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 Wednesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Setback for casual workers as Labour Appeal Court rules Simunye Workers Forum is not a union GroundUp reports that in a blow to the Simunye Workers Forum (SWF), the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) has ruled that the forum does not qualify to be registered as an official trade union. The SWF was formed with the assistance of the Casual Workers’ Advice Office (CWAO), a non-profit organisation that assists casual workers with labour disputes. At the end of 2020, it decided to apply for registration in terms of the Labour Relations Act (LRA). It approached the Labour Court (LC) after the Registrar of Labour Relations refused to register it as a union. The LC ruled that while the SWF’s structure was unique, there was no legal impediment to the SWF’s registration. The Registrar then appealed to the LAC against the LC’s directive to immediately registrar the SWF as a union. This would have meant that the forum, which has about 6,600 members, who are mainly casual workers, would be able to represent them formally in disputes, wage negotiations, and in matters before the CCMA. But LAC Acting Judge President Kate Savage (with two judges concurring) has said the LC ruling was wrong. She pointed out that the LRA dictated that unions had to establish permanent offices with defined functions and clear procedures for elections and removals, but the SWF’s non-hierarchical approach with no permanent office bearers did not comply with these requirements. “While the express intent of the SWF constitution is to keep decision-making powers in the hands of those members affected by the decision in question with all work done by members and no person remunerated for any work done, it fails to comply with the requirements for registration,” Judge Savage indicated. She added that the SWF should be permitted to revisit and amend its constitution and it could apply again for registration. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tania Broughton at GroundUp
Sex workers set up mock ‘help desk’ outside Justice Department offices in Cape Town GroundUp reports that sex workers and activists are calling for urgency in reviving a bill that is currently being drafted for the second time to decriminalise sex work. On Monday, members of Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) and the Asijiki Coalition set up desks and chairs outside the offices of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Cape Town. The mock “help desk” was meant to represent sex workers and the DOJ in the drafting of the bill together, with the seat reserved for the DOJ left empty. A large sign at the desk read: “Sex workers are here to help you to redraft the bill.” It has been two years since the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill of 2022 was withdrawn and sent back to be revised. In May 2023, state law advisors raised concerns about the bill’s lack of regulation. Constance Mathe, national coordinator at Asijiki, lamented that since the funding cuts from USAID caused sex worker-friendly clinics to close down, sex workers have struggled to access health services at public facilities. They face stigma and long waiting hours at clinics and hospitals. Mathe maintained that the decriminalisation bill would mean sex workers would be recognised under labour laws and would have safer working conditions. Mathe also raised concerns over the lack of consultation with sex workers during the second drafting of the bill and says that the drafting process was taking too long. DOJ official Ashika Singh came outside to meet the activists. She said the DOJ would give them a response within three weeks. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Liezl Human at GroundUp
Fuel levy increases to proceed as court rejects EFF challenge BL Premium reports that the Western Cape High Court has dismissed the EFF’s urgent application seeking the suspension of the fuel levy increase set to take effect from 4 June. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana advised in his recent budget speech to parliament that the general fuel levy would increase by 16 c/l for petrol and by 15c/l for diesel. But, the EFF initiated a legal challenge against Godongwana’s move last Thursday. The matter was heard on Tuesday. EFF lawyer Mfesane Ka-Siboto argued that Godongwana, in implementing the fuel levy hike to raise revenue after suffering a blow to his proposed VAT hike, had acted unlawfully because he had not submitted the proposed levy increase to parliament in the form of a bill to be approved by MPs. Ka-Siboto argued the minister needed MPs’ approval because the increase was, in essence, a tax increase and needed parliament’s approval. The EFF further argued that the constitution dictated that only elected representatives could impose taxes. Advocate Kameel Premhid, for Godongwana, dismissed the EFF’s arguments that the minister needed parliament’s approval in implementing a fuel levy hike. He pinned his arguments on provisions of the Customs and Excise Act and successfully argued as follows: “The constitution reserves tax policy for the executive and oversight for parliament. Our courts, including the Constitutional Court, have deferred to that design. The EFF here asks this court to ignore that. It cannot.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sinesipho Schrieber at BusinessLive (subscriber access only) Fuel price cuts from Wednesday offset by hike in fuel levy Bloomberg reports that motorists will receive some relief at the pumps from 4 June, however, the country’s first fuel-levy hike in four years also comes into effect on Wednesday. This after the Western Cape High court dismissed an application from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to stop the government from raising fuel levies. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced in the national budget on 21 May that the general fuel levy would increase by 16 cents per litre on petrol and 15 cents on diesel. This is one of the income measures National Treasury resorted to after lawmakers prevented it from raising the value-added tax (VAT) rate. Levies and taxes now constitute 30% of the total retail prices of petrol and diesel. However, fuel prices have decreased for four straight months. The latest adjustments sees the retail prices of 93 and 95 octane petrol in Gauteng dropping by five cents per litre. The wholesale price of diesel will drop by 36.9 cents per litre, the steepest cut across all fuel types. Illuminating paraffin will decrease by 56 cents per litre at wholesale level, while the retail price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is set to fall by 89 cents per kilogram. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources said the adjustments were informed by various international and domestic factors, including shifts in oil prices, exchange rate movements, and seasonal demand patterns in global markets. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Terri-Ann Brouwers, Moneyweb and Katlego Mtshali at Moneyweb. Read too, Here is the official petrol price for June, at BusinessTech. En ook, Goeie nuus vir motorist, by Maroela Media Household budgets feel the pinch as food inflation hits Caspe Argus reports that the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity's Household Affordability May 2025 Index reports a notable increase in the average cost of basic food items. Tracking prices of 44 food staples across 47 supermarkets and 32 butcheries in several cities, the Index reveals that the average Household Food Basket now costs R5,466.59, marking a R46.29 (0.9%) jump from April 2025 and a R136.29 (2.6%) rise from May 2024. Food inflation continues to be a critical concern as the Index indicates that of the 44 foods monitored, a staggering 33 items saw a price increase in May. Price escalations were particularly pronounced among essential staples, with onions surging by 23%, butternut rising by 9%, and carrots increasing by 8%. In contrast, only 11 foods registered a decrease in price, with rice witnessing a reduction of 5% and tomatoes dropping by 9%. The trend of rising food prices varied across different regions, with Cape Town having experienced the sharpest increases. According to Statistics SA, headline inflation for April 2025 stood at 2.8%, while food inflation reached a higher 3.3%. For households relying on the National Minimum Wage, which stands at R4,836.72 monthly, the financial struggle is said to be becoming increasingly palpable. With the average cost for a basic nutritional food basket for a family of four estimated at R3,843.40, workers face a dire situation where essentials consume a majority of their income. Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Cape Argus Urgent petition launched by United Against Hunger to tackle soaring food prices The Mercury reports that a nationwide petition has been launched calling on the government and retailers to intervene to bring down rising food prices as South Africans are facing a daily battle to feed their families. The action has been brought by United Against Hunger (UAH), which hopes to collect some 100,000 signatures as part of its campaign to reduce food prices. According to the organisation, many families are no longer able to feed themselves, and children are starving. The petition has also been linked with door-to-door campaigns, with affiliates of the organisation visiting homes to collect signatures and brief residents on the issues of hunger and malnutrition among children. The petition was launched as part of the World Hunger campaigns. UAH’s Mark Heywood stated that the petition aimed to encourage large retailers making significant profits to respond to the moral needs of their customers or to get the government involved in regulating food prices. The 2024 General Household Survey released last week revealed that nearly 14 million South Africans, equivalent to almost a quarter of all households, faced daily hunger last year. Heywood suggested that interventions that could be undertaken included passing legislation to prevent food waste, setting up a National Food Security and Nutrition Council and finalising the National Plan on Food Security and Nutrition in consultation with communities. According to Mervyn Abrahams of the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, calls for food prices to be reviewed were genuine. He commented: "We have been consistent in calling for transparency in the food ecosystem primarily out of concern that big business is driven by the sole desire to make profit. This concern arises from an appreciation that when profits are prioritised above everything else, families find themselves having to make difficult choices and compromises when it comes to buying food because of high prices." Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thami Magubane at The Mercury Other internet posting(s) in this news category
NUM suspends high-ranking Mpumalanga official over R11m ‘graft, paying bogus suppliers’ Sunday World reports that a high-ranking regional official of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has been suspended because over R11-million in workers’ subscriptions has allegedly been unaccounted for. According to a source, the R11.2-million from Seriti Coal was allegedly paid into an agency bank account that is controlled by Highveld regional leadership instead of into the NUM national subscription account. The agency account is used only to fund the training of members, but according to the source the money was used to pay bogus service providers. The scandal has resulted in a fallout among NUM officials, with two volunteering to expose how the implicated regional leaders used the funds. The matter will apparently be ventilated at the union’s national executive committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday in Kempton Park. Some leaders want to use the meeting to lift the suspension of the implicated leader. When approached for comment, NUM acting general secretary General Mpho Phakedi said: “The NUM has internal processes for dealing with matters. The NEC has appointed a task team to investigate the allegations and report. In the interest of allowing a fair process, the NEC has applied precautionary suspension until the investigation is concluded.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mpho Sibanyoni at Sunday World Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Tongaat-Hulett’s new CEO Gavin Dalgleish to lead last mile of business rescue plan BL Premium reports that Tongaat Hulett’s recently appointed CEO Gavin Dalgleish is set to steer the group through the final phase of the company’s business rescue plan, before the assets are transferred to the acquiring party, Vision Consortium. Dalgleish was appointed by the business rescue practitioners, in line with the Companies Act, to oversee the complex transaction and ensure continuity and stability as the group transitions into its next phase. Stemming from his experience in stabilising and turning around sugar businesses, Dalgleish, who is also former CEO of Illovo Sugar, was appointed as the CEO of Vision in April. At Tongaat, he is expected to oversee the transition of the management team and operations once the asset sale to Vision is finalised. Dalgleish’s role will include co-ordinating budgeting and planning and maintaining focus on business performance during the transition. According to Tongaat, the business rescue plan is progressing smoothly. The finalisation of the asset transfer transaction is expected shortly. “The process is not only about restructuring a business, but also about preserving thousands of jobs, sustaining the livelihoods of farming communities, and protecting a company that remains a vital contributor to regional economies across Southern Africa,” Tongaat said. Tongaat entered business rescue in 2022 after a PwC investigation uncovered a major accounting fraud scandal. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Noxolo Majavu at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Sadtu says KZN education department has 'collapsed' and calls for urgent action The Mercury reports that the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) says the provincial Department of Education (DoE) has "collapsed," citing a growing list of financial and administrative failures that the union says have left schools without basic resources and with staff unpaid. In a strongly worded statement, the union said it had exhausted all avenues to raise concerns, including bilateral meetings, pickets, and direct appeals to the department, but “the situation continues to deteriorate.” “The Department has failed in several critical areas,” Sadtu said, listing among other concerns non-payment of school allocations, unpaid service providers, non-payment of Grade R practitioners, a moratorium on filling critical posts such as school clerks and teacher assistants, and failure to pay acting allowances. Sadtu has instructed its members to withdraw from departmental meetings, workshops, and all non-teaching activities and to focus strictly on seven hours of classroom teaching. “Only when the department pays all the money owed to schools will they participate in departmental programmes,” the union indicated. Meanwhile, the Public Servants Association (PSA) warned that “what we are witnessing is not just a financial issue; it is a collapse of the core systems that sustain public education.” The PSA has called for an urgent provincial education summit, led by the premier, to bring together all spheres of government and key stakeholders. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphesihle Buthelez at The Mercury
Ramaphosa granted leave to appeal ruling ordering him to furnish the record of his decision to assent to NHI Act BL Premium reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has been granted leave to appeal directly to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) against a high court judgment regarding his decision to assent to the National Health Insurance Act (NHI). In a legal challenge brought by the Board of Healthcare Funders and the SA Private Practitioners Forum, the Pretoria High Court in May found that the President’s decision to assent to and sign the NHI Act was reviewable. However, the ConCourt on Monday granted the president direct access to appeal. The NHI Act, which was signed into law by Ramaphosa last May, sets in motion the ANC’s plan for universal health coverage. It proposes sweeping reforms that include a prohibition on medical schemes covering benefits provided for by NHI and a sharply diminished role for provincial health departments. The Act is not yet in force, as none of its sections have been proclaimed by the President. In court papers, Ramaphosa’s legal adviser, Geoffrey Mphaphuli, argued that the High Court’s decision to order the President to furnish the record of his decision to the high court within 10 calendar days of the judgment breached separation of powers by allowing lower courts to review presidential decisions. “The assent to and signature of a bill are obligations that lie exclusively with the president in terms of section 79(1) and 84(2) of the constitution,” Mphaphuli pointed out. “By seeking to disclose the ‘record’, the lower courts will necessarily be dragged into the terrain of ‘checking the homework’ of the president in the exercise of his powers as head of state, which the constitution conspicuously and deliberately leaves undefined and unqualified for sound constitutional reasons,” Mphaphuli argued. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thando Maeko at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Suspension of police officers in 2023/24 totaled 163, costing taxpayers R8.2m News24 reports that among the 163 police officers who were suspended during the 2023/24 financial year were a lieutenant-general who allegedly misused funds and two brigadiers allegedly “involved in theft and corruption”. This was revealed by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu in responses to parliamentary questions. “The suspensions include various ranks of SAPS members from head office divisions and provincial offices, with reasons including serious misconduct, corruption, theft, murder, and other charges. The financial impact of the suspensions on the SAPS totaled approximately R8,287,050.34,” Mchunu indicated. He also provided a “summary of key suspensions”, details of which are contained in the News24 report. Other information provided by Mchunu was that over the past five years, 218 police officers had been dismissed for corruption-related offences with only 12 criminal convictions, while 2,108 had been fired for misconduct. Furthermore, only 245 police officers had been referred to be vetted against the registry for sex offenders. BOSA MP Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster was unimpressed, noting that the amount of police officers that had been referred for screening was 0.14% of the police’s 179 502 employees. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Gerber at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Several MPs call for RAF board members to be fired over conversion of CEO’s special leave into suspension EWN reports that several members of Parliament (MPs) in the transport portfolio committee on Tuesday called for the board of the Road Accident Fund (RAF) to be fired. With the board having converted CEO Collins Letsoalo’s earlier special leave to a suspension on Monday night, they were of the view that the board was creating yet more chaos at an already deeply troubled institution. But deputy board chairperson Nomonde Mabuya-Moloele insisted there’s no ulterior motive for Letsoalo’s suspension. The RAF’s board advised that it acted against the CEO for insubordination and a squabble over attendance at last week’s meeting of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa). But the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)’s Mwazi Blose wasn’t buying the explanation, saying it appeared the board was trying to build a case against the CEO. "The entire entity of RAF is being put in jeopardy. It’s been put into disrepute by a board that doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing," he claimed. Rise Mzansi’s Makashule Gana warned that the board could face legal challenges over the suspension decision. "If I hear correctly, he’s being suspended for not attending Scopa, and that is the only basis for the suspension; that is very suspect," he said. The MK Party’s Lucky Montana was of the view that the board should be dissolved over its protracted battle with the Auditor General over accounting standards Read the original of the short report in the above regard by Lindsay Dentlinger at EWN. Read too, RAF CEO Collins Letsoalo’s special leave ‘not legally sound’, Board tells MPs, at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
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