Today's Labour News
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.
We can't pay our execs chickenfeed, says Astral Foods CEO after investors reject pay policy
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Business Times reports that Chris Schutte, CEO of SA's biggest poultry producer, Astral Foods, the remuneration policy of which was recently rejected by shareholders, says too much focus on remuneration is making it harder to hang on to executives who are in high demand around the world.
Lulaway job initiative to train youths to install solar geysers made from recyclable materials
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Engineering News reports that youth employment organisation Lulaway's social impact division, Lulalab Foundation, has developed a youth employment initiative that trains youths to assemble, install and maintain gravity-fed solar geysers made from recycled materials in informal settlements.
President Ramaphosa warns that SA can’t afford virus relief indefinitely
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Bloomberg reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his weekly letter that the grants and unemployment benefits introduced to help people and businesses withstand the economic downturn that was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic could not be sustained indefinitely.
Domestic workers’ pay up, but still less than broader national minimum wage
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The Citizen reports that on 1 March, the national minimum wage for domestic workers will increase to R19,09 per hour, namely 22.6% more than their current minimum wage of R15,57. But, this will still be less than the general minimum wage of R21,69 per hour.
Ellies liquidates its manufacturing unit, with 148 jobs set to be lost
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Business Report writes that Ellies, which makes and installs DStv satellite dishes, has decided to liquidate its embattled manufacturing segment, Ellies Industries, with 148 jobs to be lost.
Unions reject appointment of interim CEO at Tembisa Hospital
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SowetanLive reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) and the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) have rejected the appointment of an interim CEO at Tembisa Hospital.
Farmers to contest new national minimum wage for farmworkers, while vowing to mechanise
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BL Premium reports that in a development that could lead to huge job losses and food inflation, SA’s commercial farmers have threatened to close all labour intensive divisions and switch to mechanisation to produce food.
Western Cape High Court dismisses school governing board’s quest to have its preferred candidate named principal
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TimesLIVE reports that the Western Cape High Court has dismissed an application by the school governing body (SGB) of Paarlzicht Primary in Paarl in which it sought to set aside the appointment of Gareth Duraan as school principal.
Motorist killed in freak accident as unrest erupts over closure of nickel mine co-owned by Motsepe
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TimesLIVE reports that a motorist was killed and several police vehicles were damaged on Friday when hundreds of people rioted over the closure of a mine co-owned by Patrice Motsepe.
Roundup on Monday, 15 February 2021 of weekend labour reports
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In our roundup of weekend news, see
summaries of our selection of South African
labour-related stories that appeared since
Friday, 12 February 2021.
Healthcare workers ask why they are being used as the Covid-19 vaccine guinea pigs
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City Press reports that some nurses and unions have taken a stand against Covid-19 vaccinations. Healthcare workers will be the first to receive the vaccinations. However, nurses say the government is trying to make them into guinea pigs because there is still uncertainty about how the vaccine will affect people.
Ramaphosa’s farmworker asks CCMA to overturn his sacking for missing work for two days when he took ill
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SowetanLive reports that an employee at President Cyril Ramaphosa's cattle farm is taking the fight to get his job back to the CCMA after he was fired for missing work for two days when he took ill.
Education department says it is all systems go ahead of schools reopening
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News24 reports that according to the Department of Basic Education (DBE), it’s all systems go for the reopening of schools on Monday, with health and safety to be a priority as the fight against Covid-19 transmissions continues.
Obligatory Covid-19 vaccine jabs at workplaces debated by employers
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Business Times writes that business owners in SA, crippled by Covid-19 lockdowns and desperate to protect their dwindling operations, face a growing dilemma over vaccination policies in the workplace.
D-day for first vaccinations to healthcare workers is Wednesday
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BL Premium reports that SA’s regulators have given Johnson and Johnson’s (J&J’s) Covid-19 vaccine the green light for a phase 3b trial in healthcare workers, paving the way for the government to begin dispensing shots to healthcare workers on Wednesday.
Survey by teacher unions indicates improvement in schools’ readiness to open amid Covid-19
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BusinessLive reports that a survey by SA’s five teacher unions shows that significant progress has been made over the past month to prepare for the opening of schools on Monday.
Ramaphosa extends Ters benefit for sectors not able to operate, as well as special Covid-19 social relief grant
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BL Premium reports that after months of discussions and debate over continued social and economic relief, President Cyril Ramaphosa advised on Thursday in his state of the nation address that the government would extend the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) until 15 March 2021 for those sectors that had not been able to operate.
Afternoon roundup of labour news on Thursday, 11 February 2021
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In our afternoon roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that appeared thus far on
Thursday, 11 February 2021.
Brain drain a threat to economic recovery, RMB boss warns
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BL Premium reports that according to the boss of Rand Merchant Bank, James Formby, SA is facing a skills shortage that, if left unchecked, could hold back any prospects of an economic recovery.
Treasury pays R67m a year to license an integrated HR and financial management system that’s not in use
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BL Premium reports that the Treasury’s bungled project to establish an integrated financial management system (IFMS) continues to sully its report card from the Auditor-General (AG) and was responsible for R207m in irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure in the 2019/2020 financial year.
Outrage that ‘sex pest’ teacher fired in 2014 has resurfaced as acting principal at private school
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The Star reports that outrage has erupted in Kagiso over the appointment as acting principal of the John Martin Catholic School of a man who was apparently dismissed by the Gauteng Education Department (GDE) for sexually assaulting and harassing learners at another school in 2014.
Samwu members in Nelson Mandela Bay on strike over R7,000 Covid compensation allowance
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GroundUp reports that SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) strikers strewed rubbish and emptied bins in busy Market Street, Uitenhage, on Wednesday on the second day of a strike over pay.
Labour Court reinstates contract workers punished with suspension for joining in on CCMA case
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GroundUp reports that five contract workers at an Emalahleni mine who were suspended from work and threatened with disciplinary action because they joined in with other workers seeking permanent jobs in a CCMA case have been reinstated by the Labour Court.
Advocate Doctor Mashabane appointed new DG at Justice and Constitutional Development
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News24 reports that Advocate Doctor Mashabane has been appointed as the new director-general of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Deverlopment. His appointment was announced following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Alcohol industry estimated to have lost over R36bn in revenue and over 200,000 jobs across the three liquor bans
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Fin24 reports that according to a new report, SA’s alcohol industry is estimated to have lost R36.3 billion in retail sales revenues in the on-again off-again liquor bans between 2020, when the lockdown began, and when the latest one ended this month.
Gauteng health promises to pay all intern doctors their January salaries by 22 February
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TimesLIVE reports that Gauteng's Department of Health (DOH) advised on Thursday that more than 50 intern and community service doctors who were not paid salaries for January would get their money by 22 February.
Cabinet extends national state of disaster until 15 March
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TimesLIVE reports that the Cabinet has approved the extension of the national state of disaster until 15 March. Next month will be one year since the national state of disaster was first implemented in SA.
Construction worker killed on Wednesday in accident during renovations to Randburg home
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TimesLIVE reports that a construction worker was killed on Wednesday when a structure at a residence in Boskruin, north of Johannesburg, collapsed on him.
Tembisa Hospital CEO challenges his suspension in court, wants to set the record straight over death of Shonisani Lethole
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The Star writes that the gloves are off between suspended Tembisa Hospital chief executive Dr Lekopane Mogaladi and the Gauteng Department of Health (DOH).
Treasury appointed Priya Lutchman as CFO despite her suspension for tender irregularities in previous job
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BL Premium reports that the recently appointed CFO of the National Treasury, Priya Lutchman, was selected for the position in December despite her having been suspended from the Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture & Recreation (DSAC&R) for tender irregularities.