In our Friday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Thursday, 27 June 2017.
|
Sanef consulting lawyers after BLF harass journalists at event EWN reports that the SA National Editors Forum (Sanef) has indicated that it is consulting with its lawyers after members of the Black First Land First (BLF) disrupted a town hall meeting held to discuss leaked Gupta emails and state capture. Earlier this month, the High Court in Johannesburg granted an interdict against the movement to stop its members from harassing, intimidating, assaulting and threatening journalists. Sanef claimed that the BLF violated that interdicted by disrupting the amaBhungane event in Braamfontein on Thursday. Chairperson Mahlatse Gallens said: “There was harassment and threats to the journalists, including those that were part of the initial interdict that we won at the Johannesburg High Court. We are also encouraging everybody that was involved yesterday to go to the police and lay a complaint because we want to see the police actually act.” Read this report by Mia Lindeque in full at EWN. See too, SACP condemns BLF’s continued attacks on journalists, at EWN
Anglo’s Cutifani calls on SA to dump Mining Charter, restart talks in 2018 Miningmx reports that Mark Cutifani, CEO of Anglo American, says that the Mining Charter redraft published by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) on 15 June has to be disregarded and replaced, starting with fresh negotiations probably only in 2018. “Let me be as clear as a bell … the current document is simply not understandable or workable. It has to be started again and most South Africans know it,” he stated on Thursday. He went on to say: “It is a confused and confusing document. The response of the ANC [at its policy conference] was very constructive in suggesting we go back to the table and start again.” Cutifani also said that whilst it was not a preferred route, taking legal action against the DMR would continue if a negotiation was not possible. Read this report in full at Miningmx. See too, ANC’s Mining Charter response ‘very constructive’, says Anglo American, at Mining Weekly Other labour/community posting(s) related to mining
10111 call centre operators to go back on strike on Friday afternoon EWN reports that that the SA Policing Union (Sapu) has confirmed that its members working at 10111 call centres will again go on strike on Friday afternoon. Their work stoppage was postponed for a few days, giving rival union, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), time to decide whether it wanted to join a mediation process. Sapu's Mpho Kwinika said: "The mediation process gave Popcru until 26 July to bring back the feedback. They did so at about 2pm and indicated that they are not willing to join the strike." Call center operators are demanding better wages and fair labour practices, claiming that they are amongst the lowest earning government call centre agents, despite being the busiest. Last week's strike resulted in flying squad police officers being called in to man the phones at call centres. Read this report by Mia Lindeque in full at EWN Nehawu to brief the media on the NHLS strike on Monday The National Education Health & Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) announced on Friday that it was currently consulting its members on the offer tabled by the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) on Friday morning and would brief the media on the outcomes of that process on Monday. In the meantime, strike action would continue. The union added: “We would like to applaud our members for coming out in numbers to the strike and remaining disciplined throughout.” Nehawu’s brief press statement is at Cosatu Today. See too, National laboratory strike likely to stretch into its second week, at Bhekisisa online. And also, Lab strike enters third day‚ clinic patients needing tests turned away, at SowetanLive Strike by SANParks workers continues The New Age reports that members of the Health & Other Services Personnel Trade Union of SA (Hospersa) at South African National Parks (SANParks) are demanding a 7.7% increment across the board, while SANParks has only offered 7.1%. This comes after striking workers rejected a new offer placed on the table, stating that it did not equally benefit every employee. SANParks’ new offer was a 6.1% salary increase and a 1% salary progression for qualifying employees. The 1% pay progression is only for those employees who will be benefiting from the introduction of salary notches as a response to salary disparities. Hospersa general secretary Noel Desfontaines said: “We presented the new offer to our members and it was overwhelmingly rejected”. Affected parks include the Kruger National Park, Agulhas National Park, Mokala National Park, Namaqua National Park, Mapungubwe National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfronteir Park. According to Desfontaines, his members would, as a compromise, be willing to settle for a 7.5% increase for all employees. Read this report in full at The New Age. See too, Staking duur voort by Kruger-wildtuin en ander oorde, at Maroela Media Strike at Mdantsane FM radio station continues DispatchLive reports that Mdantsane FM workers have vowed to continue with their strike until the entire Mdantsane FM board comes to listen to their grievances. Apparently only the board chairman, Bethwell Zulu, was present at a meeting between workers and management on Monday afternoon following a worker strike that erupted in the morning when the station fell silent. Staff agreed to have music played on Tuesday. Later that day, standby presenters and some of the weekend presenters started doing the weekday shows. Workers claimed that management was not addressing their concerns with urgency. The protest is over allegations of mismanagement of funds and non-transparency from management. Mdantsane FM management remains mum on the strike. Read this report by Sisipho Zamxaka in full at DispatchLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Numsa allegedly faces financial troubles, R500m reserve fund ‘raided’ The Citizen writes that, according to a report in Business Day on Friday, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) is facing a serious internal rebellion and its finances are alleged to be in disarray. The union’s financial situation is apparently so bad it had to dip into its strike fund to pay salaries. According to Numsa’s unaudited financial statements, the union has been operating on a deficit budget for the past two years, and owes SA Revenue Service (Sars) R20 million in unpaid tax dating back to 2011. Numsa members have alleged that a R500m reserve fund established by the union’s former leadership has been raided. The union’s general secretary, Irvin Jim, has also been accused of ruling with an iron fist, suspending and dismissing officials and leaders who question his decisions. Relations between Jim and his deputy, Karl Cloete, are also said to be tense. There are reports that the union might have to retrench some staff and its head office and regional offices might also have to be restructured. This report is at The Citizen. Read the Business Day report, entitled ‘Internal revolt threatens Numsa over financial disarray’ at BusinessLive (paywall access)
Dlamini-Zuma courts Numsa’s Irvin Jim, but union members not happy BusinessLive writes that in a bid to establish a working class support base, ANC presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has met the general secretary of former Cosatu affiliate, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa). Dlamini-Zuma met Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim recently to outline her vision for the country. Her platform for election as ANC president has been "radical economic transformation" and some of the proposals her followers articulate resonate with long-standing Numsa policies. These include land expropriation without compensation and the nationalisation of the SA Reserve Bank. But, the meeting raised an uproar among some union members who were concerned that Jim could be pursuing personal ambitions by engaging with Dlamini-Zuma. Some were concerned because allies of President Jacob Zuma, who are also backers of Dlamini-Zuma, were behind the push for Numsa’s expulsion from Cosatu in 2013. Several attempts to question Jim were unsuccessful. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive. See too, Union leaders are not happy Dlamini-Zuma met with Numsa's Irvin Jim, at HuffPost
Over one million more could be unemployed in SA by end-2018 Fin24 reports that Momentum and Unisa conservatively estimate that a million more South Africans could be unemployed by the end of 2018. The latest Unisa Household Financial Wellness index indicates declining GDP growth rates, increasing levels of unemployment, stagnating job creation and sky-high levels of income and wealth inequality for the rest of 2017, stretching into 2018. The number of employed people grew from 14.1m in 2011 to 15.95m in 2016 and is expected to grow only marginally to 15.97m by the end of 2018, Unisa and Momentum said in a statement. At the same time the number of unemployed increased from 4.6m in 2011 to 5.9m in 2016 and will be about 7.2m at the end of 2018, which means that there will be about 1.3m more unemployed people at the end of 2018 compared to the end of 2016. “The unemployment rate increased from 24.8% in 2011 to 27% in 2016 and could be as high as 31% by the end of 2018 should current economic, demographic and employment trends continue,” the statement from Unisa and Momentum reads. Read this report in full at Fin24
Labour Appeal Court made a mistake with its ruling on labour brokers, says DA The Citizen reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) supports the decision by labour brokers to appeal the ruling of the Labour Appeal Court (LAC) that ‘brokered’ employees automatically become employees of the client company after three months. DA shadow minister of labour, Michael Bagraim, said the party did not agree with the ruling, and was hoping the Constitutional Court would look at the matter again. “The labour broking business is certainly not in any way incongruent with our legislative framework. Labour brokers are employers who are experts at the employment industry and assist companies on a regular basis when they require more staff than is normally required,” Bagraim stated. He made the point that as the matter now stood following the judgment, employees would lose their right to take court action against labour brokers because the latter would no longer be deemed to be an employer jointly with the contracting employer. Read this report by Gosebo Mathope in full at The Citizen
‘Just pay us, even if it’s in an envelope’, ANN7 employees tell management The Citizen reports that the latest decision by India’s Bank of Baroda to close the accounts of Gupta family-owned companies at the end of August has left employees at the Midrand-based ANN7 broadcaster in a pickle. In a meeting held on Tuesday, management allegedly confirmed to employees of the station that the Bank of Baroda had joined SA’s four major banks in announcing its intention to terminate their business accounts by the end of August. The management apparently asked employees to sign a petition, yet to be drafted, asking the Bank of Baroda to keep the family’s business accounts open for them to be able to transfer their salaries in future. One disgruntled employee said “all I want is my salary. It could even be in a brown envelope. I could not be bothered. I have financial obligations to meet.” But Clyde Mervin of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) said: “That is something that we will never allow. It is totally against the law and this may open the door for further transgressions, as those salaries have to be cleared by banks for tax and other compliance requirements.” Read this report by Gosebo Mathope in full at The Citizen. See too, Bank of Baroda sets deadline to shut Guptas' accounts, at BusinessLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
TVET exams for certain subjects postponed after papers leaked Netwerk24 reports that the examinations of thousands of students at Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges nationwide have been postponed by ten days after some exam papers leaked out. The students will now have to wait while new papers are printed and distributed to exam centres. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) confirmed on Thursday that eight papers that would have been written this week were leaked. The subjects affected are Mathematics N2, N3, N4, N5 and N6, Engineering Science N2 and N3 and Electro Technical N4. The new exam dates have already been sent to colleges and students. The results will be made known in time so that students who pass their exams can proceed to the next level. The exam schedule for other subjects remains unchanged. The Hawks are investigating the source of the leaks. (Loosely translated from Afrikaans) Read this report by Charné Kemp in full in Afrikaans at Netwerk24 (limit on access)
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Thursday, 27 July 2017 at SA Labour News
|
Get South African labour news reports at SA Labour News