Today's Labour News

TSHWANE STRIKE

Tshwane strikers face dismissal

The Citizen reports that SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members involved in the illegal strike in the City of Tshwane face dismissal after many residents were left in prolonged power outages and other public services were halted in the second week of the strike for salary increases. Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said 15 employees had been arrested thus far and charged with public violence. They will also face internal charges. The City on Thursday issued 41 letters of intention to dismiss striking employees and said it would also approach the Labour Court on an urgent basis for contempt of court. Last Friday, the Court granted the City an interim interdict which declared the strike action unlawful and unprotected, and ordered the striking employees to disperse. Bokaba advised that the city manager issued multiple ultimatums to the workers to return to work and to desist from intimidating their non-striking colleagues.   “The majority of the employees report for duty but are being prevented, intimidated and victimised by their striking colleagues from executing their duties,” he reported.   The Tshwane Metro Police Department has been deployed to monitor flashpoints where demonstrations are taking place and to protect employees who are not taking part in the strike.   Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink said day-to-day services, such as power failures, waste collection, pipe leakages and sewer blockages remained impacted in some areas. He observed that some workers thought that by using violence and intimidation, the City would agree to their demands. “Our position still stands. Owing to our precarious financial position, we simply cannot afford to implement salary increases,” he insisted.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marizka Coetzer at The Citizen (subscriber access only). Read too, City of Tshwane moves to dismiss 41 striking workers, at BusinessLive

MINING

Eight bodies found after tailing dump collapse at Kleinsee in Northern Cape, cops search for more victims

News24 reports that eight people died on Monday when a tailing dump collapsed at a bulk sampling mining site in the Northern Cape.   The incident happened close to Kleinsee in the Nama Khoi Local Municipality. A bulk sample is a physical sample of a large volume or tonnage of mineral material taken from a known resource area for investigative purposes. Municipal spokesperson Jason Milford said authorities were on site, excavating the area to find others who might be trapped underneath. He said police received a call that alerted them to the tunnel collapse and upon arrival at the scene "authorities discovered seven bodies atop the tailing dump, while one body was found under the tailing dump". Northern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sergio Kock was unable to say if there were more victims underground. Milford added that "in a collaborative effort to aid in the recovery process", diamond producer De Beers had provided machinery for excavation efforts. "As the investigation and recovery operation continues, authorities are urging all diggers and individuals to refrain from approaching the site for their safety," Milford indicated.

Read the original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24

Zama zamas reopen holes closed by cops near Riverlea as over 100 arrests made

News24 reports that illegal miners have reopened holes that were closed by the police in the Zamimpilo informal settlement, near Riverlea, Johannesburg. On Wednesday, the police's specialised units and other units flattened the areas and closed holes used by zama zamas (illegal miners). On Thursday afternoon, the Special Task Force, National Intervention Unit, TRT, and Tactical Vision security guards descended on the area with a SAPS helicopter hovering above. They first raided the informal settlement where they arrested nine suspected illegal miners. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili, they targeted identified shacks. Some community members pointed out to the police the shacks where they believed illegal mining activities took place. "We received information earlier today that zama zamas have opened one or two holes that we closed on Wednesday. We suspect that they had gone underground using those reopened holes.   Our units are monitoring the holes.   Last night, there was a shooting in the same area. From the Wednesday shootout, we arrested 11 suspects," said Muridili. The police are monitoring the situation and arrested over 100 people between Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.

Read the original of the report in the above regard by Ntwaagae Seleka at News24. Read too, Police arrest 79 in Riverlea as EFF leader calls for zama-zamas who resist arrest to be shot dead, at IOL

Presidency concerned about heightened illegal mining and violence it causes

EWN reports that the Presidency is concerned not only by the proliferation of illegal mining but by the violence it’s causing.   Addressing the media on Thursday, spokesperson Vincent Magwenya advised that that significant resources had been set aside to address the problem. Turf wars by illegal miners recently led to the deaths of several zama zamas in Riverlea in Johannesburg. Fed up residents protested this week against the miners whom they claimed were burrowing right beneath their properties. Magwenya said it was too early to claim that the situation was being exacerbated by the actions of the police as they clamped down on illegal miners, but the loss of lives was concerning. "We are equally encouraged, though, by the progress that the South African Police Services are making in this regard. A number of arrests have been effected.   Between April last year and March this year, about 1,199 illegal miners have been arrested to date," Magwenya advised. He added that the issue of illegal mining was a complex one that would not be resolved overnight. "What we need to appreciate now, is that it’s a matter that’s being attended to and it’s a matter that’s being attended to with the urgency that it deserves, with commensurate resources to the challenge," Magwenya assured.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN

Questions over whether new Amplats CEO Craig Miller has what it takes

Financial Mail writes that incoming Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) CEO Craig Miller ought to have an easier ride than his predecessor, Natascha Viljoen, who in her three years as boss of the platinum group metals (PGM) miner was dealt crisis after crisis. Covid and Eskom-related power rationing were severe enough in their own right, but the PGM market has also fallen into decline. And in early 2020, an explosion ripped through Amplats processing facilities, hobbling refined metal production. Viljoen’s departure for gold producer Newmont is premature for Amplats and there are the invariable concerns about succession.   “If I can be blunt, it’s a strange appointment. You do need operational experience,” said Ninety One’s Unathi Loos of Miller. A member of Amplats’s executive committee since 2019, Miller is not a miner. But he’s an Anglo lifer, having worked in Latin America in the group’s base metals division. He’s also respected by the market for keeping the books, but will nonetheless be under scrutiny. Another analyst commented: “I think Anglo will deal with the technical challenges – it needs someone who can continue to implement group strategy. And in a down cycle the finance guys tend to do well – they focus on the numbers and are not sidetracked by geology and blue-sky potential, which seem to distract the more technical guys from cutting capex and costs.” Amplats’s second-quarter production fell 19% owing to Amandelbult, a mining and refining complex on the western Bushveld, which is leaking ounces despite ongoing efforts to engineer out its problems. One reason for retaining the asset is its strategic relevance.   Meanwhile, a decision on Mogalakwena’s expansion is keenly awaited.

Read the full original of the article in the above regard by David McKay at Financial Mail (subscriber access only)

COST OF LIVING

Chicken prices set to rise as anti-dumping duties are reinstated

BusinessLive reports that chicken prices are set to rise as antidumping duties, which had been suspended for 12 months, are reintroduced on bone-in chicken portions from five countries to protect the local poultry industry. The industry, which has faced pressure from high feed costs and frequent power interruptions that have affected production, has complained that it cannot compete with imported chicken, which it says is sold more cheaply in SA than where it is produced. In August 2022, Department of Trade, Industry & Competition (DTI&C) Minister, Ebrahim Patel, postponed the imposition of antidumping duties for a year amid concerns that additional tariffs would affect low-income consumers’ ability to buy protein as food prices skyrocketed. Chicken is an important protein source in the diet of the majority of South Africans. On Thursday, Patel gazetted a notice to reintroduce the tariffs. The DTI&C warned the poultry industry not to automatically put up prices of locally produced chicken if the prices of imported chicken pieces rose. Chicken importer Fred Hume commented: “Ultimately, consumers are the ones who will now pay the literal price of higher duties. The net result is likely to be perennial shortages of supply of South Africans’ favourite chicken cuts, as we have already seen with chicken wings and leg quarters.” FairPlay, an NGO funded by the local chicken industry, has welcomed the reintroduction of tariffs.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Katharine Child at BusinessLive (subscriber access only). Read too, Consumers warned to brace for chicken price hikes as anti-dumping duties set to kick in, at Fin24

EQUAL PAY

Ramaphosa takes on Banyana Banyana’s 'equal pay' battle

TimesLIVE reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for equal pay for equal work in football and other sports.   Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said on Thursday: “The president calls on the leadership of the sport and those associated with the game to ensure the equal pay for equal work principle is adhered to in football and in all women’s sport.” Briefing the media at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Magwenya congratulated the national women's football team for their win against Italy on Wednesday. Magwenya said the win was a fitting tribute as SA observed Women’s Month, adding the country had witnessed “the boldness of the Banyana Banyana team”. SA has a semi-professional women’s league and only four Premier Soccer League clubs have women's teams. Before their departure for their second consecutive World Cup appearance, Banyana were involved in a standoff with the SA Football Association over pay.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Amanda Khoza at TimesLIVE

WORKPLACE CRIME

Tshwane metro cop and two accomplices arrested after foiled hijack attempt in Mpumalanga

TimesLIVE reports that an on-duty Tshwane metro police constable and two accomplices were arrested in Mpumalanga for allegedly conspiring to hijack a truck. The Middelburg flying squad foiled the planned hijacking on the N4 around Phola, near Ogies. “Flying squad members who were patrolling the area on Wednesday at about 2pm noticed a suspicious looking white Toyota Corolla fitted with Gauteng registration plates parked at a strategic position,” said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala. When the police approached the vehicle, a man wearing a Tshwane metro police uniform carrying a side firearm alighted from the car and introduced himself as a constable from Tshwane metro. The driver, who was in civilian clothing and also armed with a handgun, alighted but could produce a permit to possess a firearm. The third occupant, also wearing a full Tshwane metro police uniform but without a firearm, denied that he was also a Tshwane metro cop and said he had been lent the uniform by his accomplice. It emerged that the vehicle had been hijacked in Daveyton.   When the suspects were interviewed it became apparent that their aim was to hijack a truck. The trio were arrested and charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, possession of jamming network devices, possession of stolen motor vehicle and impersonating police officials. They were scheduled to appear in the Emalahleni Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Phathu Luvhengo at TimesLIVE

COMMUTING / TRANSPORT

Santaco halts services after Cape Town impounds unroadworthy taxis

TimesLIVE reports that the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) said it would halt all its operations in the Western Cape with immediate effect on Thursday in response to the City of Cape Town’s clampdown on unroadworthy vehicles. Taxi operators staged a blockade on Tuesday after city authorities impounded about 15 vehicles. Clashes ensued and police and metro police used stun grenades to disperse the crowd and smashed the window of a taxi to arrest protesters. Traffic officers shot a suspect in the leg on Wednesday after allegedly being attacked by a taxi driver and passenger when the vehicle was stopped for an alleged traffic violation. Santaco posted news of the immediate shut down on social media platform X. Santaco provincial chair Mandla Hermanus said at a meeting of taxi operators on Thursday that traffic officers were impounding taxis “even in the case of the offence being committed by a driver. For instance, vehicles get impounded if a driver or commuter is found not wearing a safety belt”. The City said in a statement: “As a precautionary measure, MyCiTi commuters and those relying on the minibus-taxi industry for commuting are advised to anticipate delays in coming days, and to plan accordingly.”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kim Swartz at BusinessLive

Roads closed as 'public violence', taxi strike leave commuters stranded in Cape Town

TimesLIVE reports that commuters scrambled to find alternative transport as a taxi strike got under way in Cape Town on Thursday. Two buses were set alight and a minibus go-slow caused traffic snarl-ups on freeways exiting the CBD. Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) confirmed two of its buses were set alight at Nyanga.   Taxi associations resolved at a mass meeting earlier on Thursday to withdraw their vehicles from service in protest at law enforcement operations that have seen up to 1,000 taxis impounded a month for various transgressions. The SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) said it was resolved at the meeting that there would be a provincial taxi stayaway with immediate effect until 9 August. Normal taxi operations will resume on 10 August and an announcement will be made on the way forward. The City denied accusations it was unfairly targeting taxi operators. Urban mobility MMC Rob Quintas stated: “This is no longer a peaceful protest and we condemn these actions. There is no need to endanger human lives nor for interference with other vehicles on the road.” Provincial Education MEC David Maynier said: “We are deeply concerned about the affect the strike will have on schools, especially given the sudden announcement which may leave teachers and learners in the lurch this afternoon [Thursday].”

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kim Swartz at TimesLIVE. Read too, Thousands of commuters stranded, vehicles petrol bombed and traffic gridlocked as taxi strike causes chaos on Cape Town roads, at GroundUp

In face of collapsed rail system, MyCiTi becomes focus of Cape Town’s new public transport business plan

GroundUp reports that the almost total collapse of the rail system in Cape Town has led to commuters being heavily reliant on road-based transport. This is noted in the City’s new 15-year public transport business plan, which budgets R5.2-billion for the expansion of the MyCiTi bus service over the next three years. The new plan, approved by Council a week before the current taxi strike started, will enable the City to apply for Public Transport Network Grant funding from national government. Mayco Member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas (DA) said the plan “maximises funding sources, addresses projected deficits, and serves as a roadmap to uplifting our transportation landscape – currently more crucial than ever, with a collapsed passenger rail service, together with unprecedented growth in the metro”.   The rail service is run by the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) and the City’s attempts to take over management of their local Metrorail system have been snubbed by the national Department of Transport. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis on Thursday announced the City would embark on an intergovernmental dispute resolution process after Prasa refused to sign a service level agreement on rail service for Cape Town commuters.   Quintas said the City was in the meantime committed to the long-term financial sustainability of the MyCiTi and Dial-a-Ride services which aimed to provide “safe, reliable, efficient, and universally accessible public transport … that redresses apartheid spatial planning, bringing people closer to opportunities”. Dial-a-Ride is a dedicated kerb-to-kerb service for people with disabilities who are unable to access mainstream public transport services.   The plan points out that the main modes of public transport in the city are the MyCiTi busses, Dial-a-Ride services, Quality Bus Services such as Golden Arrow, minibus taxis, and Metrorail.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Matthew Hirsch at GroundUp

National Taxi Alliance introduces an electronic fare collection system

TimesLIVE Premium reports that the National Taxi Alliance is introducing a cashless fare collection system for the first time, which will enable commuters to use their bank cards to pay for trips without having to carry cash. On Thursday, the NTA national leadership announced the move to switch from using cash for paying for trips to an electronic system. This is a joint venture between SAPay Holdings and NTA to develop the electronic payment system for the sector. The payment system will work as an app and a coupon, which commuters can use to tap on a sticker posted on the vehicle to make their payment. The sticker will be also be able to transact on bank and Sassa cards.   Those who do not have smartphones can purchase a coupon at Shoprite or a taxi rank to enable them to transact before boarding the minibus. At the beginning of the day SAPay, as the platform will be known, will allow the driver to clock into the system on his smartphone, starting the cycle for payments.   After his last trip, the driver will clock out of the system and at 11.59pm, all the money from the trips of the day will be paid into the bank account of the taxi owner. Taxi bosses will also be able to see where the vehicle is at any given time and the number of people who have been transported on the day. NTA plans to roll out the electronic fare collection system over the next year among all its members across the nine provinces.

Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Penwell Dlamini at TimesLIVE Premium (subscriber access only)

OTHER REPORTS OF INTEREST

• SA makes sign language an official language, at BusinessLive
• Police arrest suspected gang member for murder of Cape Town LEAP officer, at News24