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
Tuesday, 5 December 2017.
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Necsa unit shut down by regulator due to ‘breakdown in safety culture’ BusinessLive reports that the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has ordered the SA Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) to shut down production at its NTP Radiochemicals Complex for violating safety procedures. An inquiry is under way and NTP’s MD and two senior executives have been placed on special leave. Meantime, NTP has had to source medical radioisotopes from competitors outside the country in order to maintain supplies to cancer patients. NTP’s hydrogen-monitoring systems failed on 27 October, but it only notified the regulator on 30 October. The NNR regarded this delay as a significant breach of safety procedures. "We saw a breakdown in safety culture," said NNR’s manager for nuclear waste projects, Thiagan Pather. Hydrogen is highly flammable and should be closely monitored, as a build-up of the gas could create an explosion. There were at least two other failures to submit timeous reports to the NNR. Production will resume only after the regulator is satisfied NTP has taken action to correct its failure to comply with regulatory requirements. Read this report by Tamar Kahn in full at BusinessLive Senior KwaZulu-Natal detective gunned down in apparent hit TimesLive reports that a veteran police detective was gunned down in a drive-by shooting while on his way to work in Umbumbulu‚ south of Durban‚ on Tuesday morning. The police captain was riddled with bullets and died at the scene. Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said the detective had been travelling along the R603 Umbumbulu Road‚ followed closely by another car. “It is alleged that a vehicle with four occupants were seen following him. The suspects opened fire on the police officer‚ resulting in him being fatally wounded. The suspects fled the scene in their getaway vehicle without taking anything,” Zwane indicated. The shooting follows several deadly attacks on policemen in recent weeks. Read this report by Jeff Wicks in full at TimesLive City of Joburg disaster management official attacked by mob while responding to a call News24 reports that a City of Johannesburg disaster management official was attacked by a mob on Friday evening while responding to a structural collapse call in Alexandra. MMC for public safety Michael Sun said in a statement that the official was attacked by a mob that fired shots at his car for "no apparent reason". "A bullet struck the right side of his car, missing the official by inches, but he managed to escape unharmed," Sun said. He noted that similar incidents of violence against public safety officers were becoming increasingly prevalent and the city would not tolerate it. He urged anyone with information about the attack to come forward and help identify the suspects. A short report by Jeanette Chabalala is at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Change or lose another 100,000 mining jobs, Anglo’s Cutifani warns Mining Weekly reports that Anglo American CEO Mark Cutifani has warned that, without change, the South African mining industry would lose another 100 000 jobs. Six years ago he accurately predicted the recent 100,000 job demise in SA mining. “I'll say it again, absent of change, we’ll lose another 100,000 jobs,” the outspoken Australian forecast once more, while calculating that for every 100,000 jobs lost, one million people would be adversely affected. In a year-end address to journalists, he outlined that SA’s future did “not bear thinking about” if the country could not put its 27% unemployed citizens to work. Cutifani indicated that the company was committed to working with union leaders, nongovernmental organisations and faith-based leaders and "would not be silent", but would “argue our position on policy with great passion.” He added that what was absolutely crucial was the introduction of a policy framework that encouraged investment as well as a clear understanding that SA did not have the cash or the resources to build the mining industry from its current positioning. Some appeared not to understand that foreign direct investment was absolutely essential for the creation new mines, more jobs, infrastructure and economic growth, Cutifani stated. Read this report in full at Mining Weekly Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Municipal workers want minimum R10,000 salary, as pay talks with Salga get underway ANA reports that trade unions representing municipal workers have tabled their initial demands in the wage negotiations with the SA Local Government Association (Salga), the employer body which represents municipalities across the country. The negotiations are currently underway at the SA Local Government Bargaining Council (Salgbc). Simon Mathe, general secretary of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), indicated that the two trade unions have submitted joint opening demands, which include a single year agreement, an across the board 15% salary increase or R3,155 (whichever is greater), a R10,000 minimum wage for all municipal workers and a R2,000 housing allowance. The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (Imatu), which also demanded a basic monthly salary of R10,000, said the first round of salary negotiation in Durban would be difficult. General secretary Johan Koen indicated that Salga’s opening proposal suggested a five-year agreement encompassing a 4.6% salary increase in the first year, followed by increases of 0.25% for the remaining years. Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read too, Salga and municipal workers kick off wage negotiations, at BusinessLive. Read Samwu’s press statement at Samwu online. Read Imatu’s press statement at Imatu online Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Health Director-General confident student doctors will be placed before 2 January EWN reports that the Department of Health says that concerns raised by medical students over their placement at various state institutions are receiving urgent attention. Director-General (DG) Precious Matsoso on Monday met with some of the final-year medical students who are experiencing problems with applications for internship or community service positions for next year. Their complaints were that they had either not been placed or had been placed in areas they had not listed as options. Matsoso confirmed that the problem was with the system used to process the allocations. “It’s quite clear that as they were trying to register on the system it was telling them that they had not been placed. And this morning I met with parents and students and we just did it manually and I also invited them to send me the list so that I can go through every single student’s registration.” The DG indicated that she was confident students would be placed before 2 January, when the internship period begins. This short report by Masechaba Sefularo is at EWN
Police to get lifestyle audits as part of sweeping reforms BusinessLive reports that newly appointed national police commissioner Lt-Gen Khehla Sitole has promised to introduce lifestyle audits on members of the police force as part of sweeping reforms. He announced this at his debut appearance in Parliament before the standing committee on public accounts. Sitole’s announcement of lifestyle audits came with his concession that the SA Police Service (SAPS) had failed to suspend or dismiss Brig Leonora Phetle after it had emerged she had authorised unwarranted vetting for officers and received a suspicious payment of R50,000. Sitole indicated: "If we don’t have vetting and ... lifestyle audits, [this] ... can actually taint the security clearance process and can potentially allow for corruption to take root.” Police committee chairman Francois Beukman urged Sitole to ensure that all SAPS officers went through clearance and high-ranking officers underwent lifestyle audits. The circumstances around Pat Mokushane’s appointment as acting crime intelligence boss without proper clearance was in the works at SAPS, Sitole told MPs. Read this report by Khulekani Magubane in full at BusinessLive. See too, Twenty-two senior crime intelligence officials without top secret clearance, at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Sars denies paying Makwakwa a bonus while on suspension ANA reports that the SA Revenue Service (Sars) on Monday dismissed as "inaccurate and untrue" media reports that its embattled chief officer of business and individual tax, Jonas Makwakwa, was paid a bonus while on suspension. "Sars finds it necessary to specifically clarify the deliberate misrepresentation of facts as this perpetuates a media-created narrative that Sars Commissioner, Tom Moyane, gives preferable treatment to Mr Makwakwa and conducts himself in a manner that contravenes the law," Sars said in a statement. Sars reiterated that, contrary to media reports, Makwakwa was neither paid a bonus while on suspension nor was there any interference in the process of his suspension. This came after the Daily Maverick two weeks ago reported that Makwakwa received a R930,000 bonus in the 2016/2017 financial year, despite working for only six months before being suspended on allegations of corruption and money laundering. An independent investigation cleared Makwakwa of the charges levelled against him. Sars stated that Makwakwa received a bonus payment relating only to the period preceding his suspension. Read this report in full at Engineering News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
eThekwini goes hi-tech to halt illicit leave jaunts by staff The Mercury reports that the eThekwini municipality is set to install hi-tech time attendance data collection devices at many of its sites, as it seeks to keep tabs on staff and clamp down on R142m in losses this year, owing to illicit leave jaunts. The city believes that installing the biometric readers would lead to savings as there will be “reliable and rigorous recording of leave, overtime and short time”. A city report shows that the value of lost time had tripled in the past 10 years. The system would see reduced payroll inflation as a result of curbing “buddy punching” – where employees fraudulently increase the number of hours worked by having a co-worker sign them in even if they are not at the work site. The city envisages that a time management software complemented by the biometric readers will, at a later stage, be integrated into the Human Resources and Payroll system for effective management control. Read this report by Bheki Mbanjwa in full at The Mercury
PSA turns up heat on Malusi Gigaba over PIC board appointments BusinessLive reports that the Public Service Association (PSA) says it is pushing ahead with its planned court action against Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba over requested disclosures on the board appointment processes at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC). This is despite Gigaba having replied by letter to the trade union’s request for explanations on the application of the Public Investment Corporation Act when appointing board members. Gigaba wrote of his plans to meet public sector trade unions in January to discuss the governance issues at the PIC. But, PSA’s deputy general manager, Tahir Maepa, said the response by Gigaba did not tackle the specific issues raised in the letter of demand sent to him last week. Should the court action be launched next week as threatened by the PSA, Gigaba could find himself up against a number of public sector unions that have, according to Maepa, expressed interest in joining the PSA’s litigation. Public sector unions are currently seeking ways to protect workers’ pension funds in light of fears the Treasury could use them for other purposes, including the bail-out of struggling state-owned companies. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive Parliament’s state capture inquiry tackles Molefe's Eskom contract and R30m pension payout BusinessLive reports that the parliamentary inquiry into state capture kicked off on Tuesday with a probe into the nature of former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe’s employment contract and pension benefits. At issue was the validity of the R30m pension benefit paid to Molefe, which is now the subject of litigation. According to a testimony by Ekom executive support manager Anton Minnaar, Molefe was employed on a permanent basis on a fixed term. He maintained that if Molefe were simply employed on contract this would have required a total renegotiation of his remuneration package after the terms of his employment were changed by the public enterprises minister, but this never happened. Minnaar stated that being a permanent employee, Molefe was entitled to full benefits, including pension benefits, with the only implication of his being on a fixed term being his ability to retire. "In my view, he was definitely not employed as an independent contractor," Minnaar said. But, evidence leader Ntuthuzelo Vanara said Minnaar was the only one at Eskom who seemed to hold this view. He pointed out that the rules of the Eskom pension fund did not allow employees on contract to be members of the fund. Read this detailed report by Linda Ensor in full at BusinessLive
For third year, medical schemes pay out more in claims than they earn in premiums BusinessLive reports that a report by Alexander Forbes Health entitled Diagnosis‚ released on Monday‚ shows that most South African medical schemes are‚ for the third year‚ paying out more in claims than they earned in premiums. At the same time‚ consumers’ medical premiums will again increase above inflation in 2018‚ as Alexander Forbes noted has happened for 17 years in a row. The Diagnosis report shows that in 2016‚ the medical-aid industry spent R2bn more than it earned in monthly premiums. The overall industry deficit was R2.390bn‚ almost twice the R1.219bn deficit in 2015. Roshan Bhana of Alexander Forbes Health said the research team had anticipated that the 2017 financial results of schemes would reflect an improvement from the 2015 and 2016 experience‚ in which the schemes had had high claims. "This is in part due to the interventions that schemes have put in place to manage two years of unusually high claims." But this was not the case. "The industry‚ as a whole‚ also experienced its highest claims ratio since 2009‚" according to Bhana. Alexander Forbes Health also worked out that increases to medical premiums had ranged between 2.5% and 4.5% above consumer price inflation over the past 17 years. Read this report by Katharine Child 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, 4 December 2017 at SA Labour News
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