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 roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 11 August 2023.
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Senior SANParks manager killed by hippo at Kruger National Park on Saturday News24 reports that a senior manager working for Environmental Crime Investigations (ECI) at Groenkloof in Pretoria, was killed by a hippopotamus on Saturday. Kobus de Wet was attacked and killed by the hippo while camping in the Kruger National Park, SA National Parks (SANParks) spokesperson Isaac Phaahla reported. He said: "Details are sketchy at this stage and circumstances around the incident are under investigation." De Wet had been with SANParks for more than a decade and his death was a "huge loss", Phaahla said, adding that he had been responsible for many arrests and convictions of poachers. SANParks management extended condolences to De Wet's immediate family, friends and his SANParks family. Hippos are considered Africa's most dangerous large animal, and are reputed to kill more people yearly than flesh-eating predators such as lions and crocodiles. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lisalee Solomons at News24 Lees ook, Man sterf toe seekoei hom in Krugerwildtuin aanval, by Maroela Media Bodies of three employees of City of Tshwane contractor recovered from collapsed trench News24 reports that the bodies of the three City of Tshwane contractor employees who died on Friday after a trench they were working in collapsed have been recovered. The men, aged between 20 and 35, were buried in a hole that measured approximately 6m deep and 4m wide. According to Tshwane Emergency Services spokesperson Charles Mabaso, all three bodies were recovered early on Saturday morning. Rescue technicians used two earth working machines to create stable sloped access secured with shoring equipment. The men were busy with repair work on a sewage line in Capital Park when the trench collapsed. Another employee was hospitalised with injuries while two others escaped the disaster unharmed. Mabaso said that the scene was to be handed over to the police for further investigation. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Cebelihle Mthethwa at News24. Lees ook, Drie sterf toe sloot inval, by Maroela Media Senior Gauteng education official followed home on Thursday, shot eight times as he sat in car News24 reports that one of the Gauteng Department of Education’s senior officials was followed home and shot dead in Soweto on Thursday afternoon. Siza Mbhalati was a chief deputy education specialist for the Johannesburg South District. Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane reported: "Information at our disposal suggests that Mbhalati was allegedly followed home from work on Thursday afternoon by unknown suspects. He was shot about eight times in his driveway while he was still in his car." Chiloane advised that Mbhalati had worked for the labour relations unit in the Johannesburg South District and was responsible for facilitating labour-related disputes at schools. "We are saddened by the unfortunate death of one of our dedicated public servants who served the department with honour and dignity. On behalf of the department, we wish to extend our sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones. In the same breath, we condemn this level of lawlessness and call for the speedy apprehension of these brazen criminals," Chiloana stated. Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Yoliswa Sobuwa at News24. Lees ook, Onderwysamptenaar in oprit doodgeskiet, by Maroela Media Newly-employed Limpopo traffic official killed by speeding taxi Limpopo Chronicle reports that a female Limpopo traffic officer, who had been employed just a week earlier, was killed by a speeding taxi while on duty in Ximixoni Village near Malamulele on Friday. The accident apparently happened on the R524 outside Saselamani in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality. The officer was reportedly performing her duties when a minibus taxi hit both the officer and the LDV that she was inspecting. Reckless driving is stated as a possible cause of the accident. A case of culpable homicide has been opened at Saselamani Police Station. The officer has been identified as Hlanganani Sonia Moyana, who was 31 years of age. She was part of the group of young people who were recruited by the municipality last year for a learnership programme. They graduated this year in July and started working as traffic officials during the month of August 2023. MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Florence Radzilani, sent a message of condolences to the family of the deceased. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Limpopo Chronicle. Lees ook, Verkeersbeampte sterf toe minibus haar tref, by Maroela Media
Taxi industry in Cape Town agrees to give 36 hours' notice of strike action News24 reports that the taxi industry will now be required to give 36 hours' notice of strike action, according to a resolution that ended the week-long taxi stayaway in Cape Town. On Friday morning, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis briefed the media on the resolution in the presence of SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) representatives. The agreement includes an "escalation system that will loop in the premier and mayor should a dispute arise", Winde indicated. He said this would provide "another layer before we end in strike action". The agreement allows for the impoundments under the National Land Transportation Act (NLTA) to continue for vehicles driving without operating licences, on the incorrect route, when the drivers are not licensed, or when the vehicles are not roadworthy. Within 14 days, a taxi task team will draw up a list of major offences for which vehicles can be impounded and minor offences for which fines will be issued. Santaco’s Nceba Enge expressed the hope that the task team sessions would be fruitful, but added that 14 days were not enough to sort out "some of the issues on the table". In terms of the agreement, Santaco will be able to query impoundments for minor offences, and representations will be made to a prosecutor to support the release of the vehicles. Hill-Lewis said the focus would remain on commuter safety. Five people died in last week’s strike-related violence and infrastructure worth millions of rand was damaged. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Samwu strikers allegedly behind shooting of Tshwane municipal worker TimesLive reports that the City of Tshwane advised on Sunday that municipal employees responding to a call-out had been shot at in Montana. In a statement, the city said it believed that its striking workers, affiliated to the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), were behind the attack. According to the city, the “unprotected strike has degenerated to thuggery and criminality”. A standby team from the water and sanitation section had been responding to a call when they were confronted by a group of men who intimidated them and instructed them to stop working. The team apparently ignored them and continued to render the service. “On completion of the shift while on his way home, the standby team leader was shot at and hijacked. He was rushed to hospital,” the city reported. City manager John Mettler condemned the attack and called on police to find the perpetrators. The strike began with a march by Samwu members on 26 July to Tshwane House, demanding that the metro implement a 5.4% pay increase agreed upon in the SA Local Government Bargaining Council (SALGBC) in 2021. But the municipality has repeatedly claimed it does not have the money and would apply to be exempted from implementing the wage deal. On Sunday, the city said it had filed an exemption application at the bargaining council. The application will be heard on 23 August. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at TimesLIVE. Lees ook, Tshwane-werker vermoedelik deur stakers geskiet, by Maroela Media. And also, Tshwane metro asks for exemption on wage increases as ongoing Samwu strike bites, at EWN. En ook, Tshwane se vrystellingsaansoek vir salarisverhogings ingedien, by Maroela Media City of Tshwane’s striking workers earn more than the vast majority of adults in Gauteng Moneyweb reports that members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) in Tshwane, who have been protesting a council decision not to grant them any salary increase this year, earn more than the vast majority of adults in Gauteng, according to Unisa’s Bureau of Market Research (BMR). They are currently striking to demand the 4.5% increase due to all municipal workers in terms of a sector collective agreement. The city has however not budgeted for the R600 million required for such an increase and has applied for exemption from the agreement based on its dire financial situation. The clash between employer and employee has seriously impacted service delivery and more than 90 workers have already been fired for participating in the unprotected strike, but the end does not seem to be near. The city provided the following details about what officials earn: “We have 23 salary bands from T1 to T23. Our salary scales start from the lowest level of R143 580,00 to highest level of R1 947 660,00 per annum.” That translates to R11,965 per month for the lowest level, and R162,305 for the highest-paid official (excluding the city manager, chief financial officer and chief of the metro police). However, these salaries do not include the 13th cheque paid in December and also do not include benefits like pension contributions by the employer. While employees within the T1 salary band, which includes general workers and kitchen attendants, get a minimum of R11,965 per month, that may increase to R13,984. Artisan assistants, assistant operators, chain saw operators, coal truck checkers and crematorium operators, who are in the next salary bracket, earn up to R15,024 per month, plus the 13th cheque and benefits. According to the BMR, 76% of adults in Gauteng earn less than R7,400 per month. Gerhard Papenfus of employer organisation Neasa says these salaries far exceed remuneration in the private sector even though productivity in the municipality is much lower. “Many businesses battle to pay minimum wages of around R5,000 per month for general workers. Those who are experienced can earn up to R8,000,” he pointed out. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Moneyweb. Lees ook, Tshwane-staking: Kla werkers met witbrood onder arm? by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
ANCYL leader to meet with 'minister of unemployment' Thulas Nxesi soon City Press reports that the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) will soon meet with Department of Employment & Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi in order to register its concerns about the plight of young people in the country who are unemployed. This follows the scathing remarks made by ANCYL president Collen Malatji at the weekend, in which he publicly criticised the minister for the country's high unemployment rate and appeared to call for his removal from office. Addressing the league's national congress in the Free State, Malatji, who was elected the leader of the ANCYL in July after it had been without elected leadership for almost a decade, took a dig at Nxesi. He described him as the "minister of unemployment" and accused him of having no solutions to deal with the 4.9 million young people who were unemployed. “We are no longer going to delegate this responsibility to pensioners. The responsibility to take this country forward is upon us, but you cannot do that if you have no solutions,” Malatji told delegates, adding that Nxesi should be removed from office as a matter of urgency. The critical remarks from Malatji led to a statement from the ANC, calling him to order. Speaking to City Press on Wednesday, ANCYL national spokesperson Zama Khanyase appeared to walk back Malatji's specific call for Nxesi to be fired from Cabinet, saying the youth leader was merely highlighting the scourge of unemployment for young people in the country. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thapelo Lekabe at City Press (subscriber access only)
SAA launches recruitment drive to lure back former pilots TimesLIVE reports that SA Airways (SAA) aims to recall some of its former pilots as it expands its operations. In correspondence dated 4 August, pilots were informed that the state-owned carrier now has a number of A320 first officer positions available. “SAA intends to comply with its obligations regarding preferential re-employment as provided for in the Settlement Agreement of July 16 2023 with the SAA Pilots Association. We hereby request that you indicate whether you will be interested to be recalled in one of these positions,” the letter reads. SAA confirmed the pilot recall drive on Thursday. It did not indicate how many pilots it aimed to recall, but according to industry insiders it was almost 60. SAA indicated that part of the agreement reached in 2021 included the need to have an employment equity plan as required by law. “SAA is working on honouring that, as well as being compliant with the laws of the country. The recruitment is ongoing and will end when the requisite numbers have been brought on board,” SAA indicated. The pilot recruitment drive is not the first this year. In March, SAA also sent out a request for the purposes of recalling pilots. Before it went into business rescue, SAA had about 620 pilots on its books. Projections made in the business rescue plan, foresaw the airline by now already operating almost 30 aircraft and employing more than 300 pilots. SAA presently has a fleet of about six aircraft and employs about 80 pilots. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Carin Smith at BusinessLive Using AI in hiring could bridge the pay gap The gender pay gap is a persistent problem in SA, with women earning on average 23% less than men. This gap is even wider for women in certain industries, such as technology and engineering. There are several factors that contribute to the gender pay gap, including unconscious bias, occupational segregation, and lack of access to opportunities. AI recruitment can help to address some of these factors and improve the gender pay gap in SA, which is one of the largest in the world. Women in SA earn, on average, 23% to 35% less than men for doing the same work. The gap is even wider for women of colour, who earn an average of 40% less than white men. Unconscious bias is a type of bias that occurs when people make decisions based on their implicit beliefs and attitudes. This type of bias can be very difficult to detect, but it can have a significant impact on hiring decisions. AI recruitment can help to address unconscious bias through algorithms that identify and eliminate bias from hiring decisions, making it more likely that women will be hired and paid fairly. Occupational segregation is the tendency for women and men to be concentrated in different occupations and is often the result of gender stereotypes and discrimination. AI recruitment can help to address this by matching women with jobs that are a good fit for their skills and interests. AI algorithms can also be used to identify and eliminate discriminatory hiring practices. Lack of access to opportunities is another factor that contributes to the gender pay gap and AI recruitment can help to increase access to opportunities for women by making it easier for them to find and apply for jobs. While AI is not a perfect solution to the problem of hiring bias, it can be a valuable tool for reducing bias and creating a more inclusive hiring process. Read the full original of the above article by Kelly Louw and Sasha Knott of Job Crystal at Moneyweb
‘Nepotism’ claims against social development minister Lindiwe Zulu, Nehawu calls for her dismissal City Press reports that an alleged attempt by Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu to engineer the appointment of a man believed to be her confidant to the position of director-general (DG) has caused turmoil in her department, with even her own deputy sounding the alarm. The conflict stems from the lowering and favourable adjustment of the appointment criteria to suit acting director-general Linton Mchunu, who served as Zulu’s chief of staff in her previous portfolio of minister of small business development. Fury around the proposed appointment resulted in Cabinet putting it on ice and has seen Nehawu, the majority union in the public service, writing to President Cyril Ramaphosa, demanding that he dismiss her for “nepotism”. The department has been without a director-general since the resignation of Zane Dangor in 2017. The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) was last week forced to withdraw Zulu’s written submission to Cabinet recommending Mchunu for the position. The post of director-general was advertised in 2019, 2020 and 2021, with no interviews being conducted. It was advertised again in June last year, but no interviews were conducted until a year later when Mchunu was recommended as the most suitable candidate ahead of two seasoned senior managers who were more qualified and experienced than he was. In its letter to Ramaphosa, Nehawu appealed for the dismissal of Zulu, Mchunu and the DPSA’s chief director of human capital management for what it alleged was involvement nepotism, job reservation and manipulation of the recruitment and selection process. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Norman Masungwini at City Press (subscriber access only)
Seven Stellenbosch cops arrested for allegedly pocketing cash taken from suspected drug dealers IOL reports that Stellenbosch police officers were obliged to arrest seven of their colleagues after evidence went missing during an operation. The incident occurred on 9 August when police were executing the arrests of two alleged drug dealers. Provincial police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi reported: “Reports suggested that the complainant sent his two brothers to do a deposit at a local bank in Stellenbosch on Wednesday. On the way they were apprehended by police officials who returned with them to a premises in Kayamandi, searched the premises, and ultimately confiscated a consignment of drugs. They then arrested and detained two males on a charge of dealing in drugs.” The police commander who conducted the arrest thereafter received information that the money confiscated was never declared or registered. A search was launched among the police members and cash was recovered in the members’ bags, jackets, and vehicles. Stellenbosch police officers arrested and detained six men and one woman on a charge of theft. The seven officers are expected to appear in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court soon. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Robin-Lee Francke at IOL Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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