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.
SA loses 15,000 jobs in first quarter, in line with economic contraction
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BDLive reports that the formal sector shed 15,000 jobs in the first quarter, to 9.273-million employees, Statistics SA’s Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) survey showed on Monday.
Numsa declares dispute in retail motor sector, strike possible
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Business Report writes that the spectre of a strike in the retail motor industry has increased, with the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) having declared a dispute in negotiations for a new industry agreement.
Cosatu won’t touch the labour issues at SABC
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City Press reports that Cosatu has washed its hands of the unfolding labour issues at the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), saying no one had asked for its help.
Gold miners’ silicosis case could open floodgate for litigation in other mining sectors
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Mining Weekly writes that the certification of class action status to current and former gold mineworkers suffering from silicosis and tuberculosis potentially opens the door for similar litigation across several sectors, including coal and manganese.
Pay hikes for Eskom execs suspended; 4.6% increase for non-exec directors approved
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Fin24 reports that Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown is holding off remuneration increases for Eskom’s executives, but she has approved a 4.6% increase for non-executives.
Hospersa unhappy with Netcare's poor consultation about outsourcing deal with Clicks
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Fin24 reports that the Health & Other Service Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa) has criticised Netcare for what it deems a lack of consultation with its members after announcing plans for a long-term outsourcing deal with Clicks.
South African firefighters deployed in Canada finally paid
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TMG Digital reports that the 300 South African firefighters who were deployed in Canada last month to help fight a massive forest blaze have finally been paid‚ according to the Canadian government.
Nehawu warns Parliament heading for a repeat of last year’s strike
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Weekend Argus reports that Parliament could be heading for a repeat of the industrial action that gripped it late last year if matters outstanding from that strike are not resolved.
Canadian company fails to pay R36m for Lily mine to resume operations
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eNCA writes that Vantage Goldfields has confirmed that Canadian company AfroCan has failed to meet a deadline to pay more than R36-million. The money would have seen operations at Lily Mine resume.
Cosatu encourages affiliates to balance pay demands with job security
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Bloomberg reports that Cosatu says it will encourage its member unions to balance wage demands with the need to preserve jobs when salary negotiations in their respective industries begin.
Web links to selected labour news reports posted on 2 & 3 July 2016
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Our links page provides references to South African labour news reports we have come across on the Internet on Saturday, 2 July and Sunday, 3 July 2016
Monday’s taxi strike in Gauteng called off
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ANA reports that the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) in Gauteng has suspended its plans to strike and march on the provincial government offices on 4 July.
Web links to selected labour news reports posted on 1 July 2016
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Our links page provides references to South African labour news reports we have come across on the Internet on Friday, 1 July 2016
Roundup of labour news on Friday, 1 July 2016
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In our Friday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Thursday, 30 June 2016.
Tribunal okays SABMiller takeover, with tweaks to layoffs and some other conditions
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Business Report writes that the Competition Tribunal has approved a merger between SABMiller and Anheuser-Busch InBev, which will create the largest beer brewing company in the world.
Nehawu members call truce at Parliament and return to work
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News24 reports that Parliament's disgruntled National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union (Nehawu) members called a truce with management by going back to work on Thursday.
Suspended SABC journalists’ disciplinary hearings start on Friday morning
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TMG Digital reports that the disciplinary hearings against three SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) journalists who had been charged with misconduct started on Friday morning.
Wage talks between Numsa and auto component firms break down
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Reuters reports that wage talks between the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and employers in the auto component sector hit a deadlock on Friday.
Durban construction worker ‘pushed’ to death off building, colleague arrested
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News24 reports that police are investigating the murder of a construction worker who plunged to his death at a Durban construction site on Currie Road on Thursday.
Popcru hands over demands to three Eastern Cape departments at march on Thursday
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DispatchLive reports that the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) in the Eastern Cape has given government seven days to respond to demands by its members employed in the security cluster.
Less tension expected in upcoming wage talks in platinum sector
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Financial Mail writes that wage negotiations this year in the platinum sector are quite likely to progress more smoothly than in the recent past, despite some early warning signals.
Public Investment Corporation’s investment policies anger Cosatu
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Bloomberg reports that labour federation Cosatu says it will step up pressure on the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), which manages the pension funds of state employees, to invest more aggressively in infrastructure and other projects to alleviate poverty.
Looming layoffs at Times Media could see 65 jobs lost
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The New Age reports that looming retrenchments at the Times Media Group may leave 65 employees without jobs in two months.
Nzimande opens new TVET College in Thabazimbi
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SABC News reports that the youth of Thabazimbi in Limpopo have welcomed the opening of a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college in their area.
EFF, Tshwane Metro lock horns on Thursday over contract workers
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ANA reports that two Tshwane deputy city managers participated in a heated meeting with members of the EFF and the #OutsourcingMustFall movement on Thursday after scores of contracted workers blocked off the city’s Isivuno head office, demanding permanent jobs.
Journalists to picket on Friday in support of SABC colleagues
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The Star reports that throngs of media workers were expected to picket outside the SABC offices in Joburg and Cape Town on Friday morning. This will be in solidarity with journalists suspended for standing up against a censorship policy that has been likened to apartheid-era tendencies.
Two busses torched in Durban on Friday ahead of expected drivers’ strike
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TMG Digital reports that two busses were set alight in the suburb of Morningside in Durban on Friday. It is suspected that the incident was linked to a Durban Transport Bus strike expected in the city later in the day.
Web links to selected labour news reports posted on 30 June 2016
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Our links page provides references to South African labour news reports we have come across on the Internet on Thursday, 30 June 2016
Roundup of labour news on Thursday, 30 June 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, 29 June 2016.
Spending by municipalities on staff surges
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BDLive reports that the employee-related costs of municipalities grew by 43.9% between 2011 and 2015, or from R50bn in 2011 to R73bn in 2015. This was revealed in the Statistics SA financial census of municipalities in Pretoria on Wednesday.