In our Tuesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Friday, 22 September 2017.
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Schools‚ mines and municipalities to be disrupted by Cosatu’s strike on Wednesday TimesLive reports that schools‚ municipalities and mines are expected to be disrupted on Wednesday as members of labour federation Cosatu march against state capture and corruption. The one-day strike is aimed at making the ANC address workers’ concerns over the looting of State coffers. The strike will be followed by another in October‚ when Cosatu members plan to take to the streets over job losses which have been attributed directly to state capture. This week’s strike‚ to be supported by off-duty police and nurses‚ will see people march on the country’s various city halls‚ banks‚ the Chamber of Mines‚ Eskom, the offices of provincial premiers and the SA Local Government Association. Sadtu’s Mugwena Maluleka said all schools would shut down, while the NUM’s David Sipunzi said they were expecting a total shutdown of mines. Samwu spokesman Papikie Mohale said only municipal staff who were part of emergency services‚ would be at work “and then it will only be skeleton staff shifts”. Denosa’s Sibongiseni Delihlazo said all staff not working would join the strike. Read this report by Graeme Hosken in full at TimesLive Numsa calls Cosatu’s strike planned for Wednesday an ‘act of desperation’ ANA reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) will not support labour federation Cosatu’s call for a socio-economic strike on Wednesday, 27 September 2017. “Cosatu called for all workers to go on strike against state capture and corruption. The irony is that the federation is very much a part of the system of ‘kleptocracy’ and ‘neopatrimonialism’ which has captured the ANC,” Numsa general secretary Irvin Jim said in a statement. He added that Numsa viewed the calls for a socio-economic strike against the very government which Cosatu was in alliance with, as nothing more than the federation’s “desperate attempt to remain relevant”. Numsa called on all its members not to participate in the strike. Read this report in full at eNCA. Read Numsa’s press statement in this regard at Politicsweb Cosatu says all affiliates behind Wednesday’s strike against state capture EWN reports that according to labour federation Cosatu all its union affiliates are standing firmly behind the planned national strike on Wednesday against state capture. It insists there are no divisions on the matter despite its former affiliate the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) having called the stay-away "a desperate move". The federation’s general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said they were ready for Wednesday’s strike, which would be ‘protected’. A short report by Mia Lindeque is at EWN. See too, Cosatu says Wednesday’s strike will go on, at eNCA Organised business backs Cosatu march against state capture BusinessLive reports that in an unprecedented move, business organisations have thrown their weight behind Cosatu’s national protest on Wednesday against corruption and state capture. The labour federation plans to lead about 100,000 of its members to the streets in the major cities in a call for an end to corrupt activities, which have drained the fiscus. Cosatu has been granted a ‘section 77’ certificate by Nedlac to protect workers who take part in the protest. Business Leadership SA (BLSA) and Business Unity SA (Busa) say they support the marches. While ordinarily business would be against any action that threatened productivity, BLSA CEO Bonang Mohale said the country found itself in "extraordinary times", which called for "unusual bedfellows". The one thing that aligned the country’s social partners was the effect corruption had on the country and the economy, Busa CEO Tanya Cohen said. The planned marches have been criticised by former Cosatu affiliates, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) and the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu). Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive. See too, Cosatu strike receives backing from business groups, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Flying squad constable shot and killed in Soweto on Sunday News24 reports that a police officer was shot and killed while following a vehicle with suspicious occupants in Soweto West on Sunday. The 36-year-old constable and two other offices attached to the Flying Squad had been on routine crime prevention duty and had spotted a silver Mercedes Benz with tinted windows at the Engen filling station in Mofolo South. They followed it to Elias Motswaledi Road, where the suspects suddenly opened fire at the police vehicle. The constable, who was driving, was shot in the upper body and died at the scene. A 14-year old passer-by was also shot and was rushed to hospital. Read this report in full at News24. Read the statement by the SAPS in this respect in full at SAPS online City of Cape Town calls for urgent arrest following murder of Golden Arrow bus driver EWN reports that the City of Cape Town has called on police to urgently find and arrest those responsible for the death of a Golden Arrow bus driver. The man was shot and killed while behind the wheel in Nyanga on Saturday. This caused the bus to crash into two houses as it veered off the road. The city said it was "shocked" and "sickened" by the attack on the bus driver. Noting that transport infrastructure had become an easy target for attackers, mayoral committee member Brett Herron called on police to ensure the perpetrators faced prosecution, adding they could not allow criminals to undermine and sabotage the public transport system. A short report by Ilze-Marie Le Roux is at EWN. See too, Cape Town police launch manhunt for bus driver's killer, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Amcu member shot and killed on Friday in front of six-year-old daughter News 24 reports that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) said on Saturday that one of its members at the Lonmin mine in Wonderkop, North West, had been shot and killed in front of his six-year-old daughter. Amcu president Joseph Mathunjwa said in a statement that Mvelisi Biyela, a health and safety office bearer at the platinum producer, had been gunned down outside his house on Friday. Mathunjwa said the death of Biyela had left them "shaken", but they would not be intimidated. Over the last months more than five leaders have been killed. On Tuesday, Amcu is expected to hold a press conference to announce a campaign of rolling mass action against the “war” on the union. Read this report by Iavan Pijoos in full at News24. Read Amcu’s press statement at Politicsweb Our people are being killed apartheid-era style, says Amcu’s Mathunjwa ANA reports that Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) president Joseph Mathunjwa said on Thursday at a wide-ranging press briefing at the National Press Club in Pretoria that the police have not shown zeal in investigating the continuous targeting and killing of leaders of Amcu. Saying there was a concerted attack on Amcu, targeting its leadership particularly in Rustenburg, he claimed the killings “seem to be a carefully planned, well-funded hit program on Amcu members by trained, armed and well-resourced hit men who have murdered, injured and attacked people. This is informed by the weapons used.” Mathunjwa went on to claim: “This looks very much like the third force violence the apartheid state unleashed on the democratic and workers movement during the negotiations for a political settlement. (In respect of the) current killing it will be difficult for Amcu to divorce it from (the) 2014 Amcu living wage strike whereby the State used expelled Amcu members to form a rivalry union to destabilise and to break the strike.” Mathunjwa indicated that the union was channeling considerable resources towards private investigations in its bid to bare the truth over the killings of its members. Read this report in full at The Citizen. See too, Amcu blames ‘third force’ for mine violence, at The New Age. And also, Amcu concerned by murders on platinum belt, at EWN Impala Platinum says exploring all options to prevent job cuts EWN reports that mining company Impala Platinum says it’s exploring all channels in a bid prevent job cuts at its Rustenburg operations. Earlier this week, the platinum producer announced that 2,500 jobs might be at risk after the mine failed to return to profitability for the fourth year in a row. Implats cited low metal prices and increasing production costs as reasons for the possible cuts. Spokesperson Johan Theron indicated: "The length of time that metal prices have remained low, has now caught up with all those efforts but it doesn’t mean we’re going to stop paying attention to all those other mechanisms. It just means that we now more robustly have to look at labour costs and how that can be optimized as well." SA’s mining industry has shed close to 70,000 jobs since 2012 in the face of volatile prices, soaring costs, labour and social unrest and policy uncertainty. This short report is at EWN NUM, AngloGold agree on retrenchment payouts prior to sale of Kopanang mine City Press reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and AngloGold Ashanti have reached an agreement in terms of which all workers at Kopanang mine will be paid their retrenchment packages before the company finalises the sale of the mine. The sale of the North West mine is expected to be finalised soon. Joseph Montisetse, NUM deputy president, indicated that the union had signed a memorandum of understanding with the mine in this regard. He went on to say: “This is an achievement for NUM members and other workers because the union did not want to see a sad and painful experience like that which happened to Aurora workers. The payout will not be provident or pension, just retrenchment packages. We have agreed that workers will get their money before October 16.” Read this report by Lesetja Malope in full at Fin24 NUM and Solidarity sign three-year wage agreement with Assmang Mining Weekly reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and Solidarity have secured a three-year wage agreement with iron-ore and manganese miner Assmang at its operations in the Northern Cape. Assmang, a joint venture between Assore and African Rainbow Minerals, operates the Khumani iron-ore mine, the Beeshoek iron-ore mine and the Black Rock manganese mines. The agreement will see lowest-earning mineworkers across the operations receive an 8% increase in the first and second year and 7% in the third year. The agreement also provides for the payment of a once-off R10,000 tax-free cash allowance, an increase in family responsibility leave to five days and maternity and medical-related travel assistance provisions. Assmang will also pay an underground allowance of R600 a month for the first year, R650 for the second year and R700 for the third year. A short report is at Mining Weekly. The NUM’s press statement is at Cosatu Today NUM members at Northern Cape diamond mine expected to go on strike on Tuesday EWN reports that several hundred members of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) at Petra Diamonds’ Finsch Mine in the Northern Cape were expected to go on a planned strike on Tuesday morning. Last week, 67 workers at the mine staged a four-day protest underground and only agreed to surface on Friday morning on condition that no disciplinary action would be taken against them. The NUM’s Teboho Kgomongoe indicated that, since surfacing, mine management had not attempted in any manner to contact them to try to reach a compromise in order to avoid a protest. Amongst their demands, the workers are demanding a 10% wage hike across the board every year for three years. A short report by Pelane Phakgadi is at EWN. The NUM’s press statement, which lists its demands, is at NUM online Khulubuse faces sequestration after failing to make payment to Pamodzi liquidators City Press reports that Khulubuse Zuma faces sequestration and the exposure of all his financial affairs after he stopped paying his debts to the liquidators of the ruined Pamodzi gold mines. In July, Zuma mysteriously failed to pay a monthly sum of R500,000 to the liquidators in terms of the settlement agreed to last year. Now, instead of the roughly R12m President Jacob Zuma’s nephew still owes under the settlement deal, liquidators will try to raid his estate for far more. However, Zuma was apparently granted residency in the United Arab Emirates last year and is said to be unconcerned about the sequestration, which he believes will not affect him financially. The settlement agreement relates to Zuma’s personal liability for the collapse of the Pamodzi mines, which he took over together with former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson Zondwa, as well as Thulani Ngubane and Fazel and Solly Bhana. The collapse of the mines – situated in Orkney in North West and Springs in Gauteng – left thousands of workers destitute. After Zuma failed to pay in July, a letter of demand was sent to him and he coughed up R200,000 last month. In return, the liquidators launched a sequestration application to put Zuma’s estate under the control of trustees. Read this detailed report by Dewald Van Rensburg in full at City Press NUM in bid to avert job losses after closure of Gupta banking accounts EWN reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says it has decided to meet with various institutions, including the banks that closed the Gupta family’s accounts, in an attempt to prevent a jobs bloodbath. Gupta-linked companies recently lost a court bid to stop the Bank of Baroda from closing their remaining accounts in South Africa. NUM leaders met for a national executive committee meeting at the weekend and were due to hold a briefing on Tuesday to discuss their resolutions. The union's president Piet Matosa said: “We have taken a number of decisions. And those decisions include meeting and approaching a number of institutions.” This short report by Clement Manyathela is at EWN. Read too, ‘Pay agents’ undermine Guptas’ job loss cry, at City Press Other labour / community posting(s) relating to mining
Hammanskraal bus strike to affect thousands in Pretoria again on Tuesday SABC News reports that thousands of commuters in the Hammanskraal area, north of Pretoria, will be stranded again on Tuesday as the SA Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) continues with its bus strike. Last week, striking workers prevented about 700 busses from operating in and around four provinces. Drivers are demanding that the busses be replaced and their working conditions be improved. Satawu’s Sandy Motlhakeng said they met with management, and came to an agreement that a tender for new or rented busses be advertised within a week. He added: “If maybe we have the document at our disposal, as the organisation we are going put a strike on hold. If that document does not appear in any of the newspapers, automatically we are going to continue with the strike.” A short report is at SABC News Mpact says it’s not involved in wage talks with Numsa Business Report writes that Mpact, which was previously known as Mondi Packaging SA, said on Friday that it was not involved with wage negotiations with the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa). The company was responding to reports that its workers at Mpact Plastics in Pinetown had gone on a strike following a breakdown in negotiations. Mpact said the striking workers belonged to an independent service provider to Mpact Plastics. According to general manager Paul Visagie, Mpact concluded its wage negotiations through the appropriate structures, namely the Plastics Negotiations Forum (PNF), falling within the scope of the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council (MEIBC). The company involved in negotiations with Numsa is apparently an independent service provider that provides packing services to Mpact’s plastics operation in Pinetown. Mpact is one of the largest paper and packaging businesses in Southern Africa. Numsa said at least 140 contract workers have been on strike because they want to be permanently employed. They have refused a R2.50-an-hour wage increment. Read this report by Sandile Mchunu Business Report SA Post Office prepared for strike by CWU members EWN reports that the SA Post Office (Sapo) says it has contingency plans in place to deal with a strike by the Communications Workers Union (CWU). The union last week served the Post Office with a 48-hour notice of intention to strike. While Sapo expects some of its employees to join the demonstration, it does not expect any of its services to be disrupted. CEO Mark Barnes indicated that Sapo has communicated with its clients, staff and stakeholders and that “the whole thing is being professionally managed and we don’t expect it to be disruptive.” Network distributors, Sentech and Broadband Infraco, are expected to be affected as a result of the strike. This short report by Kgomotso Modise is at EWN Clover says Giwusa’s resumption of strike will be ‘illegal’ The New Age reports that Clover was due on Tuesday to be faced with an “illegal” national strike, with about 2,100 members of General Industries Workers’ Union of SA (Giwusa) intending to down tools in demand for an 11.5 % wage increase and a monthly housing subsidy of R1,500. The union said protracted wage negotiations, which have been held over the past four months, had not yielded a satisfactory resolution. Yet, Clover claimed the strike was suspended on 21 September and went on to state: “We have not received any communication from the Giwusa team advising us that the previously agreed suspension is no longer valid. If Giwusa-affiliated members proceed with the strike action today, this will be considered as an illegal or unprotected strike.” But, Giwusa’s Godfrey Motene responded: “Clover is playing games, it is not true that our strike was officially suspended. We initially suspended the strike during the time we rejected their latest wage offer on Friday, we subsequently served another 48-hour strike notice as a result. We are going ahead with our strike today.” Clover apparently held separate negotiations with the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu), which is also recognised. Fawu’s Pulane Maine said: “We can confirm that our members are happy with what Clover has offered and there are no other outstanding issues. Read this report by Refilwe Magashule in full at The New Age
Lay people from PR firm allegedly dispensing online medical advice to GEMS members TimesLive reports that the Government Employee Medical Scheme (GEMS) and a private public relations firm, Martina Nicholson Associations (MNA), have been accused of using lay people to give incorrect medical advice to patients who think it is a doctor offering free online help. Members of GEMS are led to believe a medical doctor is answering their health-related questions posed online. In what experts describe as unethical and potentially illegal, the advice column “House Call with Dr Joe” was launched in April 2014. The advice column is managed by MNA, which handles the public relations for GEMS, Netcare and Universal healthcare. Martina Nicholson of MNA has denied any wrongdoing and insists all questions were answered by a medical doctor. But two former staffers have revealed that they and Nicholson herself answered questions on cancer, fertility, depression, infections, medication use and treating children's concentration issues, all by using "Dr Google". Doctors approached to comment pointed out mistakes in several answers. A Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) spokesperson said if true, the actions by Nicholson amounted to a “criminal offence.” Read this report by Katharine Child in full at TimesLive
Teacher unions reject DA proposal of limit on principals’ right to strike BusinessLive reports that teachers’ unions have slated a proposal by the Democratic Alliance (DA) for a limit to be placed on the right to strike in the education sector. In a discussion document on essential service in education, the DA called for a limitation on the right of principals to stop work. The ANC has also previously called for teaching to be declared an essential service. DA MP Ian Ollis said: "It is vital that principals and support staff at schools are declared an essential service as this will result in children being protected from the adverse effects of protest action." SA Democratic Teachers’ Union (Sadtu) general secretary Mugwena Maluleke said the DA’s proposal was a political gimmick. He added: "Principals are workers in terms of the Labour Relations Act and qualify for all the rights that other workers qualify for, including the right to strike." Basil Manuel of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA (Naptosa) echoed Maluleke’s views, saying "teaching and the position of principals cannot be declared an essential service". Read this report by Bekezela Phakathi in full at BusinessLive. See too, DA wants jobs of principals, deputies declared essential services, at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Malusi Gigaba and PIC to meet on Tuesday to clear up ‘plan’ to raid pensions BusinessLive reports that Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba and the board of the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) were due to hold a crunch meeting on Tuesday to deal with reports that the government was planning to raid the fund manager to bail out struggling companies under its control. The meeting was intended to deal with what Gigaba called "untrue, malicious and unconstructive" reports alleging that the Treasury was aiming to raid the pensions of public servants for at least R100bn to bail out struggling state-owned entities (SOEs). Bloomberg reported that the Treasury wanted R100bn. "No formal or informal request has been sent to the PIC for such funds," Gigaba said. He has less than a month to find the R15bn that is desperately needed for airlines SAA and SA Express and the national broadcaster SABC. The finance minister has also said Eskom needed "soft support", while other SOEs are known to need billions of rands to keep operating. A short report is at BusinessLive. See too, Treasury refutes claims it made R100bn pensions request, at Moneyweb. And also, Gigaba warned over 'raid on PIC billions', at IOL News Fedusa considers ditching PIC as asset manager for members Business Report writes that a week after the Public Investment Corporation’s (PIC’s) chief executive Dr Dan Matjila survived attempts to have him removed from his position, the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) on Thursday said it was seriously considering ditching the fund manager as an investment vehicle for its 230,000-strong state employees members. The PIC oversees nearly R2 trillion in assets on behalf of government employees. Dennis George, general secretary of Fedusa, said that while the federation was of the view that the PIC was currently well run, it believed moves were afoot to ‘capture’ the organisation. “We are concerned that the lack of good governance at state-owned entities will spill over to the PIC … We are warning the government that pulling out of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) is one of the options we are considering in protecting the interest of our members,” George stated. According to the PIC’s 2016 annual report, the GEPF is the largest client, with a contribution of 88.2% of total assets under management. Meanwhile, Sizwe Pamla of rival federation Cosatu said they had discussed the PIC, but had not reached a stage where they were contemplating ditching the asset manager, but wanted more transparency. Read this report by Kabelo Khumalo in full at Business Report. Read too, PIC threatened as workers may pull funds, at Moneyweb Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Labour ministry launches probe into in-fighting between staff and management at CCMA BusinessLive reports that the labour ministry says it’s concerned about hostility between staff and management at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). The CCMA reports to the Labour Department. Minister Mildred Oliphant and her deputy, Phathekile Holomisa, said they were confident the issues would be speedily resolved by an investigation they had launched into multiple allegations levelled against CCMA director Cameron Morajane and members of his executive committee by the organisation’s staff in Johannesburg. On Wednesday Business Day reported that CCMA staff had submitted a list of grievances to Holomisa, who had set the wheels in motion for an internal probe. Dissatisfied workers said their complaints submission had run to dozens of pages. Among other things, they had complained about wasteful expenditure, pay disparities and purging. Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive
Racism complaint against Rajesh Gupta for calling employees monkeys laid with SAHRC BusinessLive reports that the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) confirmed on Thursday that Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation lodged a complaint of racism against Rajesh Gupta with the Gauteng office this week. The matter is currently being assessed. LHR and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation approached the ANC to lead the complaint against Gupta for allegedly "referring to his employees as monkeys and causing them much distress", but the party refused. The social justice organisations want the commission to order Gupta to pay R150‚000 compensation to the two guards and R150‚000 to institutions that work against hate speech. They also want him to tender an unconditional verbal apology‚ attend equality sensitivity training, and perform community service. Read this report by Claire Keeton in full at BusinessLive
Sex-for-jobs scandal involving HR manager rocks Soweto hospital The Star reports that some women employees claim they have been forced to sleep with a senior manager in a sex-for-jobs scandal that has rocked Soweto’s Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital, which opened in 2014. A probe into the scandal has also revealed that most of the alleged victims had paid corrupt officials varying amounts to get employment at the medical facility. At least five female employees currently working at the hospital in Jabavu have allegedly slept with the human resources officer at the centre of the scandal to secure their jobs, while others were allegedly fired for rejecting his advances. The alleged sex predator’s modus operandi was to target female colleagues facing disciplinary action for having paid to acquire their jobs. He would then take advantage of their anxiety at the possibility of losing their jobs by allegedly demanding sex from them as a way of avoiding disciplinary processes. Early this year, the health department launched an investigation into the alleged selling of jobs at the hospital in which five employees were implicated. It is still unknown how the investigation was concluded. Read this report by Lindile Sifile in full at The Star
Cosatu lays charges against Metrorail with Cape Town police GroundUp reports that on Thursday‚ Tony Ehrenreich‚ Western Cape Provincial Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu)‚ laid charges against Metrorail at Cape Town Central Police Station. At issue is the worsening situation of train transport over the past 10 years. “Cosatu members depend on the trains and complain to us on a daily basis about the bad service. When the trains are late workers lose production. The loss of production also makes companies miss their deadlines and targets and this jeopardises orders‚” Ehrenreich said. In a press statement Cosatu indicated: “The charges are for reckless endangerment of Cosatu members and commuters on the trains” due to chronic overcrowding. A spokesperson for Metrorail said they would study the charges once laid and, if it then became a legal process, that must follow due course. Read this report by Tariro Washinyira of GroundUp in full at TimesLive. Read Cosatu’s press statement at SA Labour News Labour federation Fedusa calls for return of railway police ANA reports that the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) on Monday called for urgent action to stop criminality on trains, including the reintroduction of the railway police. In a statement, Fedusa said decisive action was particularly needed in the Cape Town area, which has borne the brunt of violent attacks against train commuters. Fedusa general secretary Dennis George noted that in the province a total of 32 commuters have been murdered over the past two years and 66 people have been seriously injured. While 12 suspects have been arrested for these murders, only one of them has been convicted." George called on the Western Cape Provincial Government to act decisively to stop the rampant crime on trains. Fedusa President Godfrey Selematsela added: "As Fedusa, we call on Prasa (Passenger Rail Agency of SA) to reintroduce the Railway Police to monitor trains, protect the commuters including our members who work for the institution." Read this report in full at IOL News. Read Fedusa’s press statement at SA Labour News
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet from Friday, 22 September 2017 at Monday, 25 September 2017 at SA Labour News
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