In our Wednesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Tuesday, 4 June 2017.
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Saftu, PAC slam intimidation of journalists eNCA reports that, pointing out that an attack on journalists was an attack on South African citizens, the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) have called for the protection of journalists. "The intimidatory pickets outside an editor’s home ... is an attack not just on individuals but on all media outlets and on every South African’s constitutional right to freedom of expression and to share information and opinions," Saftu said. "The PAC strongly condemns the thuggish behaviour displayed by populists and defenders of certain family empires," the party said. Last week, Black First Land First (BLF) picketed outside the house of Peter Bruce, editor-at-large of the Tiso Blackstar media group, demanding that he should cease writing about the Gupta family. BLF later issued a list of other journalists it would target. On Wednesday, the SA National Editors Forum (Sanef) applied for an urgent court interdict to stop the BLF from intimidating journalists. Read this report in full at eNCA. Read too, Sanef files interdict application against BLF, at SABC News. And also, Saftu slams media harassment, at The Citizen. As well as, BLF will continue protests against journalists who ‘tarnish black people’, at City Press Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Pityana wants to Save SA, but can't save jobs at AngloGold Ashanti, says YCL ANA reports that the Young Communist League (YCL) in the North West province has come out very strongly against AngloGold Ashanti's (AGA’s) chairperson, Sipho Pityana, over the impending loss of thousands of jobs, saying that the leader of ‘Save SA’ had failed to save jobs at the gold producer. "The self-proclaimed messiah who wants to Save SA but failing to save job losses in AngloGold Sipho Pityana must be confronted with a reality that he failed in his duties as the chairperson of AngloGold Ashanti board and ensure that there are no job losses occurring under his watch," the YCL said in statement. AGA announced last week that it had started a consultation process with employees to retrench 8,500 workers at its South African operations. Read this report in full at Business Report Mine closures will take shine off businesses in two gold mining towns SowetanLive reports that AngloGold Ashanti’s (AGA’s) planned closure of mining operations is likely to leave towns neighbouring Klerksdorp, businesses and communities in dire straits. Kopanang Mine, which is near Orkney and Klerksdorp, once gave the surrounding areas a boom as most mineworkers bought their goods and services in the towns. But now that AGA is considering the mine’s closure, the two gold mining towns and their economies are in danger. Venesse Richards, chief executive of the Wesvaal Chamber of Business, noted that gold mining was declining as more than five mines had closed down within 10 years. "A lot of our members have been affected by the closure. We haven't done an impact study, [but] we are busy with it,” she indicated. Richards added that the business chamber, together with the local municipality, had adopted a model that would ensure that the town focused on agriculture, agro-processing, tourism and manufacturing. Read this report by Mpho Sibanyoni in full at SowetanLive Backlog of claims of mineworkers with lung diseases weighs on compensation fund BusinessLive reports that five years after CEO Barry Kistnasamy was appointed to turn around the Compensation Commission for Occupational Diseases (CCOD), the institution is still grappling with a mammoth claims backlog for mine workers with lung diseases. It has only just begun to get its financial records in order. At the last count, the fund had a backlog of 94,000 claims that had been approved by the Medical Bureau for Occupational Diseases (MBOD) but had yet to be paid out to workers. This is a modest improvement on the backlog of 106,000 claims reported to Parliament nine months ago. The MBOD assesses mine workers’ claims and determines whether they are eligible for a payout. Kistnasamy commented that they have significant resource constraints with a decreased government subsidy, the loss of 22 technical officers and an outdated IT system. Most of the results to date have only been possible through the significant interventions of the Chamber of Mines, the gold mining companies and social partners. Read this report by Tamar Kahn in full at BusinessLive Other labour/community posting(s) in this news category
Home Affairs and three unions in talks on terms of Saturday work BusinessLive reports that negotiations began on Tuesday between the Department of Home Affairs and three unions on the terms applicable to a new Saturday shift. The unions — the Public Servants Association (PSA); the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and the National Union of Public Service and Allied Workers (Nupsaw) — convinced the General Public Service Bargaining Council to reverse the department’s decision compelling employees to work Saturday shifts. he talks are expected to conclude on Thursday. Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni indicated that, while unions were looking for overtime compensation, that was unsustainable. Nehawu’s December Mavuso, said while the union was willing to negotiate, he was not willing to except Apleni’s claim that the department could not afford to pay overtime. Read this report by Khulekani Magubane in full at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Security guards angry at ‘sell-out’ EFF as City of Tshwane declines to renew contracts The Star reports that the fight by security guards contracted to the City of Tshwane took another turn on Tuesday when they marched to the EFF offices in Pretorius Street, accusing the party leaders of being sell-outs. This was after they received the news that their demands to be employed permanently by the city had been turned down. The jobs of more than 3,000 security guards are on the line as a result of the termination of the contracts of private security companies for which they worked. Last week, the guards submitted a memorandum of grievances to city manager Moeketsi Mosola, giving him a three-day ultimatum to address their demands and objected to the city’s move to replace them with metro police officers. Mosola responded in writing, telling them the city was not in a position to hire them “as it will be utilising its alternative methods of providing this service”. Outside the EFF offices, the guards complained that the EFF leaders had let them down by allowing the “white DA” to decide their fate. Read this report by Rapula Moatshe in full at The Star
ANCWL comment on its male delegates 'laughable’, says Cosatu ANA reports that the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Wednesday criticised the ANC Women's League (ANCWL) for bringing six male delegates to the party’s policy conference, accusing the league of ''playing into the hands of patriarchy''. ''We find it laughable that the ANC Women’s League could not find even six women amongst the thousands to articulate responsibly on the plight of women in present day South Africa,'' the federation said in a statement. When asked during an interview about why her organisation brought six men as part of the ANCWL delegation, its president Bathabile Dlamini reportedly said women ''were too emotional during debates and needed [male] experts'' for sober discussions. Read this report by Getrude Makhafola in full at IOL News. Read Cosatu’s statement at Cosatu Today
Massive demand for South African engineers in Australia BusinessTech reports that there is a desperate demand for engineers in Australia, with the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) offering higher than average starting salaries and job security for South Africans looking to make the move. This is according to emigration consultants Sable international. Australia has two visa streams in which engineers can apply, namely a Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa and a Skilled Independent visa. According to Sable, civil engineers are in particularly high demand in Australia. However engineering applicants in either visa stream can expect competitive salaries, usually determined by level of education and experience. Read this report in full at BusinessTech
Wife of slain train driver still waiting for labour department compensation a year later News24 reports that the family of a Metrorail train driver who was gunned down at a Cape Town train station is still battling to get monthly compensation owed to them approved by the state, 12 months later. Tania Botha, wife of former train driver Piet Botha, said her family has been struggling financially for a full year since the death of her husband. Piet was murdered at Netreg Station in July last year while waiting for a train to return to his home in Malmesbury. He had spent the day training a younger colleague. Four people have been arrested in connection with his murder and are awaiting trial. To date, Tania has only been given a R44,000 "widow's lump sum" and a R17,000 burial fee from Workmen's Compensation, she said. She has been waiting since then for the monthly compensation owed to her under the COIDA Act, to be signed off by the Department of Labor's Compensation Fund. Read this report by Paul Herman in full at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Labour Court postpones Molefe’s hearing pending outcome of high court case ANA reports that the Labour Court on Tuesday postponed the hearing of Brian Molefe’s challenge to his dismissal as Eskom CEO, pending the outcome of high court applications by the DA and the EFF for his re-appointment to be ruled invalid and set aside. The court rejected Molefe’s contention that he needed to be restored to his position at Eskom in order to oppose the high court application to overturn his re-appointment. It said he had already filed papers extensively in that matter in his private capacity and ruled that he was “entitled to participate and oppose the High Court applications and he can do so without an order from this court restoring his employment status.” The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have separately approached the high court to have Molefe’s reinstatement at the helm of Eskom in May declared null and void. Read this report in full at Engineering News. Read too, Labour Court tells Molefe to go away until EFF and DA have had their day, at M&G. And also, Arbeidshof wil nie na Molefe luister, at Netwerk24 (limit on access) ‘Forum shopping’ Molefe ordered to pay costs of postponed Labour Court case SowetanLive reports that axed Eskom boss Brian Molefe conducted his Labour Court case in bad faith, hence he was slapped with an order to pay the costs for the latest round in the matter. On Tuesday, Labour Court Judge Connie Prinsloo dismissed Molefe's application to have the matter referred to trial, with costs. Prinsloo also indefinitely postponed Molefe's bid to be reinstated in his R7.6-million-a-year job and his dismissal declared unlawful. Molefe will be allowed to re-enrol the matter after the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has concluded the cases brought by the DA and the EFF to have his return to Eskom ruled irrational, unlawful, unconstitutional, reviewed and set aside. Prinsloo accepted the argument by Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown, the DA and the EFF that Molefe was ‘forum shopping’ - an attempt to choose the court most likely to rule favourably for him. Read this report by Loyiso Sidimba in full at SowetanLive
One Facebook post changed my life, says dismissed Lotus FM jock Ravi G The Mercury reports that former Lotus FM jock Ravi Govender says his axing over social media comments about President Jacob Zuma was not warranted and the matter has been blown out of proportion. Known to fans as Ravi G, Govender said he was asked on Monday to explain why he believed his Facebook post referring to President Jacob Zuma as an “uneducated creature” and a zombie did not bring the SABC into disrepute. Govender was later informed his year-to-year contract had been terminated. The post was replaced with an apology. Govender believes he was made an example of, but SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said Govender’s contract was terminated with immediate effect because he had brought the broadcaster into disrepute, in contravention of his contract. Kganyago also said it was the first time the SABC had dealt decisively and with expediency with such matters. Read this report by Nosipho Mngoma in full at The Mercury. Read too, SABC axes radio presenter for calling Zuma a 'zombie', at News24
Push at ANC policy conference for standalone ministry for military veterans TimesLive reports that delegates at the ANC policy conference have revived the debate on the creation of a fully-fledged military veterans ministry‚ saying it should be established before the end of the current administration's five-year term in 2019. David Mahlobo‚ who is a member of the ANC's subcommittee on peace and stability and also state security minister, said ANC delegates believed the current department of military veterans should be a stand-alone entity in order to properly address the plight of military veterans. Mahlobo indicated that the policy conference recognised the need to better use the skills of retired and unemployed military veterans‚ especially in the private security space and national key points. He added that military veterans have experience that should not go to waste. Read this report by Neo Goba in full at TimesLive
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Tuesday, 4 July 2017 at SA Labour News
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Get South African labour news reports at SA Labour News