by Dev_SACCAWU | General
BL Premium reports that consumer inflation accelerated slightly to an annual rate of 3% in December from 2.9% a month earlier, reinforcing expectations of a 25 basis point interest rate cut at the Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting next week. Month-on-month inflation as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) accelerated by 0.1%, reflecting mild upward pressure in the final month of the year. The numbers were better than expected as economists had forecast an increase of between 3.1% and 3.2% year-on-year and a monthly rise of 0.2% to 0.3%. Wednesday’s data from Stats SA highlighted persistent pressures from housing and food costs, though the overall rate is at the bottom of the Bank’s 3%-6% target range. Annual inflation for food and nonalcoholic beverages stood at 2.5%, while the annual inflation rate for housing and utilities was 4.4% reflecting the upward trend in rentals and utility services. Investec chief economist Annabel Bishop commented. “With CPI well below the midpoint of the inflation target of 4.5% year-on-year, and likely to remain so for the rest of this year and most of the first half of next year, the MPC is still expected to trim interest rates this month, by 25 basis points.”
Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jana Marx at BusinessLive (subscriber access only<). Read too, SA inflation rate remains favourable despite fuel price hikes, at The Citizen
by Dev_SACCAWU | General
BL Premium reports that SA’s labour federations admit they have failed workers by not uniting to confront the socioeconomic challenges that have relegated many members into unemployment queues and abject poverty. Speaking at Nedlac’s annual labour school in Pretoria this week, deputy president Paul Mashatile noted that the meeting was taking place as the world faced multiple crises “characterised by inequality, high levels of unemployment, climate change, wars, migration, urbanisation, and the growing youth dividend”. The event, attended by leaders of labour federations Cosatu, Fedusa, Nactu and Saftu, was effectively a planning session for the year ahead. Mashatile urged organised labour to provide innovative solutions on how best to strengthen the economy, build social cohesion and improve governance systems, placing the needs of workers at the forefront. However, Nactu president Pat Mphela, said workers had “lost hope in organised labour” while the federation believed “we have failed the workers and communities”, a situation that needed to be urgently addressed. Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi said Nedlac partners needed to develop a comprehensive plan to address the socioeconomic challenges that “our members and communities face. We need to come with concrete actions and not simply to lament”. Fedusa general secretary Riefdah Ajam pointed out that government policy on state-owned enterprises was increasingly leaning towards privatisation, “framed as a solution to inefficiency and financial mismanagement”. He added: “History has shown that privatisation leads to job losses, reduced public access to essential services, and deteriorating working conditions.”
Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
by Dev_SACCAWU | General
BL Premium reports that the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has called off a strike set for Thursday at Silulumanzi, a water services company in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, after agreeing to a 6.5% pay increase. “The increase will be applicable from the end of this month … it is valid from January 1 to December 31 2025. The strike has officially been averted,” Numsa’s Pholo Sebotsa said on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier, Sebotsa had threatened strike action if Silulumanzi did not accede to Numsa’s demand for a 7% wage increase. The demand was revised to 6.5% after Silulumanzi offered 6%. The union was granted a 48-hour strike notice issued by the CCMA after talks deadlocked. “The company and unions have successfully reached a settlement, which will allow us to avoid any disruption of services due to a potential strike,” Silulumanzi spokesperson Richmond Jele said in an update to customers after the pay agreement was signed. Silulumanzi supplies water daily to 400,000 people across Mbombela. It also provides wastewater services across the region. The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) signed a one-year wage deal in July last year for an increase of 7% for workers in the water sector represented in the Amanzi Bargaining Council. The deal between Samwu and SA’s water boards is effective until 30 June 2025.
Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
by Dev_SACCAWU | General
SABC News reports that the SA Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) has announced plans to escalate its campaign for the placement of unemployed doctors by engaging directly with the Finance Minister. This decision follows a series of protests across various provinces, including one in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday, aimed at highlighting the challenges faced by unemployed doctors and the potential to address problems in public health services. SAMATU general secretary Dr. Cedric Sihlangu indicated: “There’ll also be a national protest to the Finance Minister on the 31st of January because, by and large, all these issues pertaining to unemployment of doctors – if you go to the Minister of Health, he’ll tell you that it’s a finance issue and he’s trying to discuss with the National Treasury. If you go to the MEC, he’ll cite that it’s a fiscal constraint issue.” Sihlangu added: “The national leadership of SAMATU decided to take these to the doorsteps of the Finance Minister simply to raise the plight, not only of unemployed doctors. In fact, the lack and under-staffing of these clinics and hospitals directly impacts accessing adequate healthcare services to these communities.”
Read the original of the short report in the above regard at SABC News. Read too, Eastern Cape premier listens to desperate pleas of unemployed doctors, at City Press
by Dev_SACCAWU | General
Cape Times reports that the Labour Court has turned down an application by an employee who was dismissed from his job at Overberg AgriBedrywe for using his cellphone while operating heavy machinery, which breached the company’s safety policies. The dismissed employee, who argued that his firing was unfair, was a qualified fitter and turner with 17 years’ experience. He was dismissed in February 2021 after working at the agri business for about 20 months. His dismissal came after he was placed on light duty due to an injury sustained at work, during which period he allegedly used his personal cellphone for private purposes while operating running machinery. Due to ignoring the company’s safety policies, the employer fired him for failing to comply with standards, rules and regulations related to safety and a breach of trust. In a similar case last year, a quality controller at Eskom’s Kusile Power Station was fired after he breached Eskom’s cardinal rule by handling or using his cellphone while driving a vehicle on site. In the recent judgment, the judge said: “In relation to the existence of the rule and (the employee’s) knowledge of it, the arbitrator was satisfied there was a rule in the workplace forbidding the use of phones for calls or listening to music whilst operating machinery, which (employee) was aware of. His finding was based on various evidence.”
Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Chevon Booysen at Cape Times
by Dev_SACCAWU | General
The Witness reports that the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) is consulting its members following the government’s latest 5.5% salary increase offer to civil servants. Nehawu and other unions, such as the Public Servants Association (PSA), have in recent weeks been engaged in wage negotiations with the government. Nehawu’s Zola Saphetha confirmed that the union was currently in consultation with its members over the government’s latest offer. The union is embarking on an intensified mandate-seeking process until 7 February through the convening of membership meetings to source a mandate from members on the offer. “Regional and provincial Bargaining forums of the public service must be convened between February 10 to 14 and thereafter the national bargaining forum will be reconvened to consolidate mandates from membership unions, regional and provincial bargaining forums,” Saphetha explained. PSA spokesperson Claude Naicker described the latest government offer as “progressive”. The wage negotiations have been taking place amidst mounting concerns around the state’s ballooning wage bill, which currently sits at R721 billion per year. As part of measures to reduce its salary bill, the government has been providing financial incentives to those who retire before their retirement age.
Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Clive Ndou at The Witness
