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.
Roundup of labour news on Thursday, 11 August 2016
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In our Thursday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Wednesday, 10 August 2016.
Cosatu to take Cape Town to court over 'racist' mayoral committee appointments
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TMG Digital reports that Cosatu is to take the City of Cape Town to court over its appointment of a mayoral committee (Mayco) which the labour federation says is heavily weighted in favour of white men.
Impact of NUM’s Eskom strike will only be felt after two weeks, reckons energy analyst
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BDLive reports that independent energy analyst Ted Blom reckons that Eskom’s production of electricity might be affected after two weeks of the strike initiated this week by members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
Numsa members at petrol stations could also go on strike
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Netwerk24 reports that petrol pump attendants who are members of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) could soon also be going on strike. According to a report by EWN, the union warned about this possibility on Wednesday.
Hopes for a light bulb moment as mediation gets underway in Eskom wage dispute
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BDLive reports that power utility Eskom said on Thursday that it had begun meeting with three unions in mediation efforts over a wage dispute, with an unprotected stoppage by some employees yet to affect operations.
Students want salary cuts for public servants to fund free higher education
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BDLive reports that the South African Union of Students (SAUS) has warned that more campus protests are on the cards as it called for salaries of senior public servants to be decreased.
Marikana: The missing consequences of a massacre
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Greg Nicolson writes that four years ago to the day, NUM members fired shots at striking workers at Lonmin, Marikana, in an escalation that would lead to a massacre few days later.
Councillors out of a job after municipal poll will cost government R309m
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TMG Digital reports that councillors who fell out of favour in the municipal elections and those retiring will leave their jobs with payouts worth a total of R309m.
CWU threatens new industrial action at Telkom and MTN
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BDLive reports that Telkom and MTN are facing the prospect of renewed industrial action led by the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which has bemoaned impending job losses and changes that could result in the erosion of employee benefits.
Amplats employee killed in fall-of-ground incident at Rustenburg East mine
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Mining Weekly reports that an employee was killed in a fall-of-ground incident at Anglo American Platinum’s (Amplats’) Rustenburg East mine on 5 August.
DA bids to help Pretoria bus commuters amid strike
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Pretoria News reports that with Pretoria commuters having been left stranded without public transport for about a week, the capital’s mayor-elect Solly Msimanga on Wednesday went to the Tshwane Bus Depot to address employees and workers’ unions.
NUM members at Eskom defy interdict and go out on Wednesday over wages
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BDLive reports that members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which represents close to a third of Eskom’s workforce, downed tools on Wednesday in a nationwide strike over wages.
Fuel sector strike: Pickets planned by Ceppwawu in four provinces
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ANA reports that members of Chemical Energy Paper Printing Wood and Allied Workers’ Union (Ceppwawu) will picket at petrol depots and at some pharmaceutical companies in four provinces on Thursday as part of its ongoing industrial action.
Communication Workers Union calls MTN outsourcing a 'jobs bloodbath'
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Fin24 reports that MTN’s plans to outsource a portion of its call centre facilities have been met with outrage by the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which called the decision a “jobs bloodbath”.
Web links to selected labour news reports posted on 10 August 2016
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Our links page provides references to South African labour news reports we have come across on the Internet on Wednesday, 10 August 2016
Roundup of labour news on Wednesday, 10 August 2016
- Details
In our Wednesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Monday, 8 August 2016.
Solidarity study reveals cheapest and most expensive bank accounts in SA
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BusinessTech reports that trade union Solidarity has released the 7th edition of its annual banking charges report, showing the cheapest and most expensive banking options across the major retail banks in SA.
Metrorail offers R100k reward for info on arson attacks
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EWN reports that it is still unclear what sparked a fire that gutted several coaches at the Retreat station depot on Sunday, but Metrorail's Richard Walker indicated it was highly unlikely the fire was caused by an electrical fault.
MTN outsourcing some of its call centres to a third party vendor
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BDLive reports that cellular operator MTN plans to outsource some of its call centre facilities in an attempt to optimise its operations, enhance customer experience and allow it to focus on its core competencies.
Defamation case by ex City Press reporters allegedly called racists set for court
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The Star reports that the long-delayed racism case brought by City Press reporters against their then boss Ferial Haffajee is due in court next week. The four former reporters brought the case against then editor Haffajee in January 2014, accusing her of defaming them by calling them racists.
CCMA steps in to diffuse Eskom wage dispute, with meeting set for Thursday
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Fin24 reports that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) will assist in resolving the wage dispute between the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and Solidarity and power utility Eskom.
KZN principal to face disciplinary hearing over jobs-for-cash scam
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City Press reports that the KwaZulu-Natal education department has laid charges of internal misconduct against a Durban principal and provincial leader of the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) over the jobs-for-cash scam.
EFF calls for review of women's salaries so they can earn the same as men
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News24 reports that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party said in its Women's Day message on Tuesday that women's salaries should be reviewed so that they could earn the same as men for the same jobs.
Cut bigwigs’ salaries to fund free higher education‚ student union tells commission
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TMG Digital reports that the South African Union of Students (SAUS)‚ a federation of 26 student representative councils, called at the Fees Commission on Wednesday for free education to be provided to the poor and the “missing middle” from 2017.
NUM workers ignore court order and strike at Eskom power plants
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BDLive reports that workers went on strike at various Eskom-run power plants, despite a court order prohibiting union members from downing tools, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Wednesday.
NUM wage strike at Eskom interdicted
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Reuters reports that power utility Eskom said on Wednesday it had obtained a court order to stop a strike over pay by thousands of National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) members.
Don’t panic, we won’t purge municipal workers, says DA’s James Selfe
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The Citizen reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) has downplayed reports that it would be ridding the municipalities it governs of workers and officials whom it feels are incompetent or not qualified.
Koeberg safety officer suspended after drone crash at site not investigated
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TimeLive reports that Koeberg nuclear power station's safety officer has been suspended after a drone crashed on the site.
National Petroleum Employers’ Association (NPEA) sees drawn-out fuel strike
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Business Report writes that the National Petroleum Employers’ Association (NPEA), said on Monday that the wage strike by the Chemical Energy Paper Printing Wood and Allied Workers' Union (Ceppwawu) was not coming to an end any time soon.
'Be strong,' Numsa urges workers involved in fuel strike
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News24 reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has called on workers taking part in the current strike in the petroleum industry to remain strong and resolute in their wage demands.