In our Tuesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Monday, 24 June 2017.
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Outa lays treason charges against Zwane and demands a proper probe BusinessLive reports that the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) laid charges of treason, corruption, theft, fraud and extortion against Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane at the Randburg police station on Monday. Ben Theron, chief operating officer of the civil action group, said the charges had to be thoroughly investigated. His affidavit laid out in detail the basis for the charges, drawing on e-mails that were on a server at Sahara Computers, a business owned by the Gupta family and to which Outa has access. Mired in legal challenges, Zwane’s name regularly crops up in the leaked e-mails as having a close relationship with the Gupta family, dating to his time as Free State agriculture MEC in 2012. Amongst Theron’s allegation are that Zwane supported a Gupta-backed company, called Tegeta, in securing the Optimum coal mine from Glencore and that nearly R1.7bn in rehabilitation funds built up in Optimum and Koornfontein collieries were irregularly released and flowed to the Baroda Bank, which held Gupta accounts. Read this report by Allan Seccombe in full at BusinessLive. And also, Zwane faces treason charges, at Fin24 NUM ‘furious’ at deaths of mineworkers at Tau Lekoa gold mine ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Monday that it was “highly furious” following reports that the Tau Lekoa gold mine ignored instructions from rock engineers who inspected the mine a few days before a lethal seismic incident. On Saturday afternoon four workers who were working overtime at the mine in Orkney, North West, died after they were trapped underground. NUM health and safety secretary Erick Gcilitshana said in a statement: “The NUM is highly disturbed by this tragic death of workers. This accident – like any other mining accidents – could have been prevented. We are told that recommendations were presented by rock engineers to the mine on how to mine safely. We want to call upon the department of mineral resources (DMR) to fully investigate this unfortunate accident. As the NUM, we will make sure that no stone is left unturned.” Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read the NUM’s press statement on this matter at Cosatu Today Zwane calls for safe mining following Tau Lekoa tragedy ANA reports that Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane said on Monday following the deaths of four mineworkers at Tau Lekoa gold mine in North West that health and safety was critical to the sustainability of the mining industry. Indicating that four deaths could not be accepted, he called on all mining companies to beef up security and went on to say: “We are still very firm in terms of ensuring that every worker goes to work in the morning and comes back and see their families. We have talked with our team to investigate this matter further and we are happy that the management works together with us so that we take this matter forward and close it.” North West premier Supra Mahumapelo said the provincial government would support all role players affected by the incident. The four workers were trapped underground during a seismic incident on Saturday. Read this report in full at The Citizen Bokoni platinum mine in Limpopo to shed entire workforce of over 2,600 workers The Citizen reports that as the jobs bloodbath in the mining sector intensifies, another mine, Bokoni Platinum, is to retrench its entire workforce and place the company under a two-year “care and maintenance” programme. Company spokesperson Joel Kesler said the Limpopo-based mine, owned jointly by Atlatsa Resources (51%) and Anglo American Platinum (49%), had no option but to lay off the 2,651 employees due to enormous losses. However, Kesler stressed that the mine was not closing down, but would take a two-year operating break to enable it to position itself for recovery. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Monday said it was worried about the pending Bokoni retrenchments and that it had already received a section 189 (i.e. retrenchment) notice from the mining company regarding the layoffs. The announcement has shocked the Limpopo provincial government, which described it as a “serious challenge” for the people of the province. Read this report by Eric Naki in full at The Citizen. Read too, More than 2,000 jobs on the line at Bokoni Platinum, says NUM, at The Citizen. Read the NUM’s press statement on this matter at Cosatu Today Other labour/community posting(s) related to mining
Mining Charter postings
EMS staff on strike in parts of Eastern Cape over payment for additional hours EWN reports that emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in parts of the Eastern Cape have embarked on an unprotected strike. The provincial health department is trying to resolve the dispute and, in the interim, the department has roped in assistance from the private sector. According to the department's Sizwe Kupelo, the strike is isolated to Butterworth, Alice and Keiskammahoek. Kupelo said: “The strike is over payment of additional hours. The payments have been going through and have been effected for some. It’s a lengthy process. We need to verify whether a person worked certain hours before effecting a transaction.” This short report by Ilze-Marie Le Roux is at EWN Nehawu to embark on indefinite Health Laboratory Service strike from Wednesday eNCA reports that the National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) is preparing for a nationwide strike at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS). According to Nehawu deputy general secretary December Mavuso, negotiations between workers and the employer have reached a deadlock. The indefinite strike is set to start on Wednesday. The NHLS is tasked with providing diagnostic pathology services for government, such as blood tests. A short report is at eNCA SANParks postpones for a week 2018 bookings over strike fears News24 reports that SANParks is to postpone bookings for 2018 for at least one week in case employees continue their strike, a spokesperson said on Monday. "It is just a precaution in case the strike continues. The call centres will be overloaded," Janine Raftopoulos said. Bookings for 2018 were supposed to open on 25 July, but would now open on 1 August. Last week, the Health and Other Services Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa) declared a nationwide strike at all SANParks facilities. But the union suspended the strike over the weekend pending further negotiations. "We will see if the negotiations are meeting our demands," Hospersa spokesperson Kevin Halama said. Hospersa members want a 9% wage increase for 2018, while SANParks is offering 6%. Read this report by Margaux Solinas in full at News24
OECD calls for ‘serious structural reforms’ in SA BusinessLive reports that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said on Monday that SA needed at least 2% growth to begin to tackle unemployment and serious structural reforms. OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria said ensuring a better future for all South Africans required increased access to higher education, a stronger and fairer labour market, deeper participation in regional markets and a regulatory framework that fostered entrepreneurship and allowed small businesses to thrive. OECD recommendations include opening vital sectors, introducing a national minimum wage and developing apprenticeship and internship programmes. "Low growth has kept unemployment high at 27% … [but] even people with jobs have this phenomenon of in-work poverty because the wages are so low. We need to open up that conversation," the organisation indicated. SA’s unemployment rate was at a 14-year high of 27.7% in the first quarter of 2017. Read this report by Sunita Menon in full at BusinessLive. Read too, OECD: SA's low employment rate makes economy sluggish, at eNCA
Vacant psychiatric posts compromise public mental healthcare services, especially at prisons BusinessLive reports that failure to fill vacant posts for psychiatrists and psychologists is compromising the provision of mental healthcare services in the public sector. In 2014, about a third of available posts were not filled and there is no indication that this situation has improved. Experts also blame the shortage for what they view as an impending crisis in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape, where more than 100 awaiting trial prisoners have been waiting for more than two years to be assessed on their fitness to appear in court. Health Minster Aaron Motsoaledi indicated in June that 114 people were being housed in correctional services facilities due to inadequate mental health facilities in Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape. Data from 2014 from the provinces shows that fewer than 600 psychiatry and psychology specialists were servicing 45-million South Africans who did not have access to medical schemes. Read this report by Michelle Gumede in full at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
RTMC‚ Tasima in a legal battle over responsibility for eNaTIS employees TimesLive reports that the breakup between the Department of Transport (DoT) and Tasima‚ the company which for 16 years operated the electronic National Transport Information System (eNaTIS)‚ has not been a clean one. The DoT’s Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) finally took over the eNaTIS system in April this year after a series of court cases, but it did not bargain on getting 79 employees and a R3.2-million wage bill. Tasima went to the Labour Court on an urgent basis in May to ask for an order declaring that the contracts of employment for the 79 employees be transferred automatically from Tasima to the RTMC. The judge declared in May that the contracts were transferred automatically from Tasima to the RTMC in accordance with Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act. RTMC is not happy with this and has been granted leave to appeal to the Labour Appeal Court. But in granting leave to appeal, the judge ruled that payment by the RTMC of the employees from 5 April until the final determination of the case was not appealable. Read this report by Ernest Mabuza in full at TimesLive
Cosatu adamant that provident fund changes won’t happen until social security plan in place BusinessLive reports that Cosatu says it will keep fighting any amendments to the rules governing provident funds until such time the government has a sustainable social security plan in place. The labour federation was reacting to the Treasury’s proposal that the implementation of the contentious changes to provident funds be postponed by another year until 2019. The changes are contained in the new draft Taxation Laws Amendment Bill published for public comment. The amendments, first proposed in 2015, would seek to transform provident funds into schemes akin to pension and retirement annuity funds whereby, upon retirement, members would be entitled to withdraw only a third of their benefits as a lump sum, and would be required to annuitise at least two-thirds. Whether the government would meet the 2019 deadline depends on how fast a comprehensive social security plan was hammered out at Nedlac. Labour federations have expressed displeasure at the pace of the talks at Nedlac, while Cosatu parliamentary co-ordinator Matthew Parks confirmed that talks at Nedlac were still at an early stage. He also said that Cosatu would not agree to any changes blocking workers from accessing their provident funds during their time of need, emergency or unemployment. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Regulator set to cull small medical schemes with less than 600 members Business Times reports that sweeping changes to medical schemes on the road to National Health Insurance (NHI) came a step closer last week when the medical scheme regulator announced the potential closure of small schemes. The rationalisation of scheme options and an accelerated alignment of scheme benefits with the government's health policy was also announced. Moreover, the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) will start consulting on how to make scheme membership mandatory for all who can afford it. There are 83 medical schemes with 323 options for 8.8 million lives. The CMS is considering dissolving 29 medical schemes that have fewer than 6,000 members to better cross-subsidise risk. The health department has set 31 January as the deadline for development of a plan to create bigger risk pools to lower contributions. Read this report by Laura du Preez in full at BusinessLive. See too, Less choice, but also smaller bills as NHI powers up, at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Public Works boss fired for unlawful lease agreement gets job back and R2m payout TimesLive reports that a Public Works employee fired for his involvement in a controversial R500-million police office leasing deal is back on the job - with a R2-million payout from the department for his time away. Sam Vukela, acting director-general of the department at the time the lease was signed, has been reinstated after winning a contentious arbitration award. Despite legal opinion suggesting Vukela's reinstatement could be challenged on the basis that the ruling was "vague and embarrassing and not easy to understand", the department is keeping him in his old position. Vukela was fired in 2013 when it was found that he had acted negligently by facilitating a multi-million-rands business deal with property mogul Roux Shabangu, departing from standard tender process. The deal related to lease agreement for office space needed by the police ahead of the 2010 World Cup. In 2011 the Public Protector found that the lease agreement was "unlawful" because there had been no call for tenders. Read this report by Naledi Shange in full at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Metrorail restores Vereeniging via Midway to Joburg train service ANA reports that Metrorail has announced that train services operating between Vereeniging via Midway to Johannesburg would resume on Tuesday after a month-long service suspension. The suspension on June 26 followed a violent and deadly service delivery protest around Nancefield train station, with protesters having barricaded roads with debris and burning tyres, making the station inaccessible. Spokesperson Lilian Mofokeng said that the first phase to re-introduction of services in this corridor was successfully implemented two weeks ago on 11 July following intensive stakeholder engagements. Read this report in full at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
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