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.
In our Tuesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Monday, 28 August 2017.
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Uber launches safety features to protect drivers BusinessLive reports that Uber has launched new safety features in the wake of a recent spate of attacks on driver-partners and passengers. Introduced after engagement with drivers, the features include Social Connect and Share My Trip. Uber said Social Connect would require new Uber cash customers to link their Facebook profile to their Uber account. The company would then verify the Facebook account using factors such as number of friends and linked phone numbers to ensure fake profiles were not being used. Social Connect will initially be limited to new sign-ups, with the potential to expand to Uber’s existing cash user base. The Social Connect function will be rolled out across SA, while Share My Trip will be piloted in Johannesburg and Pretoria. These new functions come on the back of a spate of incidents where drivers were intimidated and injured‚ with Uber driver Kgomotso Tiro attacked with acid earlier this month. Last week another Uber driver was shot and killed. Read this report by Jan Bornman in full at BusinessLive. See too, Taxi driver acid attack case postponed, at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Parliament’s mineral resources committee ‘deeply worried’ about mines health and safety ANA reports that the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources said on Monday that it was “deeply worried” about the sporadic seismic events that continued to claim lives in the mining sector. It called for a thorough investigation of the recent accident at a Harmony Gold mine. Three out of five mineworkers trapped underground on Friday following a seismic event were confirmed dead on Monday at the Kusasalethu mine near Carletonville. The remaining two miners remained unaccounted for as of Tuesday afternoon. The Portfolio Committee, through its chairperson Sahlulele Luzipo, expressed condolences to the families and friends of the three deceased mine workers. He said in a statement: “There has to be a way to prevent these (seismic) events, a research study should be conducted on how to detect them.” Luzipo was due to visit the mine on Tuesday and meet with management in order to establish the circumstances surrounding the deadly rockfall. Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read the Portfolio Committee’s statement at Parliament online. See too, Step up mining safety, says Mosebenzi Zwane after Harmony deaths, at BusinessLive NUM wants efforts to rescue trapped Kusasalethu miners stepped up ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Monday called for the rescue operation at Harmony Gold’s Kusasalethu Mine to be escalated to bring the remaining two trapped miners to surface. Five mineworkers were trapped underground on Friday morning after a rockfall. The bodies of three have since been recovered, while two miners remain unaccounted for. "The NUM want to take this opportunity to applaud the brave miners who went underground with the Proto team [the rescue team] who assisted in the recovery of the bodies especially the third body found early hours this [Monday] morning. We respect the role and sensitivity of the work of the Proto team," NUM Health and Safety Secretary Erick Gcilitshana said. The union conveyed its condolences to the families of the dead miners. Harmony Gold said search and rescue efforts would continue to recover the remaining two trapped employees. Read this report in full at IOL News. Read the NUM’s press statement in this regard at Cosatu Today How the fight against illegal mining threatens to explode BusinessLive reports that MPS were told last week that, unless problems bedevilling mining towns were tackled urgently, efforts to eradicate illegal mining operations and syndicates would soon be at a crisis point. This was said by officials of the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) at a joint meeting of the parliamentary committees on police and mineral resources. MPs were briefed on action being taken against illegal mining operations at surface mine sites and abandoned mining operations. They were warned that problems in mining towns must be tackled urgently to avert a showdown with zama zamas (illegal miners). It was said that illegal mining has left communities at the mercy of gangs, while the illegal miners remain vulnerable to deadly and unregulated mining activities at derelict shafts. Illegal mining has hit towns in Gauteng, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Free State and most recently, Limpopo. Hawks acting head Yolisa Matakata said the fight against illegal mining needed specialised officers and units. Read this report by Khulekani Magubane in full at BusinessLive Other labour / community posting(s) related to mining
Gauteng emergency services workers threaten shutdown next month if demands not met EWN reports that Gauteng emergency services workers have warned of a total shutdown next month if Premier David Makhura and Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa do not respond to their grievances. They marched to Makhura’s office in the Johannesburg CBD on Monday. The employees say they are working very long hours, but are not being paid fairly for this. They are apparently made to work 192 hours per month whereas the law prescribes that people should work 160. However, they have indicated that this would not be a problem if they were paid for the other 32 hours. The workers also want their colleagues who were dismissed in 2014 for working normal hours to be given their jobs back. Read this report by Masego Rahlaga in full at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
With employers at odds with each other, metals and engineering wage deal signed but not sealed BusinessLive writes that the recent wage agreement in the metals and engineering industry may have prevented a strike, but workers will have to wait a long time before benefiting from it. The deal that seeks to hike workers’ wages by up to 7% was signed by five trade unions, but only by a single employer association, namely the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa). Other employer bodies plan to fight against being included within the agreement’s terms. This follows the failure by employer organisations to reach consensus about wage offers during the initial stages of negotiations, when they opted to go their separate ways. While the Labour Relations Act makes provision for the Minister of Labour to extend the agreement to non-signatories, the National Employers’ Association of SA (Neasa) said it would block its ratification at the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC). "Any attempt by Seifsa and the trade unions to extend this agreement by unlawful means, as they have done in the past, will be met with the appropriate urgent legal action," said Neasa CEO Gerhard Papenfus. Another employer body opposed to the deal, the SA Engineers’ and Founders’ Association (Saefa), said Seifsa had underestimated the number of employers who would reject the deal. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive Liberated Metalworkers Union of SA rejects new MEIBC agreement Business Report writes that the Liberated Metalworkers Union of SA (Limusa) put out a statement on Monday to say that it was not surprised but once again shocked by the recent settlement agreement in the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC). Noting that the agreement would increase wages by 7 %, the Cosatu affiliate stated: “The development has become a norm in the metal industry where compromised agreements are concluded in board rooms … without workers lifting a figure to employers. This is however a fact that these settlements represents a decline in terms of achievements compared to previous bargaining rounds. There is no improvement factor in these settlements therefore in real terms the wages of workers are not increasing at all.” In an apparent reference to the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), Limusa said: "The real reasons the metal workers are not striking anymore is that the so called biggest metalworkers cannot take a strike because of financial challenges, dictatorship by one leader and leadership divisions, neglect of engineering sector and focussing on new industries and ideological confusion amongst other things." Limusa indicated that it was “in process of being party to the Council (i.e. MEIBC) to ensure that (in) the next round of negotiations metal workers has a voice that is caring inside the process." Read this report by Tamaryn Africa in full at Business Report. Read Limusa’s press statement at Cosatu Today Bargaining councils offered reprieve over neglected tax deductions on benefits BusinessLive reports that certain bargaining councils have for decades apparently neglected to deduct employees’ tax on benefits given to their members, but have now been offered the opportunity to become tax compliant. This would be by paying a hefty levy on the total employees’ tax that should have been deducted from all payments to members over the past five years. However, it seems as if there is a fair amount of confusion in the industry about the way forward and also concern that the relief offered to non-compliant bargaining councils is too narrow. What is clear is that once the councils are compliant, members can expect that the payments they receive will be smaller due to the tax deductions. In terms of the relief, a levy of 10% must be paid on all employees’ tax that was not deducted from payments made between 1 March 2012 and 28 February 2017. They will also have to pay 10% of the income tax that should have been paid in respect of all undeclared income for the same period. Read this report by Amanda Visser in full at BusinessLive
Free State premier promises to employ unemployed nurses The New Age reports that according to Free State Premier Ace Magashule there were about 280 qualified nurses, including professionals, assistance and staff nurses, in the province who were unemployed and whom he indicated were going to be hired. He was speaking after a sitting led by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Botshabelo on Friday. "We know they are unemployed and we are going to hire them and put them where there is available space," Magashule said. The NCOP was on a week-long visit to the Free State as part of its ‘Taking Parliament to the People’ programme to meet with communities about service delivery challenges. Staff shortages, medicine shortages and conditions of various health facilities came into sharp focus. Magashule called on the National Treasury to change the funding model and give more money and resources to struggling provinces such as his. Read this report by The New Age in full at HTSyndication Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Private Security Sector minimum wages set for a rise from 1 September The Department of Labour reports that, with effect from 1 September 201, the minimum wage applicable to the Private Security Sector will increase by an average of 6.4% in terms of the Sectoral Determination (SD) and will be applicable until 31 August 2018. The new minimum wage for Grade A security officers in Area A, which constitutes major metropolitan areas, will be R5,209 (Grade B - R4,668; Grade C - R4,102; and Grades D & E - R4,102). The new minimum wage for Grade A security officers in Area 2 (all other areas) will be R4,323 (Grade B - R3,934; and Grades C, D & E - R3,414). The latest increase in the Private Security SD will be in its third and last year of implementation. The SD prescribes minimum wages, number of leave days, working hours and termination rules. Get more details from the Department of Labour’s press statement at DOL online Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Government accused of ignoring millions who are owed retirement fund payouts eNCA reports that nearly four million South Africans are owed billions of rands in pension and provident fund benefits. According to the latest data, government and the private sector owe almost R42-billion in unpaid claims. Some residents from Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, are fighting back by launching the Unpaid Benefits Campaign. The campaign will help ensure that employers provide proper information to employees, which is often why pensions remain unclaimed. The campaign’s Bricks Mokolo said: “There is nothing done by the government or administrators of the funds to look after these people. This is also why the fund was called unclaimed. People didn’t claim because they were not looked after." This short report is at eNCA Other internet posting(s) in this news category
ANC asked to take up racism complaint against Rajesh Gupta for calling guards 'monkeys' BusinessLive reports that Lawyers for Human Rights and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation have approached the ANC to lead a case of racism against Rajesh ‘Tony’ Gupta at the SA Human Rights Commission‚ either as the sole complainant or with them. The organisations sent a letter to the ANC a week ago appealing for secretary general Gwede Mantashe to take up the complaint against Gupta for allegedly “referring to his employees as monkeys and causing them much distress”. They hope to get a response from the party by Friday. Similarities between this case and that of former estate agent Penny Sparrow – whom the ANC reported to the Equality Court – prompted the groups to ask the ANC to lead the way. Sparrow was found guilty for her racist attack comparing black beach goers to monkeys on Facebook and fined an effective R155‚000. She was also sentenced to two years in prison‚ suspended for five years. ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa has not responded to queries about the request. Read this report by Claire Keeton in full at BusinessLive. See too, Manyi says racism case against Guptas over ‘monkey’ slur is ‘speculation’, at The Citizen Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Cosatu slams FNB for firing employees for ‘exercising freedom of speech’ Business Report writes that Cosatu has condemned the “unfair dismissal” of four First National Bank (FNB) employees for making insulting comments about the DA leader Mmusi Maimane on WhatsApp and many other political comments. It has called on the bank to reconsider its decision and to reinstate them. In a statement on Monday, the labour federation stated: "No worker should be denied their right to earn a living because of some verbal infelicities. These workers have a constitutionally protected right to hold and express their views. While all employers have a legitimate level of curiosity on what their employers do and say during working hours, we reject the idea that people should be punished for participating in national discourse, even if they are using a flippant and jeering tone." The four, who were employed as premium bankers in Sandton, were fired for “political talk and using insulting language” after the bank monitored their business e-mails and WhatsApp group conversations for several months last year. Read this report in full at Business Report. Read Cosatu’s press statement at SA Labour News. See too, Cosatu kap FNB oor afgedankte werkers, at Netwerk24 (limit on access). And also, ‘White wife’ jibe backfires on FNB employees, at IOL News. As well as, Former FNB employees claim bank spied on them before dismissals, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Western Cape working on legislation to hold Prasa accountable for poor train services SABC News reports that the Western Cape government is working on legislation that would hold the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) accountable for the mismanagement of the province's train infrastructure. Premier Helen Zille said that Prasa's mismanagement was crippling a once vibrant rail-based commuter system in Cape Town. She particularly noted that there has been a 400% increase in train cancellations over the past two years. Zille’s spokesperson, Michael Mpofu, commented: “If Metrorail, which is owned by Prasa, has this monopoly and isn't functioning properly, then we need to look for a way of holding people accountable. Punitive measures need to be put in place. So, we're saying, as province, that is what we're working on and hoping that by the end of the term of office, we've tabled it and it has gone through.” This short report by Tanya George is at SABC News. Read the Western Cape government’s press statement in this regard at Politicsweb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Monday, 28 August 2017 at SA Labour News
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Get South African labour news reports at SA Labour News