In our Tuesday morning roundup, see
summaries of our selection of recent South
African labour-related reports.
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Pilots seek time-off predictability as Solidarity rejects latest FlySaFair wage offer TimesLIVE reports that since the introduction of a new rostering system, FlySafair pilots are no longer able to plan their off-time in advance. According to a pilot who has been in the industry for more than 15 years, the airline introduced a new rostering system to “optimize” the way that the crew is utilised. Before the new system, pilots worked according to a pattern roster, where they worked for six days, rested for two days, and then worked another six days and rested for three days. This allowed them to predict when they would have off days, enabling them to plan their leave and family events. What has now been introduced is a flexible pattern roster with no obvious pattern in the roster algorithm to allow pilots to work out their off days. “You fly for a maximum amount of five days, but you have no say when your off days will be. It becomes a variable pattern. The pilots are struggling to forecast when their off days will be and it's very difficult to make family commitments and to schedule your off time effectively,” said the pilot. He went on to indicate: “Essentially all we are asking for is one weekend off a month and some basic protection around how the roster is structured.” FlySafair confirmed on Sunday that a primary point of disagreement with Solidarity centered on the trade union's demand for the implementation of fixed scheduling rules. Helgard Cronje from Solidarity, which has rejected the airline’s latest offer, said they were hoping to meet the airline management again on Tuesday. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Phathu Luvhengo at TimesLIVE. Read too, FlySafair strike drags on with more than 90% of unionised pilots rejecting offer, at The Citizen FlySafair expects ‘steady’ operations this week despite union having rejected latest offer Business Report writes that according to FlySafair, it continues to operate a “stable but reduced” flight schedule, with more pilots returning to duty each day. This comes in the wake of trade union Solidarity having rejected the airline’s latest offer to end the strike by unionised pilots, which entered its second week on Monday following FlySafair’s pilot lockout last week. The primary point of disagreement centers on the pilots’ request for fixed scheduling rules, which they argue is essential for achieving work-life balance. However, FlySafair argues that such a system would substantially limit the airline’s ability to roster pilots efficiently. The carrier said that as an alternative, it had proposed the formation of an independently chaired joint roster committee, featuring both pilot and company representatives. This body, it claimed, would have the power to test and refine proposed scheduling rules in a live environment before implementation. In a statement issued over the weekend, Solidarity said the airline’s final salary offer for the next three years was “largely acceptable”, but it believed the current “unpredictable” scheduling system caused significant stress, exhaustion, and disruption to pilots’ personal lives. The union had called for a roster and scheduling committee with “real authority”; however, it is unclear why FlySafair’s proposed body was rejected during the latest round of negotiations. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Woosey at Business Report
Elephants trample SA soldier to death near Zimbabwe border SowetanLive reports that a SA National Defence Force (SANDF) soldier on border patrol has been trampled to death by a herd of elephants in Limpopo near Zimbabwe. The incident happened on Sunday night near the banks of the Limpopo River in Musina, about 300m from the SANDF’s Madimbo operational base. Private Xavier Raynard was doing routine patrols on the Malala Drift road when he was killed. SANDF spokesperson Prince Tshabalala said Raynard, a member of the 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment, who was deployed under Operation Corona, was found dead near the base. “Early indications suggest that he may have been fatally trampled by a herd of elephants while conducting routine patrols in the area. His service weapon was recovered at the scene. The matter is under investigation by SANDF authorities in co-operation with environmental and wildlife officials to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. A formal board of inquiry has been initiated,” said Tshabalala. He added that Raynard’s next of kin, from Kimberley, had been formally notified, and psychosocial support was being provided to the family and his unit members. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chris Gilili at TimesLIVE Pietermaritzburg public order police officer kills fellow officer in street with machete after altercation The Witness reports that a dispute over a cellphone and a key led to the fatal stabbing of a public order police officer in Oribi, Pietermaritzburg, on Monday morning. According to witnesses, the altercation between two friends, both officers, began on Sunday evening and escalated when the one officer allegedly slapped the other across the face. The officer then left, returned with a machete, and slit the other officer’s throat in the middle of the street, outside his house. The deceased’s neighbour, Abigail Williams, said the officer later returned to the scene and appeared confused when questioned about the attack. “He cleaned himself up after killing his friend. What’s more sad is the fact that his body has been lying there in front of the house since 9 am. It’s after 2 pm now and it is still lying there,” said Williams. The suspect was arrested by the police on arrival at the scene. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chris Ndaliso at The Witness Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Numsa cautions employees not to accept Macsteel's unilateral voluntary severance packages Business Report writes that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) was set to present a formal proposal on Monday to Macsteel Service Centres SA encompassing a series of alternatives to retrenchments. Macsteel announced last month that it had taken the difficult decision to enter into a process of restructuring, which might affect a number of its operations and employees. Macsteel said this process would be conducted as transparently as possible, in full compliance with both the letter and the spirit of the applicable legislation. However, Numsa on Saturday strongly condemned Macsteel for allegedly taking a unilateral decision to offer Voluntary Severance Packages (VSP) to employees outside of the formal consultation process. Numsa’s Irvin Jim said this action constituted a direct affront to the consultative principles enshrined in the LRA and undermined the integrity of the facilitated retrenchment process currently underway. “It is unacceptable that Macsteel has elected to bypass meaningful engagement with Numsa by offering these so-called "packages" without responding to critical questions posed by the union, as these questions are essential to the union’s ability to propose viable alternatives to retrenchment,” Jim stated. He encouraged workers to await the outcome of the engagements that were being undertaken in their collective interest. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphelele Dludla at Business Report. Lees ook, Numsa aan werknemers: Moenie Macsteel-aanbiedinge aanvaar, by Maroela Media
Nationwide vacancies for 2,344 police detectives News24 reports that there are 2,344 vacancies for detectives across the country, according to a recent response by the police minister to a parliamentary question. The majority of these are in the gang-ridden Western Cape, where there is a shortage of 902 detectives. This means that detectives, especially those working in Cape Town, buckle under hundreds of dockets at any given time. According to national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola, more than 4,000 new police officers will be joining the ranks of detectives in the current financial year. Most of them will be recruited from the newly trained constables currently receiving workplace exposure at stations across the country. Additional detectives will also be deployed to the 30 stations with the highest number of contact crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape, gender-based violence and assault in the “heavy-crime-weight provinces” of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Former detectives who left the police in good standing are also being re-enlisted, while retired investigators are being recruited on contract to ease the pressure on overburdened detectives. In addition, detective training courses are being revamped and prioritised. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tammy Petersen at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Mpumalanga education department ‘intentionally delayed’ filling teacher posts News24 reports that while the Mpumalanga Education Department had a budget for vacant teacher posts, it “intentionally delayed” filling them because it overspent on “goods and services”, including the purchase of Learning and Teaching Support Material (LTSM). The department, which has a 7.7% vacancy rate, recorded an underspend of almost R99.9 million in its budget for “compensation of employees” at public schools. A draft report by the province’s Portfolio Committee on Education, which examined the provincial education department’s fourth-quarter performance for 2024/25, highlighted the budgetary issues. According to the document, the filling of vacant teacher posts was stalled “to defray the over expenditure on goods and services resulting from the payment of contractual obligations which were underfunded at the beginning of the financial year”. It said the item, compensation of employees, represented “spending below the benchmark”. The report added: “The department deliberately underspent its budget to cater for the shortfall in equitable share resulting from the unauthorised expenditure incurred in the previous financial year.” Mpumalanga Education Department spokesperson Jasper Zwane said it was common knowledge that departments experienced budget cuts “which necessitated innovation to ensure a balancing act in a number of areas”. As such, the department delayed the filling of the vacant office-based educator posts with the view of reprioritising the funds for the procurement of LTSM. He said the posts were advertised in the previous financial year and that the department was planning to finalise the appointments during October and December this year. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Prega Govender at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Treasury turns to consultants to help fix municipalities BL Premium reports that the National Treasury aims to rope in external experts to help draft the financial recovery plan (FRP) for distressed municipalities, with service delivery in most parts of the country having worsened over the years. The Enoch Godongwana-led department has flagged the well-documented poor state of affairs at most of the country’s about 257 local councils. Meantime, the Treasury’s municipal debt programme has failed, with only 11 of the 71 municipalities that signed up for the programme paying their accounts on time. The new bidding document, calling on entities with experience in turning around municipalities to form a panel from which the government could tap for expertise, states 43 municipalities were in a financial and service delivery crisis in 2022, and that preliminary indications are that the number will exceed 50 municipalities. The document further highlights 96 municipalities that passed unfunded budgets for the 2024/25 financial year and 129 for which conditional grants were withheld due to failure to spend the grant within the 2023/24 financial year. “The overall objective of this assignment is to assist the Municipal Financial Recovery Service (MFRS) unit in preparing FRPs for municipalities in financial distress or in financial crisis. The number and frequency of FRPs to be developed will depend on the number of requests received from provinces,” the bid document reads. The usage of municipal procured consultants has in the past made little difference in improving their financial standing and thus their ability to deliver services. Auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke previously noted that municipalities using consultants to prepare financial statements were not getting long-term value for money. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kabelo Khumalo at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
JSE fines ex-EOH ethics chair R500,000 for lying about UK doctorate News24 reports that Anushka Bogdanov, the former chairperson of IT group EOH’s ethics committee, has been censured and fined R500,000 by the JSE, which said she falsely claimed to hold a PhD from the London Business School. JSE said in a statement on Friday that Bogdanov falsely claimed to have a PhD in international financial management and mathematics from the university, which she said she had obtained in 2008. However, last year, she admitted to the JSE that she did not hold the degree. “Bogdanov’s actions demonstrate a grave violation of professional integrity and an unacceptable disregard for ethical standards,” said the bourse. In addition to the fine and censure, Bogdanov has been barred from acting as the director of a JSE-listed company for 10 years. Bogdanov joined EOH in June 2019 and was the chair of its Social and Ethics Committee, as well as a member of its Governance and Risk Committee and Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Bogdanox resigned just over a year later in July 2020. According to the JSE, EOH had by this time established that she had falsely stated that she had obtained the PhD. The stock exchange then independently investigated the matter. EOH renamed itself as iOCO last year. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Cronje at News24 (subscription / trial registration required)
Macpherson suspends EPWP funds to Free State municipality pending probe TimesLIVE reports that Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) Minister Dean Macpherson has suspended expanded public works programme (EPWP) funds to the Matjhabeng municipality in the Free State pending investigations into alleged politically connected individuals receiving inflated salaries through the programme. Reportedly, the municipality’s EPWP pays inflated salaries to former councillors and sitting political office bearers, with some earning more than R31,000 a month, namely 10 times more than the average EPWP stipend received by participants. The EPWP provides unemployed individuals, especially youth, with temporary employment opportunities while equipping them with skills to be employable. Macpherson said the programme was not a “vehicle for patronage”. He added: “The EPWP is an essential lifeline for many in communities around the country, including in Matjhabeng, and it would be unacceptable if any politician or official is found to have used the programme for personal benefit. We cannot turn a blind eye when serious allegations of abuse are raised, which is why I have instructed the department to suspend EPWP fund transfers until a formal investigation can be completed.” Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Innocentia Nkadimeng at BusinessLive. En ook, Minister skort EPWP-fondse aan Matjhabeng op, by Maroela Media Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Pretoria Girls High principal suspended without pay for three months after husband helped maintain school gardens City Press reports that Phillipa Erasmus, the principal of Pretoria High School for Girls, who was first accused of racism and later charged because her husband maintained the school’s gardens, has been suspended for three months without pay. She was found guilty on charges related to her husband voluntarily supervising the school’s gardeners, a situation claimed to have created “an impression of nepotism”. She was also found guilty of not adequately assisting the school’s governing body during the appointment of a new financial manager. However, Erasmus was acquitted of accusations regarding the alleged failure to enforce the school’s code of conduct, which stemmed from claims of racism. Last year, the Gauteng department of education launched an investigation at the school after white pupils alleged on a WhatsApp group that they were subjected to stricter rules than their black classmates. While the pupils were cleared of any wrongdoing, Erasmus faced disciplinary charges and severe criticism over allegations of discrimination and racism at the school. Thus far, the department has refused to release the investigation report. Dems Nel of the SA Teachers’ Union and Erasmus’ representative said that they were still pursuing the matter through the information regulator. He confirmed that Erasmus was reviewing the findings and had the right to appeal. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ruhan Friedrichs at City Press (subscription / trial registration required)
Eastern Cape school principal suspended after beating student for not paying school trip fee The Citizen reports that the Eastern Cape Department of Education (DOE) has suspended the principal of Osborn Secondary School after a Grade 12 student was assaulted for failing to pay for a school trip. According to the department, the incident gained attention after an image of the student’s injured palm went viral on social media last Friday. The DOE’s spokesperson Vuyiseka Mboxela confirmed the suspension. “Yes indeed, we can confirm that as the department we have suspended the Osborne [Secondary] School principal, and the reason for that is because of the corporal punishment that was meted against a learner, which thereafter made waves in the social media,” she advised. The DOE launched an immediate investigation after the disturbing image circulated online. The investigation included consultations with Grade 12 students, the assaulted student, and students in leadership positions. The findings validated the allegations and confirmed that two teachers implicated in the incident were currently employed at the school. This was not the first time that Osborn Secondary School has faced scrutiny over corporal punishment practices and Mboxela revealed that the department’s preliminary investigation uncovered broader problems. In 2021, the school made headlines when parents of 10 students demanded action after their children were allegedly subjected to corporal punishment by teachers. Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Enkosi Selane at The Citizen. Read too, Eastern Cape principal suspended after pupil beaten over unpaid R2,000 school trip fee, at News24 (subscription / trial registration required) Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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