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 thus far on
Wednesday, 15 November 2017.
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Solidarity ranks South Africa’s SOEs, with ‘deplorable’ SAA the worst Engineering News reports that trade union Solidarity has ranked South African Airways (SAA) as the most poorly managed State-owned enterprise (SOE) in the country. Speaking on Wednesday at the launch of its latest report ‘South African State Institutions and the Value for Tax Money’, Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann said SAA offered “deplorable” value for taxpayers’ money. “SOEs are poorly managed in general. The second worst managed is Eskom and the best is Telkom,” he indicated. The Solidarity Research Institution, which published the report, analysed five SOEs – SAA, Eskom, PetroSA, Telkom and Transnet. They were measured in terms of working capital ratio and net debt before earnings. Depending on the accounting ratios and general management, the five SOEs were also placed on a scale depicting their value for tax money. The scale varied between very good, good, neutral, poor and very poor. PetroSA and Transnet were ranked in the poor category, Eskom and SAA in the very poor category and Telkom in the neutral category. Read this report in full at Engineering News. Read Solidarity’s press statement and access the full report at Solidarity online. See too, SAL is ‘patetiese waarde’ vir taksgeld: Solidariteit, at Netwerk24 (limit on access)
Durban commuters late for work throw stones at female train driver, threaten to kill her ANA reports that a female train driver on the Durban/Stanger route was left traumatised on Tuesday morning after angry commuters who were late for work reportedly threw stones at her when she refused to proceed past a red stop signal. According to the United National Transport Union (Untu), Gugu Phakathi was ordered to bring the train to a halt so that it could be repaired. Soon afterwards, she resumed her journey but was again ordered to stop at a red signal so that a goods train could pass her train. A mob of angry commuters then threatened to kill her and torch the train. She locked herself in her cabin and when they could not get to her they started stoning the cabin and threatened to kill her and to torch the cabin. Phakathi managed to phone for help from the protection services. She has requested Untu to appeal to Transnet not to force passenger trains to wait at red signals for goods trains to pass during peak hours when commuters needed to get to work. Transnet CE Siyabonga Gama has apparently given Untu an assurance that passenger trains were given preference. Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read Untu’s press statement at Untu online Alleged murderer of Eskom’s Thembisile Yende back in court on Wednesday News24 reports that David Ngwenya, who has been charged with the murder of Eskom employee Thembisile Yende, was due to appear on Wednesday in the Springs Magistrate's Court. Ngwenya, a 43-year-old technician at Eskom, is accused of injecting his lover, Yende, with a substance before striking her on the head with a crowbar and subsequently suffocating and strangling her after a struggle in May. He allegedly killed Yende after he suspected that she would "spill the beans" on his alleged involvement in a copper cable theft syndicate. Yende’s body was found in an office at the isolated Eskom Pietersboth substation in Springs, Ekurhuleni, after Eskom workers detected a putrid smell more than a week after she had been reported missing. At Ngwenya's last court appearance in September, his lawyer said DNA results would exonerate his client. Read this report by Iavan Pijoos and Alex Mitchley in full at News24. See too, Defence adamant DNA will exonerate Thembisile Yende murder accused, at News24 Twenty people rescued on Tuesday from lift stuck in Durban building The Mercury reports that twenty people – including a pregnant woman – were safely evacuated from a lift after it became stuck between the 15th and 16th floors at a Durban building on Tuesday. Netcare 911’s Nick Dollman said that their emergency team and eThekwini Fire and Rescue were called in after lift technicians had been unsuccessful in opening the lift doors. Dollman said that after some time the lift was able to be lowered to the fourth floor where the doors were finally opened by the lift technician. Those inside the lift, who had been stuck there for approximately two-and-a-half hours, were then treated for dehydration. Six of them were transported to hospital for further care. Based on a report at The Mercury. See too, Medics and a lift technician to the rescue in Durban stuck lift drama, at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Mining Charter III could hinder South Africa’s economic growth, warns Solidarity Mining Weekly reports that trade union Solidarity says that 25,177 jobs have been affected by retrenchments in the mining industry in 2017 and it has pointed to the much-talked-about contentious Mining Charter Three as being a major contributing factor. “The Mining Charter puts a damper on the industry and is conducive to mining companies withholding investment at a time when a favourable investment environment should rather be created,” said Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) head Connie Mulder. He went on the state that charter would have a ripple effect that could sink the mining industry’s future and explained as follows: “When companies are reluctant to embark on new development and exploration projects, existing jobs cannot be retained and new job opportunities are not created. The charter is a reckless document, drafted by a Minister who shows no regard for the sector.” He indicated that Solidarity in October had filed papers to the court asking for the scrapping of the charter in its entirety and that the matter would be heard on 13 December. Read this report in full at Mining Weekly No arrests yet for torching of Bapo tribal offices by Unemployed Forum members over nonpayment ANA reports that no arrests have yet been made following the arson attack on the Bapo-Ba-Mogale tribal office in Bapong near Brits on Thursday and investigations continue. The tribal office was torched by irate members of the Unemployed Forum after they were allegedly not paid for three weeks. They had been employed by the tribal authority to clean graveyards, roads and government buildings in a poverty alleviation project. They were ultimately paid late on Friday night. The Bapo-Ba-Mogale Traditional Council strongly condemned the torching of the tribal offices and said it had noted with great regret the carnage manifesting itself within the Bapo community. The nonpayment had been because money normally paid over to the Bapo community in November had not been released by platinum producer Lonmin, which cited letters addressed to President Jacob Zuma from the community and the Mining Forum of SA. The two groups had requested the suspension of Lonmin’s mining operation for failing to comply with its social and labour commitments. Lonmin indicated that it has awarded significant procurement contracts with a combine gross value of R1.65 billion to the Bapo Ba Mogale Read this report in full at The Citizen Postings on Mining Charter
More retrenchments loom for Group Five Business Report reports that further retrenchments are looming at Group Five following the revision by the listed construction and engineering group of its strategy. The group reported last week that it would migrate its construction operations into streamlined, smaller businesses that had a competitive advantage and planned to dispose of its manufacturing businesses “in due course”. CE Themba Mosai confirmed this week that those businesses that did not fit the revised strategy would be exited, ideally through a sale. But Mosai conceded that some businesses might need to be closed, which would have an impact on employment by the group. It would only be able to provide more information once the market had been updated. Mosai advised that the group’s manufacturing business employed about 700 people and if it sold that business, the people would be sold with the business because they were key. But he stressed he could not speak for a potential buyer in terms of their plans after the sale. The group has already undertaken several restructuring and retrenchment programmes in recent years. Read this report in full at Business Report Eskom doesn’t plan to retrench any workers despite a liquidity crunch Reuters reports that cash-strapped power utility Eskom said on Tuesday that it has enough cash to pay wages and keep operations going for a few months and did not plan to retrench any workers despite a liquidity crunch. “The finance division has indicated there isn’t any hindrance to our ability to make those payments (wages),” Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said. He went on to state: “Although we have not met our target of R20 billion in terms of reserves, we still have enough cash to keep us going for a few more months.” He did not give a timeframe, but added: “We are not insolvent, but we are projecting that if we continue along this trajectory we might be in trouble.” On Monday, the scandal-plagued utility had said it was not insolvent but was facing serious liquidity issues and would be in “trouble” if the situation persisted. Read this report in full at EWN
Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) says it is 'over-exposed' to SA economy Fin24 reports that Abel Sithole, principal executive officer of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF), said on Tuesday that the fund was “over-exposed” to the South African economy and this needed to be addressed. The GEPF had an exposure of close to R500bn in local bonds issued by government and state-owned entities (SOEs) as at the end of March 2017, Parliament heard. Its exposure in Eskom alone was R84bn. The standing committee on finance had invited the GEPF and the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), which manages the GEPF’s assets valued at R1.67trn, to a meeting to answer questions from members. The GEPF said the fund – “like any other pension fund in the country” – invested in government and parastatal (SOE) bonds. The DA’s David Maynier asked the GEPF whether, given the exposure to government and SOE bonds, it had any plans to mitigate the risk should SA’s sovereign credit rating be downgraded further later this month. Dan Matjila, PIC CEO, said in response that the issue of downgrades was “a difficult one”. He did not elaborate on any specific plans, but added: “The PIC is finalising our policy on how to approach entities and the minimum governance requirements to invest on behalf of clients.” Read this report by Liesl Peyper in full at Fin24. See too, GEPF: ‘Bid dat ons nie afgegradeer word’, at Netwerk24 (limit on access) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Fate of five suspended UKZN executives still unclear Daily News reports that the fate of five University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) executives who were suspended for accusing vice-chancellor Dr Albert van Jaarsveld of racism has yet to be decided. They were suspended early this year and were later cleared of misconduct. This was despite a report instituted by the university, and headed by advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza, which recommended that the executives be fired. Four of the executives were deputy vice-chancellors. They are now weighing their options after an offer by the university to pay them out. The total of such payments are believed to exceed R10-million, in addition to the more than R7-million they received while on suspension. In 2015, the executives together with two others, who have since left the university, signed a letter accusing Van Jaarsveld of preferring a white leadership structure, and flouting university policies. Read this report by Chris Ndaliso in full at Daily News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Transport Minister announces that Metrorail Western Cape to get R8bn injection Fin24 reports that Metrorail services in the Western Cape are due to get no less than R8bn in new investment to improve ailing infrastructure, according to Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi. He told Parliamentarians on Tuesday that his ministry was working to address the inefficiencies in the province, made worse by instances of vandalism and arson. He stated: "Metrorail in the main should be fully functional. In the Western Cape alone we are going to spend not less than R8bn to improve the Metrorail services. There are problems of vandalism which have been reported here on several occasions. We have also raised the matter of security with the Minister of Police." Maswanganyi also indicated that they have made progress in repairing train tracks and carriages that had been set alight in the Cape Town metro and elsewhere in the province. They were confident of restoring around 60 full "sets", consisting of 12 coaches each, and bringing them back into the system. Read this report by Paul Herman in full at Fin24
Ugu residents expected to lay charges against Samwu and workers over water crisis The Mercury reports that criminal charges against Ugu District Municipality workers and their union, the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), are expected to be laid next month by residents on the South Coast. Community organiser Sam Botha said they were looking to press criminal charges against the union and workers for alleged sabotage and vandalism of water services and infrastructure. They planned to file the criminal charges in December, while a civil suit against the municipality would follow early next year. Meantime, almost two weeks after the provincial government intervened, some areas still have no water. On social media, it has been reported that there has been no water over the past 19 days in parts of Ramsgate, Margate and Umzumbe. On its Facebook page, the municipality acknowledged water interruptions in Phumula, KwaMadlala, Marburg, Uvongo, Port Edward and Port Shepstone. Read this report in full at The Mercury
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Tuesday, 14 November 2017 at SA Labour News
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