is expected to resign from the board of Business Leadership SA (BLSA) this week, following the recent ruling in the High Court in Pretoria that he had discriminated against a former employee.
Limpopo police in massive manhunt for suspects who hijacked, wounded traffic officer
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ANA reports that police in Thohoyandou have launched a massive manhunt for armed suspects who hijacked an on-duty traffic police officer and shot and seriously wounded him on Sunday morning.
Bid by IDC to remove Shiva Uranium business rescue practitioners
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City Press writes that the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is on a collision course with the business rescue practitioners appointed to run eight of the Gupta family’s companies.