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 Thursday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Wednesday, 14 June 2017.
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Chaos on Thursday morning as taxi strike shuts down Gauteng highways ANA reports that chaos erupted on Gauteng’s major freeways on Thursday as protesting taxi operators used their vehicles, as well as hijacking heavy trucks, to block the roads. “It is hectic on our roads this morning. Most of our freeways and highways are blocked. This includes the N12, the N1, and it is worse in Pretoria because the R80 to Soshanguve and Mabopane is blocked. There is no movement on the R21 at Flying Saucer [interchange] from Pretoria,” Gauteng traffic spokesperson Busaphi Nxumalo indicated. She said that earlier, in a bid to scare motorists around the Mall of Africa in Midrand, some taxi drivers had fired shots in the air. The taxi operators, aligned to the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), are protesting against what they call high repayment fees on their vehicles. The Tshwane Metro Police on Wednesday claimed the protest was illegal. Taxi operators were expected to hand over a memorandum of grievances to the directors of SA Taxi Finance Company. Read this report by Jonisayi Maromo and Brenda Masilela in full at IOL News. See too, Joburg taxi drivers block N1 in protest over vehicle payments, at EWN. And also, Trucks hijacked during Joburg taxi strike, at TimesLive Taxi strike sees Tshwane buses attacked, service suspended ANA reports that the Tshwane municipality on Thursday suspended its Tshwane Bus Service after several buses were stoned when taxi drivers and operators embarked on a crippling protest across Gauteng. Municipality spokesperson Selby Bokaba said other services offered by the municipality could also be affected as some of the city employees resided in areas affected by the protest action and were thus unable to report for duty due to the unavailability of public transport. He advised that the municipality would inform residents once the situation had returned to normal. Tshwane apologised for the disruption of service. The taxi operators, aligned to the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco), were protesting against what they called high repayment fees on their vehicles. Read this report in full at IOL News Gauteng taxi strike called off after agreement reached The Citizen reports that the Department of Transport has confirmed that an agreement has been reached between taxi association Santaco and SA Taxi Finance Holdings and that Thursday’s strike has been called off. Santaco has also confirmed the news. Several major roads were blocked on Thursday morning. Santaco and other taxi operators were challenging the country’s biggest minibus vehicle finance scheme to charge them reasonable fees. According to Arabile Gumede, business journalist for Bloomberg news, Transactional Capital, the car finance arm of SA Taxi Finance, charges 28% interest on a Quantum minibus that generally retails at about R450,000. Read this report in full at The Citizen. See too, Thursday’s taxi strike called off, at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
'Schools are so violent teachers live in fear' TimesLive reports that 20% of SA’s teachers believe that schools are violent places and suspect their students and colleagues are armed. This is according to a survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council together with the Department of Education among more than 20,000 teachers at 1,380 schools across the country. About 17% of teachers reported fights involving weapons at school and almost 13% of teachers believe gangs operate in their school. SA Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) spokesman Mugwena Maluleke commented: "Teachers feel unsafe in our schools. The young ones in particular - violence is why they resign - not only the low salary." Education department spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said they were ''extremely concerned'' about violence in schools and that it was “even more worrying when the violence is against teachers whose job is to impart information to learners.” Read this report by Katharine Child in full at TimesLive. Read too Onderwysers gestres en ’n derde wil oppak, at Netwerk24 (limit on access) Study shows HIV increase in teachers The New Age reports that according to a 2016 survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council on the health of educators in public schools in SA, there has been an increase in the number of HIV infections among teachers in SA from 12.7% in 2004 to 15.3% in 2015. HIV prevalence was found to be highest in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape and lowest in the Western Cape. “The analysis shows that about 3,000 new HIV infections occurred among teachers in 2015. Female teachers had a higher incidence than males – a finding similar to that observed among adults aged 25 years and older in the general population in 2012. HIV incidence was also higher in younger teachers, those who were not married and those living in rural areas,” the report indicated. The study also showed an increase in non-communicable diseases. Alcohol abuse was found to be most likely a high risk among teachers who were low income earners. Read this report by Lillian Selapisa in full at The New Age. See too, Teachers burdened by stress and HIV, on page 10 of Sowetan of 15 June 2017 Computer of Eskom supervisor about whom murdered employee had complained seized SowetanLive reports that a computer belonging to a suspended Eskom supervisor has been seized by police following revelations that the slain power utility's employee, Thembisile Yende, had lodged a complaint against him. Yende's brother Mboneni Yende indicated on Tuesday that the family was aware of the complaint against the supervisor, but were not familiar with its content. A police source close to the investigation said the computer was seized last week from the Pieterboth substation in Springs, Ekurhuleni, where Yende was found dead. Her body was found 13 days after she went missing on 17 May at the substation, where she had gone to work. The police source said a few other employees at the substation and head office had also been interrogated. There are apparently no specific suspects at present. Amongst those interrogated were security guards who were on duty at the substation on the day she died. Last week, Yende's autopsy revealed that she had been killed, and that she had sustained head and neck injuries. Read this report by Peter Ramothwala in full at SowetanLive. See too, Eskom employees questioned over Thembisile Yende’s murder, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
New mining charter calls for black ownership increase from 26% to 30% BusinessLive reports that mining companies would need to top up their black ownership levels to 30% from 26% within 12 months from the time the new Mining Charter comes into effect, Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said on Thursday. He added that companies seeking prospecting rights would need black ownership of 50% plus one. The release of the latest and third iteration of the charter, which was boycotted by the Chamber of Mines (COM) and trade union Solidarity, laid out requirements for companies to allocate shares to employees, nearby communities and black entrepreneurs. The COM cited a flawed process during the formulation of the policy document for its boycott. Zwane referred to the new charter as an "instrument for radical economic transformation" of the mining sector. His department will be bulking up its staffing to ensure compliance with the charter. This short report by Allan Seccombe is at BusinessLive. Read too, Chamber of Mines spurns ‘highly suspicious’ charter invitation, at BusinessLive. And also, Zwane reveals final Mining Charter, despite mining boycott, at Fin24 NUM to strike at Msobo Coal over non-participation in centralised wage bargaining ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Wednesday that it would be embarking on a protected strike at Msobo Coal’s operations in Mpumalanga. This came after the company withdrew from the Chamber of Mines’ centralised bargaining forum. NUM chief negotiator in the coal sector, Peter Bailey, said the strike was expected to begin on Tuesday next week. He indicated that the purpose of the strike was to compel Msobo Coal and its management to comply with the recommendations of an advisory award regarding the matter and to align itself with the process of wage negotiations that was currently ongoing at the Chamber. In 2016, coal mining members of the Chamber, including Msobo Coal, indicated that they intended to negotiate wages on a decentralised basis with effect from 2017. Bailey said that when that decision was subsequently reversed, “Msobo Coal chose to resign with immediate effect from the Chamber without consulting the NUM.” Read this report in full at The Citizen Other general internet posting(s) on mining
Mangaung’s mayor says strike is over, even though employees aren’t back at work Netwerk24 reports that Olly Mlamleli, executive mayor of the Mangaung metro, said on Wednesday morning at a news conference that the strike by members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) was over and that employees were returning to their workplaces. Nonetheless, workers were still sitting around waiting to hear if hear if their demands were going to receive attention. Mlamleli also advised that Samwu members had caused damage of hundreds of thousands of rands to 64 buses of Interstate Bus Lines. She indicated that any damages’ claim must be made against the union and not the metro. Mlamleli said that the strike was a thing of the past as the Labour Court in Johannesburg had already last week declared it unlawful and unprotected. It was her view that the workers would return to work because Pule Molalenyane, national president of Samwu, said on the radio on Tuesday that they “would not go against the law.” But DA councillor Rossouw Botes said that, while the metro’s management was giving the impression that the strike was over, the union had indicated that its members were still on strike. (Loosely translated from Afrikaans) Read this report by Marietjie Gericke in full in Afrikaans at Netwerk24 (limit on access) Military medical officers deployed to help at mortuaries in Gauteng TimesLive reports that the defence force has deployed medical officers to perform autopsies as bereaved families clamour to retrieve the bodies of loved ones from strike-hit mortuaries in Gauteng. Ten operational emergency care practitioners from the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) are working at mortuaries in Hillbrow‚ Germiston and Diepkloof. Forensic pathology officers have been on strike for two weeks at more than a dozen mortuaries across the province demanding better remuneration‚ counselling sessions‚ a danger allowance and the reinstatement of debriefing sessions from the Department of Health. Bodies have not been released from the facilities due to the strike, which has caused untold anguish. A Department of Defence spokesman said extra military healthcare practitioners would be sent to assist if needed. Read this report by Neo Goba in full at TimesLive. See too, Costly morgue dispute, on page 1 of The New Age of 15 June 2017. And also, Mortuary workers’ strike should ‘serve as wake-up call to health department’, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
No solution for 'scary' staff shortages at prisons ANA reports that St Albans Prison in the Eastern Cape will not see a solution any time soon as far as staff shortages are concerned, an issue which aids the gangsterism within the prison walls. While the Department of Correctional Services has an approved anti-gang strategy in place, it cannot be fully implemented due to prisons being under staffed. Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Thabang Makwetla, was in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday and met with ex-convicts who now represent the SA Prisoners Association for Human Rights. On 26 December last year, mayhem broke out when 33 prisoners attacked guards in the dining hall. The violent stabbing spree resulted in three inmates losing their lives and the injury of 13 officials. During May this year, two prison warders were stabbed by inmates at the awaiting trial section following an altercation. Makwetla said the problem was scary “because our budgets do not suggest that there’s going to be a solution anytime soon.” Read this report by Raahil Sain in full at IOL News Other internet posting(s) in this news category
GEPF pension funds not being used to bail out struggling SOEs, says Ramaphosa Fin24 reports that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday said concerns that the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) used pensioners’ money to bail out struggling state-owned entities (SOEs) were unfounded. He was responding to a question from the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Natasha Mazzone about the entity’s investment in the debt of SOEs. The PIC invests money on behalf of government employees belonging to the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and there have been concerns about the entity’s exposure to the bonds issued specifically by SOEs. Ramaphosa stated that the PIC would always make sure funds were well-managed and that its investment strategy was prudent. “I don’t think government employees’ pension funds are being squandered. The PIC has distinguished itself as a good money manager,” he stated. Read this report by Liesl Peyper in full at Fin24. Read too, Ramaphosa confident state pensions are safe, at The Citizen
Scopa 'shocked' by plea bargains with no jail time in corruption cases News24 reports that Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) has expressed concern that virtually all of the anti-corruption task team's successful corruption cases have ended with plea bargains and reduced sentences. In the last three financial years, there had been 41 successful plea bargains in 42 “serious corruption cases” involving more than R5m, the team told Scopa MPs on Wednesday. Twenty-nine of the cases were guilty pleas, and the other 12 were plea bargains. Some included mandatory sentences, but most ended with a suspended five-year jail sentence. MPs across the political spectrum took issue with the fact that the strongest censure was a fine and a suspended sentence. Serial corrupters were being given a "slap on the wrist" it was said. Scopa chairperson Themba Godi said he was shocked that all the cases ended in plea bargains with no meaningful jail terms. But, Justice director-general Vusi Madonsela said he was concerned that the committee thought the settlements were an anti-climax. "I think what might not be fully appreciated is that in our systems, there is a place for a guilty plea and plea bargains," he stated. Read this report by Paul Herman in full at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Wednesday, 14 June 2017 at SA Labour News
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