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.
In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared so far on
Tuesday, 7 November 2017.
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Something has to give: pay government workers what they want, or employ less of them Bloomberg writes that SA faces a stark choice in the forthcoming state wage negotiations, namely risk strikes by as many as 1.3m government workers or meet their pay demands and jeopardise its credit rating. After years of above-inflation increases, public-sector unions now want nothing less than "double-digit" raises from April 2018, in addition to better housing benefits. The National Treasury has budgeted for average pay increases of no more than 7.3% in each of the next three fiscal years. "We cannot afford the government wage bill. We have got to either give people an increase below the rate of inflation, or we are going to have to employ fewer people," said leading economist Mike Schüssler. Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba tabled a bleak picture of the nation’s finances last month with his medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS). Last week, Nehawu, which has 295,000 members and speaks for the largest number of public sector employees, said it would reject offers of less than 10% and claimed that pleas for austerity were undermined by reports of corruption at state companies. State employees represented by the Public Service Association (PSA) want increases of 10% to 12%. Nehawu’s Khaya Xaba said that, if the government wanted to offer members a single-digit increase like 7.3%, “then we have to withdraw our labour power and take the issue to the streets." Read this report by Arabile Gumede in full at BusinessLive. Read too, Public service wages on up and up, at M&G. And also, SA’s reckless wage dispensation threatens fiscal sustainability, at Financial Mail Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Mpumalanga police captain killed in shoot-out at filling station ANA reports that a police captain was shot dead on Monday and another policeman wounded, while others were robbed of their service firearms, during a robbery at a filling station in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga. A police spokesman said a group of 10 armed men allegedly broke the main door and stormed into the filling station in the early hours of the morning. The robbers forced the customers and employees of the filling station into the staff room, where they held them hostage and fired shots randomly. When the police arrived, a shoot-out ensued that led to the death of a police captain. The criminals fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash, two pistols and a rifle that they robbed from the police members. The wounded police constable was rushed a hospital where he is in a stable condition. Read this report in full at IOL News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Miner dies in rockfall at Anglo American Platinum operation in Rustenburg ANA reports that Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) on Monday reported a death at one of its mines in Rustenburg in the North West province. A statement from the company said an employee died in a rockfall at the Union Mine, Spud Shaft, on 31 October. Amplats CE Chris Griffith extended condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased miner and went on to say: “We are deeply saddened by the number of fatalities at our operations in recent months. It is completely unacceptable and we are closely examining the cause of these incidents and any underlying issues that may have been contributing factors.” The company has instituted an internal investigation into the incident. Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read the company’s press statement at Amplats online. Read too, Chamber of Mines condemns mines’ deteriorating safety performance, at Mining Weekly Unions raise concern over increase in mining fatalities BusinessLive reports that the number of fatalities in SA’s mining industry has increased for the first time in 10 years. The Chamber of Mines has recorded the deaths of 76 mine workers who were killed in mine-related accidents between January and October 2017. The figure is already three higher than the 73 deaths in 2016. Worrying is that the majority of the deaths were due to ground falls. Mining trade unions have called on government to prosecute mining bosses over the deaths and for a commission of inquiry to be instituted to investigate the overall safety of mines. The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) said that it too was concerned about the spate of mine accidents. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has laid the blame for the accidental deaths at the door of mining companies, saying that the bosses were focused on profit at the expense of employees. It has also blamed the ineffectiveness of the DMR. "We are extremely worried. This is unacceptable and shows employers do not care about the lives of black mine workers in this country," NUM spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu said. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive. Read too, SA mining laments rise in number of employee fatalities in 2017, at Miningmx Lonmin faces possible strike by Solidarity members over recognition rights EWN reports that trade union Solidarity says it will approach platinum producer Lonmin by Wednesday to communicate its members' grievances around the treatment of skilled employees and what it says is the preferential treatment of members of the Association of Mineworkers and the Construction Union (Amcu) by the company. The union is seeking to get its recognition rights at Lonmin restored. Solidarity maintains there is a high possibility that its members will go on strike next month or in January, thus bringing production at Lonmin’s shafts to a standstill. But, Lonmin spokesperson Wendy Tlou was not aware of the union’s threat to go on strike. Solidarity’s general secretary Gideon du Plessis responded that Lonmin should be aware of this development because the mandating process and a petition against chief executive Ben Magara was conducted transparently at mine level. Solidarity indicated that at the core of its dispute was the right of association as enshrined in the Constitution and so they felt justified in their actions. Read this report by Masechaba Sefularo in full at EWN. See too, Strike threat adds to headaches for Lonmin CE, at Mining Weekly. Read Solidarity’s press statement on this matter at Solidarity online Amcu man in Brits court on Tuesday for unlawful possession of firearm, ammo ANA reports that an Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) member charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition appeared briefly in the Brits Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. The case against William Nyenyane was postponed to 28 November. He was denied bail on 30 October, when his case was transferred to the regional court. The state alleges he was found in possession of a firearm and ammunition when he was arrested on 6 January in a murder case. He has denied the charge, stating that the police planted the firearm on his waist when they arrested him at Lonmin’s Hossy shaft. Nyenyane is one of the 14 Marikana men accused of hacking Sabata Petrus Chale to death in Marikana on 8 December 2016, allegedly over the allocation of low-cost (RDP) houses. They are all due to appear in the North West High Court in Mogwase in December for a pre-trial conference. Read this report in full at The Citizen Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
UNTU and Satawu submit demand to Transnet for 12% increase for each of next three years Business Report writes that the United National Transport Union (UNTU) and the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) on Monday submitted their consolidated wage demands to Transnet for a 12% salary increase for each of the next three years. For employees who earned less than R100,000 per year (i.e. the lowest paid employees), there should be an additional 2% per year. Over the period of the three-year agreement, there should be no forced retrenchments. Steve Harris, UNTU general secretary, said the demand was justifiable given the fact that Transnet announced on 30 October that its profits had soared to R37.1bn, while its revenue rose by 13.8%. Other demands relate to an increase in the company’s contribution to employees’ medical aid, a housing allowance increase and for all other allowances to be increased by 12%. Further demands relate to post-retirement funeral and medical aid coverage. Transnet’s Tumelo Mokoena commented that they still had to cost the demands, but they appeared to be very high. Transnet is agreeable that the wage increases be implemented no later than 1 April 2018. The negotiations are scheduled to continue on 27 November at the Transnet Bargaining Council. Read this report by Thembelihle Mkhonza in full at Business Report. Read UNTU’s press statement at UNTU online New dispute lodged against SABC by Bemawu, with workers demanding 10% increase BusinessLive reports that after a failed attempt to force the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to increase workers’ salaries‚ the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers’ Union (Bemawu) has re-lodged a dispute with the public broadcaster. The union’s Hannes du Buisson indicated that they had instituted a fresh salary dispute‚ demanding a 10% salary increase. He explained: “We are now waiting for them to schedule a dispute resolution meeting‚ and we believe if they are serious in settling this dispute‚ they would do it in that particular meeting. If not‚ then of course the dispute will automatically proceed to the CCMA‚ but this time around it will be under our name‚" said Du Buisson. Bemawu’s work stoppage last week was called off, apparently because of logistical issues. Bemawu represents about 1‚800 members at the SABC‚ and the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which did not undertake industrial action last week, has about 1‚500. Du Buisson declared: "If this issue is not resolved‚ we will issue a strike notice again‚ after we receive a fresh mandate from our members.” SABC’s acting CEO Nomsa Philiso confirmed that Bemawu has lodged a new dispute, but said the dispute resolution meeting was not likely to take place this week. Read this report by Read this report by Neo Goba in full at BusinessLive
Tshwane braces for taxi strike on Wednesday ANA reports that taxi commuters in Tshwane have been warned to find alternative means of transportation on Wednesday, with the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) expected to forge ahead with its planned protest against government. The NTA will march to the Ministry of Transport and the Presidency to present memoranda of grievances relating to issues affecting the taxi industry. The grievances raised by the taxi industry include provisions of the National Land Transport Act, matters related to operations, the Integrated Public Transport Network or the BRT system, compensation for an operator surrendering an operating license, the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme, and the public transport subsidy. Meanwhile, Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has urged parents to take precautions and put their children’s safety first on Wednesday. The national strike will be happening during the examination period and the department has asked all school principals to give inner grades pupils who might not make it to school on Wednesday another opportunity to write any assessment that might be missed. Read this report in full at The Citizen. See too, Wednesday’s taxi strike could be a disaster for pupils writing exams, at TimesLive
Changing labour market structure means no prospect of unemployment coming down TimesLive writes that the changing structure of SA’s labour market means the country is unlikely to see any reduction in its high levels of unemployment. This was one of the key findings of the latest Fast Facts report published by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) on Tuesday. IRR analyst Gabriela Mackay commented: “This is particularly worrying as the change in structure means that there is no longer a large low and semi-skilled sector capable of absorbing the bulk of the labour force lacking the skills and education to find jobs in the skilled sector. Today‚ education is the key factor; the absorption rate is highest for those with a tertiary education‚ at 75.6%‚ while for those with matric it is 50.3%.” Another worrying trend in the report is that SA’s overall labour force absorption remains low at 43.3%‚ with young black people being most affected by unemployment. On the scope for creating jobs, Mackay said: “It is unlikely that there will be any improvement‚ and we can expect to see a continuing trend of job shedding and increasing unemployment rates.” Read this report in full at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
MPs back unions’ demand for senior correctional services and police posts to be filled BusinessLive reports that Parliament’s portfolio committee on justice and correctional services has expressed concern about the failure to fill critical posts in the cluster. Mathole Motshekga, committee chairman, said that every time undertakings were given to Parliament to resolve the issue, the commissioners had left their posts before anything tangible materialised. He was reacting to the concerns of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) about the effect of leadership instability in the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). In a statement issued on Monday, Popcru listed the challenges faced by workers at the DCS and the SA Police Service (SAPS), saying dysfunctional structures compromised service delivery and affected morale negatively. There had been six structural reviews of the SAPS in the past five years, said Popcru. The police service has been without a permanent national commissioner since 2015 and has had two acting commissioners since then. Former DCS commissioner Zach Modise was replaced with an acting head when he retired in August. SA Policing Union (Sapu) president Mpho Kwinika said the long-term absence of a permanent police commissioner had affected the functioning of all units, especially the critical crime intelligence unit. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Monday, 6 November 2017 at SA Labour News
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