In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Tuesday, 23 January 2018.
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Six months ago after losing his arm at work, worker still waiting for compensation GroundUp reports on the case of Ntongenzani Ngidi (57) from KwaSithebe in Mandeni, north of Durban, who has not received any compensation after losing his arm in a work accident in August and is finding it difficult to look after himself and his family. He had been cleaning machines used to manufacture sacks at Tufbag when his arm got stuck inside and ended up being cut off by the machine. Forms were filled in, but compensation has not been paid nearly six months later. Until the compensation comes through, he is getting half his monthly salary from the company, but he claims that is paid late. Tufbag’s HR manager said all their employees were covered by the Department of Labour’s (DOL’s) Compensation Fund should they incur any injury on duty and the fund should be approached for further information. Ngidi still has to submit forms to the Provident Fund to claim disability benefits. DOL spokesman Lungelo Mkamba said they had accepted Ngidi’s claim. “However, Ngidi is still undergoing medical treatment and among other things we are waiting for the progress reports from his doctor, physiotherapy report, resumption report from the employer stating his salary, an affidavit from the employer stating for how many months was he paid for after the injury,” Mkamba indicated. He added that for assistance with an artificial arm, the doctor who was treating Ngidi should write a referral to an orthotist requesting an artificial arm. Neither Tufbag nor the DOL could say how much longer Ngidi would have to wait until he received compensated because the process involved a lot of paperwork. Read this report by Zimbili Vilakazi in full at GroundUp Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Worker dies allegedly helping boss at illegal mine to get rid of explosives News24 reports that a 53-year-old man has died after allegedly trying to get rid of explosives for his boss, who had been arrested on a charge of illegal operating a chrome mining in Limpopo. Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the man and two other colleagues at the chrome mine near Burgersfort were allegedly asked by their boss to destroy the explosives. This was soon after three mine managers were arrested on Friday during an operation to shut down illegal mining. In addition to the arrests, police also seized expensive equipment. However, the bosses apparently asked some of the miners to help get rid of some explosives. As they were doing this, an explosive device detonated and two of the workers were injured. One miner, Bright Chirongoma, was critically injured and died in hospital on Saturday night. The other employee was treated and discharged on the same day. Read this report by Jenni Evans in full at News24. See too, Worker at illegal Burgersfort mine dies while destroying explosives, at TimesLive. And also, Limpopo police probe illegal miner's death following explosion, at EWN Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Postings on Mining Charter
Nehawu’s wage strike at Unisa may spread to UP Pretoria News reports that workers at the University of Pretoria (UP) could join their Unisa counterparts in a strike for higher wages, the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) said on Monday. As the strike at Unisa (University of SA) entered its fourth day, Nehawu threatened to intensify its strike and mobilise members at other universities. The union’s Ntsako Nombelani said this was not Unisa’s fight alone and next on the list to strike would be its members at UP. They too, according to Nombelani, were at loggerheads with the university over their wage rates. “In the next couple of weeks the strike will hit Tuks (UP),” he stated. At Unisa, registering students were yet again hit on Monday as staff continued to strike for higher wages. Nombelani said if Unisa did not concede to the union’s demand for a 9% increase across the board (revised down from 12%), the workers would continue the shutdown of all campuses. Unisa is apparently offering 7%. Nombelani said salaries were not the only issue and that there were also transformation issues, including the ‘“de-Guptarisation’ of the university council. Read this report by Sakhile Ndlazi in full at Pretoria News. Read Nehawu’s press statement on the situation at Unisa, UP and Wits at Cosatu Today Wits University workers to down tools on Tuesday over wage dispute SABC News reports that workers at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) were expected to go on strike on Tuesday following a wage dispute with management. The National Health Education & Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) is demanding an 8% wage increase, while the university is apparently offering 6%. Nehawu represents almost 1,000 of the more than 5,000 employees at the institution. Wits spokesperson Shirona Patel said management was still willing to negotiate with the trade union and added: For this week, we’re doing mostly online registrations, so the registration process won’t be affected too much. We will have contingency plans in place to ensure university processes continue.” Read this report by Nomsa Mdhluli in full at SABC News. Read too, Nehawu members at Wits strike over salary dispute, at TimesLive Durban University of Technology's staff strike threatens start of lectures TimesLive reports that striking staffers at the embattled Durban University of Technology (DUT) have vowed to continue with their industrial action despite the prospect of "no work‚ no pay". Determined academic and administration workers entered day six of their strike action on Tuesday‚ refusing to budge on their 10% wage increase demand. DUT has apparently offered its staff 4%. The National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) said on Tuesday that the strike action would continue. The strike action has reportedly hampered the registration of students‚ but DUT has called on students to register online. One unnamed staffer said that if management did not meet the demands lectures - due to start next week - would also be delayed. Read this report by Suthentira Govender in full at TimesLive. See too, DUT registration still on hold due to Nehawu industrial action, at The Mercury
Torching of Tshwane waste depot by former EPWP employees condemned Pretoria News reports that the City of Tshwane has strongly condemned the torching of its depot in Mabopane on Monday by a group of disgruntled former Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers. At about 8am, about 45 people descended on the waste management depot, broke down the security gate, and burnt the stock of waste bins, an asbestos office and a kitchen. They also damaged the security cubicle and toilet windows. The Rosslyn fire division was quickly dispatched to extinguish the fire. City spokesperson Selby Bokaba said: “The former employees have been responsible for a series of disruptions of services and causing chaos across the city since the beginning of this year after the expiry of their contracts. We call upon law enforcement to take action against those who have been vandalising the City’s assets and intimidating our employees.” A case docket has been registered with the police. The EPWP is a national initiative aimed at reducing unemployment and alleviating poverty through the creation of short-term work opportunities and the use of labour-intensive methods. In 2017, Tshwane revised its EPWP recruitment policy framework. Then in December, the executive mayor oversaw a lottery of over 3,000 beneficiaries for the EPWP, some of whom commenced their duties at the beginning of the year. Read this report in full at Pretoria News. See too, Former EPWP workers set Tshwane waste management depot alight, at SowetanLive Tshwane metro yet to decide on ‘Vat Alles’ march on Friday Pretoria North Rekord reports that Tshwane metro police are still mulling over whether to give dismissed “operation Vat Alles” workers permission to march on Friday or not. “Vat Alles” was the name given to the government’s extended public works programme (EPWP) in Tshwane until last year. The former employees are seeking permission to “shut down” the city this Friday for their march to mayor Solly Msimanga’s office to demand their jobs back after their contracts were not renewed at the end of December. Mayoral spokesperson Sam Mgobozi confirmed that the metro had received an application for permission to march. He added: “They have a democratic right to march as long as it is done peacefully and within the confines of the law, but one thing we will not tolerate is damage to property.” On Monday, a group of about 45 former EPWP workers burned down the metro’s waste management depot in Mabopane. Read this report by David Matsena in full at Pretoria North Rekord
Denosa KZN stops its nurses from escorting patients from one health care facility to another Daily News reports that the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) branch of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) is stopping its members from escorting patients from one health care facility to another. The union said its members had been exploited and overworked for too long, with the Health Department “dragging its feet” on employing paramedics qualified to handle referrals and transfers. Mandla Shabangu, Denosa provincial secretary, indicated: “We told the department to stop this by the end of this month, but in a circular issued on January 10, the department said it would do away with the practice by May. This practice forces nurses to work outside of their professional scope and has been unfair to both nurses and staffing levels at health facilities. It is paramedics who should be doing this task as they are trained to do so.” He also said this practice undermined the nursing profession. Dr Imran Keeka, DA spokesperson for health, confirmed that the problem was the shortage of paramedics in the province. A department spokesperson did not address specific questions regarding the number of paramedics needed in the province. Read this report by Chris Ndaliso in full at Daily News
Oxfam urges South Africa to reduce widening wealth gap BusinessLive writes that according to Oxfam’s new report titled ‘Reward Work, Not Wealth’, the amount of wealth concentrated in the top 1% of society’s richest individuals came at a great cost to the working class and the poor, who were now worse off than before with the rise in inequality levels. In the report released on Monday to coincide with the World Economic Forum in Davos, Oxfam shared alarming statistics of wage gaps between employers and workers. It showed by way of an example that it took the best-paid executive at retail giant Shoprite only 4.58 days to earn what a seasonal farm worker in the country earned in 50 years. Wage inequality has been considered the biggest contributor to SA’s inequality crisis. As Oxfam SA leaders called for action to alleviate the inequality gap, they also conceded that some interventions by the SA government — such as the national minimum wage — could help narrow the gap. National minimum wage expert Dr Gilad Isaacs said that although there were some reservations about certain parts of the bill, which is expected to come into effect in May, it had potential to reduce inequality. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive. Read too, Fat cats are getting fatter, at The Star Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Communications minister to weigh in on SABC executive appointments saga BusinessLive reports that Communications Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane will have the opportunity on Tuesday to present her side of the story to the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications in the SABC executive appointments saga. It emerged earlier in January that the SABC (SA Broadcasting Corporation) was set to hire MTN group chief Chris Maroleng pending vetting by the State Security Agency despite claims by the minister that she was not consulted. The broadcaster has also re-advertised the position of CEO and chief financial officer. A court order in December stated that the board would make any permanent or interim appointment of any executive member "only after consultation with the minister of communications". Kubayi-Ngubane’s spokeswoman Ireen Magwai said on Monday the minister had not been consulted. "She must be consulted in that process… she does not want to appoint or fire executives, but due process has to be followed," said Magwai. SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said the process to appoint the executives has yet to be finalised. Read this report by Bekezela Phakathi in full at BusinessLive Health department shows incompetence with the placement of nurses, says Solidarity Maroela Media reports that in a letter addressed to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Monday, trade union Solidarity cautioned the department to comply with its statutory duty to place nurses for their community service year. It said that if the department failed to meet its obligations, then it should exempt nurses from their community service year. This came after Solidarity received several complaints from candidate nurses who have not yet been placed. According to Anton van der Bijl, head of Solidarity’s Centre for Fair Labour Practices, the fact that the placement process has become so dragged out was proof of the department’s incompetence to make the placements. He stated: “What is particularly disturbing is that this is the very department that has, on many an occasion, pointed out that it was experiencing skills shortages on the ground, yet the placement of qualified nurses is not their first priority.” Van der Bijl also cautioned that should the department not heed Solidarity’s warning, the union would not hesitate to resort to litigation. Read this report in full in Afrikaans at Maroela Media. Read Solidarity’s press statement in this regard at Solidarity online
Saftu welcomes Singh’s resignation from Eskom, calls for him and Koko to be criminally charged ANA reports that the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) on Tuesday welcomed the resignation of Eskom’s chief financial officer, Anoj Singh, and called for him to be criminally charged for corruption and impropriety. This came after Singh, through his attorneys, resigned with immediate effect from Eskom on Monday night. He was placed on special leave in July following serious allegations of improper financial dealings by the power utility with companies in the Gupta stable. Saftu called on Eskom's head of generation, Matshela Koko, to also resign and said in a statement: "Saftu further calls for both of them, who are facing allegations of serious corruption and other acts of impropriety, to be criminally charged for crimes against the people of this country. They and others have brought the country's power provider to the brink of bankruptcy, which would have devastating consequences for all South Africans and the country’s economy." Read this report in full at IOL News. Read Saftu’s press statement at Saftu online. See too, Eskom's suspended finance chief Anoj Singh resigns, at BusinessLive. And also, Pressure on Koko to follow Singh in quitting Eskom, at EWN. As well as, Anoj Singh due at state capture inquiry‚ despite resignation from Eskom, at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Metrorail advises Cape Town central line to remain suspended until further notice News24 reports that Cape Town train commuters have no option but to rely on alternative transport until the central line is operational. Vandalism, derailments and violence appear to have resulted in the indefinite suspension of the central line, Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said on Monday. She stated: "The central line remains suspended until further notice - at this stage engineers cannot confirm when the line will be ready for use. Every effort continues to ensure that engineers complete repairs soonest and that all requisite operational safety checks follow after the system is declared ready." Both the Passenger Railway Agency of SA (Prasa) and Metrorail have received scathing criticism from various organisations, such as labour federation Cosatu and UniteBehind for alleged mismanagement and poor safety conditions. Read this report by Christina Pitt in full at News24. See too, Cape Town’s central rail line still not operational, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Monday, 22 January 2018 at SA Labour News
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