In our Tuesday roundup, see summaries
of our selection of South African labour-
related stories that have appeared since
midday on Monday, 2 October 2017.
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Two more arrested for assassination-style murder of Harmony Gold regional manager ANA reports that two more suspects, aged 27 and 35, have been arrested for the murder of Harmony Gold manager Simphiwe Kubheka, police said on Monday. Khubeka, who was a Free State regional manager for the gold producer, was shot dead in his car assassination-style on Thursday last week. The two suspects were arrested on Sunday. A third suspect, Lehlohonolo Thethe, 25, who was arrested on Friday, appeared in court on Monday. All three suspects are expected to appear in the Welkom Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. There has been speculation that Kubheka was murdered by illegal miners. A short report is at Mining Weekly Vehicles of Bapo-Ba-Mogale tribal authority torched at protest for mine jobs ANA reports that no arrests have been made after four vehicles and a bus belonging to the Bapo-Ba-Mogale community in Bapong near Brits were set alight last week. Police are investigating malicious damage to property charges. Bapo-Ba-Mogale Tribal Authority spokesperson Vladimir Mogale said some unemployed people made their way to the royal palace on 27 September to raise concerns about job opportunities in the mines. "The community [unemployed] had raised issues with the leadership that relating to employment. They were frustrated that they were not employed in terms of an earlier agreement, this led to burning of vehicles," he indicated. In July at least six trucks and two buses were set alight during a protest related to unemployment in Bapong. A short report by Molaole Montsho is at IOL News NUM signs three-year agreement with Petra Diamonds covering multiple operations ANA reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has signed a three-year wage agreement with Petra Diamonds covering operations at the Cullinan Diamond Mine, Finsch Diamond Mine, Kimberley Ekapa Mining Joint Venture and Koffiefontein Joint Venture. This comes after a week-long strike when the union withdrew the labour of its members working in Petra Diamonds at the Koffiefontein Mine. The three-year wage agreement with Petra provides for annual increases to NUM members in the region of 9% to 10% for year one, and 8.5% for years two and three. It will be effective from July 2017 until June 2020. The living-out-allowance will amount to R1,200 for year one, R1,350 for year two, and R1,500 for year three. A home ownership scheme subsidy will amount to R1,300 this year and escalate to R1,500 in year three. Other improvements in conditions of service are detailed in the NUM’s press statement. Read this report in full at The Citizen. Read the NUM’s press statement in this regard at NUM online
Marikana: 653 plaintiffs lodged claims worth over R1.1bn, says SAPS News24 reports that MPs heard on Monday that the SA Police Service (SAPS) was in the process of settling 653 civil claims worth R1.17bn for injuries and deaths that occurred in the 2012 Marikana massacre. The exact amount from all 653 plaintiffs totalled R1,170,946,235 going back to 2014, legal services commander Lieutenant General Sally Kahn indicated. "This is in respect of injuries as a result of the shooting, claims to loss of support, assault, malicious prosecution and injuries as a result of arrest and detention," Khan told the portfolio committee on police. The dependents of 37 deceased miners have submitted claims for loss of financial support, 32 of which have been submitted to an actuary. One case has already been settled to a deceased miner's family of seven for just over R3m, paid in June this year. Other offers between R50,000 to R100,000 have been made for arrest and detention claims, depending on the number of days the plaintiffs were detained for. For those who filed assault claims, the SAPS awaits expert documents which will be made available at the end of November. Read this report by Paul Herman in full at News24
Farm worker (116) wins right to be buried on Limpopo farm EWN reports that centenarian John Chisale has been buried on the farm he had been fighting to live on after a High Court ruling in Limpopo on Friday. The current owner had been threatening to evict him and his family, and after Chisale died his body lay in a mortuary for weeks before the ruling made it possible for him to be buried on the farm on Sunday. The 116-year-old Malawian national began working on the Lephalale farm when he arrived in SA in 1947. Represented by the Nkuzi Development Association, Chisale first approached the courts in 2006 to challenge what he described as unfair treatment by Isabella Pistorius, the daughter of original farm owner. The association’s Vasco Mabunda said Chisale’s case has been made prominent by media coverage, but for many farm dwellers it was nothing new. Chisale is survived by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren who fear they may still be kicked off the land they call home. Read this report by Masechaba Sefularo in full at EWN Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Metalworkers to intensify wage strike at South32 Hillside smelter in Richards Bay ANA reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) on Monday vowed to intensify its strike against South 32 in KwaZulu-Natal after a marathon negotiation session to resolve the strike deadlocked. Over 600 members of the union last week downed tools at the global mining company’s Hillside aluminium smelter in Richards Bay over wages. They are demanding, among other items, a one-year 7.5% wage increase across the board, South 32 to contribute towards medical aid, a 20% performance bonus and R5,000 in housing allowances. Instead, South 32 is offering a three-year wage deal where in year one workers would get a 5.1% salary increase, no salary increase in year two but a R3,083 per month or R37,000 minimum cash payment, and an inflation based increase in year three. Numsa’s Irvin Jim commented: “Instead of giving a wage increase they want to try and bribe our members with cash. Their behaviour is reminiscent of racist farm owners who pay workers using a tot system of paying with alcohol, instead of paying wages. As long as they refuse to increase the basic salary, they are stealing from our members and their families.” Read this report in full at The Citizen Striking 10111 call centre workers threaten legal action against SAPS TimesLive reports that police emergency call centre workers are forging ahead with an unprotected strike and have threatened to take legal action against their employer. The SA Policing Union (Sapu) and the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) briefed the media on Monday and said they were opposed to the resolution agreement that was signed by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and management. Sapu president Mpho Kwinka said: “This agreement does not address the issues we are fighting for. If they go ahead and impose the agreement we will take it to court.” National negotiator Alfred Tlou said the agreement in contention would transfer call centre agents from being public service agents to the police services. According to him, this would not benefit the workers when migrated and was also a way to get rid of some of the staff. Read this report by Mothusi Masemola in full at TimesLive. See too, Sapu, Saftu consider legal action against SAPS over 10111 call centre strike, at EWN. Read the Sapu/Saftu press statement in this regard at Saftu online Emergency call centre strikers to march to Union Buildings on 16 October eNCA reports that 10111 emergency call centre workers will continue with the strike they initiated in July and aim to march to the Union Buildings on 16 October to demand a review of their salary grading. “Taking into account the work that these people do, it is more dangerous than the work that is being done by other call centre members who are earning more than what they are earning,” SA Policing Union (Sapu) president Mpho Kwinika said. He went on to indicate: “A case study was done and when it was concluded, the police had to review salary grading from level five to seven, which was feasible and doable. But when general Phiyega was out of office, those who came in felt that they would no longer implement.” Sapu also said plans to reduce police numbers would only exacerbate the crime situation in places like Phillipi in Cape Town. Read this report in full at eNCA. See too, SA police ministry doesn’t care about 10111 users, says Vavi, at The Citizen. And also, Luister na ons, vra 10111-werkers, at Netwerk24 (limit on access). As well as, Our families are suffering, say striking 10111 call centre workers, at News24 Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Samwu members accuse Joburg mayor Mashaba of sowing divisions within union EWN reports that members of the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) in the Joburg region have accused Mayor Herman Mashaba of trying to divide and destabilise the union for his own political gain. This follows the reappointment to City Power last week of Vuyani Singonzo, who claimed he was unfairly dismissed by the previous ANC-led government for exposing corruption. Samwu’s Bafana Zungu said Mashaba wanted to ensure the union was not functioning nor effective. “He takes people who are former leaders of Samwu and influences them to fight his battles.” But Mashaba clasimed Zungu was not part of the legitimate Samwu faction which was being recognised. A Labour Court ruled Zungu faction was legitimate, but an appeal is still pending. Samwu said in a statement last month that it supported a motion of no confidence in Mashaba which the ANC tried to file in the city council. A short report by Mia Lindeque is at EWN
SAPS denies plan to shed posts, but is looking to freeze 3,000 positions The Star reports that the Police Ministry has dismissed reports that it plans to shed 3,000 jobs to curb its budget spending, with spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga saying the plans in its performance report believed to have been tabled before the National Treasury had been misinterpreted. “All we are doing is freezing 3,000 posts due to economic constraints … We are now sitting with about 195,000 posts filled and are short of about 3000 (posts) to reach our target. For financial reasons, we will have to freeze those posts and not hire more personnel,” said Mhaga. But he could not say which posts had been frozen. The SAPS’s national spokesperson, Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo, said they were recruiting new employees as they usually did. But the acting police commissioner’s spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe indicated that the SAPS was going through a rationalisation process that would only affect office workers and not police officers on the ground. “We are looking at giving people additional work to do. In the case of someone dying or resigning, we will not fill that vacancy. Instead, an existing employee will take over those duties. It’s a cost-saving measure, but that process has not started yet.” Read this report by Lindile Sifile in full at The Star
Barclays Africa grants CEO Maria Ramos a R24m long-term incentive award Business Report writes that Barclays Africa has awarded chief executive officer Maria Ramos a R24m long-term incentive award, the company announced on Monday. The award was designed to incentivise performance through a combination of financial and non-financial performance targets and would vest no earlier than 31 July 2020. This, the company said, was subject to the achievement of performance targets. Barclays also announced that it had granted long-term incentive awards to Deputy Chief Executive Officer David Hodnett (R21m), Deputy Chief Executive Officer Peter Matlare (R19.5m), Finance Director Jason Quinn (R14m) and Group Company Secretary Nadine Drutman (R5m). This short report is at Business Report
TVET workers in Joburg block entrance to Parktown college over pay progression Sowetan reports that disgruntled workers from seven Central Johannesburg Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) branches blocked the entrance to the college in Parktown on Monday‚ demanding pay progression. The college‚ which is preparing for graduations on Friday and exams next week‚ was disrupted by angry workers who claimed they have waited for three years. “Graduations on Friday will not happen if we are not paid what is due to us. Same thing will happen with the exams‚ we will keep all TVET colleges closed‚” threatened the workers, who had camped outside the college gate. Desmond April, principal of the colleges, said the workers were on an illegal unprotected strike and added: “When I arrived this morning the gates were locked. Workers are complaining about their monies that have been outstanding since April 1 2015 when the department migrated the colleges. A resolution was made by the department - not the college.” Read this report by Yoliswa Sobuwa in full at TimesLive Other internet posting(s) in this news category
Labour federation Fedusa appeals to Transport Minister to appoint a new Prasa board City Press reports that the Federation of Unions of SA (Fedusa) and its affiliate in railway passenger transport, the United National Transport Union (Untu), have made an urgent call for to Transport Minister, Joe Maswanganyi, to appoint a new Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) board. Fedusa says it is “deeply disturbed” by the absence of a board and CEO at Prasa. Prasa has been without a board since July when the term of the previous board under the three-year chairmanship of former North West Premier, Popo Molefe, came to an end. Furthermore, most of the executive management positions, including that of CEO of Prasa, are currently held by managers in an acting capacity. Read this report by Vukile Dlwati in full at City Press
See our listing of links to labour articles published on the internet on Monday, 2 October 2017 at SA Labour News
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