The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) on Monday declared "war" against the Automobile Manufacturers Employers Organisation after wage negotiations over the weekend hit a snag once again. "We are bracing for massive strike action in the car industry," a Numsa spokesperson said.
Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana on Friday stated that the South African government’s approach to the country’s labour market policy aims to forge a middle road between the extreme advocated by those in favour of unqualified labour-market flexibility or deregulation of the labour market and those advocating a more rigorous market regulation.
South African motor retailers on Friday applauded the increase in passenger vehicle sales, as reported by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa. McCarthy Motor Holdings chairperson Brand Pretorius noted that the strong upsurge in new vehicle sales also continued.
South Africa’s second largest financial services group, Sanlam, on Tuesday warned that the HIV/Aids pandemic is not only a human tragedy but also an economic time bomb that poses a major threat to the profitability of companies countrywide.
The first round of wage talks between the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and steel producer Iscor hit a snag on Monday. The trade union said the company offered a "starvation" 4,4% wage increase across the board. The parties are expected to meet again on June 24.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the steel producer Iscor are expected to resume crucial wage talks on Monday. The wage negotiations between the two parties will determine the wage increases for all production workers this year.
Members of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) are expected to hold general meetings at all car manufacturers this week to mobilise workers for what the union describes as inevitable strike action. This comes after wage negotiations between Numsa and the Automobile Manufacturers Employers Organisation hit a snag.
Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana on Wednesday stated that more than 600 000 domestic employers have registered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) to date. The minister expressed his satisfaction with the process of registering domestic workers.
South African Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana on Thursday ordered that more farm blitz inspections be conducted around Tzaneen in Limpopo following media reports of child labour in the area. "Employers who deliberately violate labour laws will certainly be brought to book," the minister said.
South African-listed diversified industrial company Bidvest Group chairperson Brian Joffe is to take on business leaders from 31 nations for the 2004 World Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Monte Carlo. The global contest has been likened to the Oscars of the business world.
Trade union Solidarity on Thursday joined other unions by calling on the government, organised business, economists and organised labour to hold a summit conference to discuss the effect of the strong rand on unemployment in the country.
With negotiations still under way, the working group for the black economic empowerment (BEE) charter on information and communications technology (ICT) on Monday released its third draft, including much-anticipated detail regarding targets and the full opinions of the ICT community.
The first round of wage negotiations between the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the Automobile Manufacturers Employers Organisation reached a stalemate on Friday. Numsa has accused the employer organisation of offering a "shameful" wage increase to workers.
South African Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana on Monday welcomed the reinstatement of 13 Northern Cape mineworkers, who were summarily dismissed for not going to work on election day, April 14. However, Mdladlana said Reho Mining company’s initial decision to dismiss the workers was completely unacceptable.
Wesbank CEO Ronnie Watson on Tuesday announced a joint venture between the South African National Taxi Council and WesBank, to be called the South African National Taxi Finance Company. The primary aim of the joint venture is to facilitate the financing of new taxis under the government’s taxi recapitalisation plan.
Bridgestone, the world’s largest manufacturer of tyres and other rubber products, on Tuesday stated that it is to invest about R700-million in upgrading and expanding its Brits tyre manufacturing plant in North West province over a five-year period.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers Union on Thursday denied that it has failed to respond to a request by the airports baggage handing company Equity Aviation Services to return to the negotiating table. Baggage handlers employed by Equity Aviation at two of the country’s major airports have been on strike for more than two months.
Power Technologies (Powertech), a subsidiary of the Altron Group, on Monday announced the sale of 25,1% of the equity in its subsidiary Battery Technologies to Kagiso Trust Investments. CEO of Powertech Norbert Claussen said: "Powertech welcomes the joint venture with Kagiso, a company with impeccable credentials."
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/ 25 February 2004
South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel on Wednesday called on other political parties to refrain from raising people’s hopes on job creation because of the upcoming elections on April 14. Manuel appealed to parties to be careful not to make job promises that they cannot fulfil.
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/ 25 February 2004
The South African Transport Workers Union (Satawu) on Wednesday accused the airports baggage handing company Equity Aviation of "lying" in the media about an
ongoing strike dispute. Satawu said it was astonished at the lengths Equity Aviation was prepared to go to to misrepresent the truth about the current dispute.
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/ 23 February 2004
Nissan South Africa announced on Monday that it has received a R1-billion contract to export locally built single cab pick-ups to Europe, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand from next year. The contract would see the company exporting about 4 600 cars annually.
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/ 23 February 2004
South African Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana on Monday expressed his disappointment that a two-month-old strike by baggage handlers involving the South African Transport Workers Union (Satawu) and Equity Aviation has still not been resolved.
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/ 19 February 2004
Department of Labour inspectors on Thursday recommended the prosecution of managers of listed retail group Mr Price’s store at the Boulders in Midrand after they denied inspectors access to documentation and prevented them from interviewing staff.
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/ 12 February 2004
About 5 000 workers, covering seven shafts, at world number-five gold miner Harmony’s mines in the Free State and Klerksdorp went on strike on Wednesday over wage increases. The National Union of Mineworkers said the strike follows a lengthy process of wage negotiations that began as far back as October 23.
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/ 9 February 2004
The JSE Securities Exchange South Africa has never actively gone out across South Africa to establish whether there are companies that are suitable for a listing. But this is about to change. AltX announced on Monday that it would travel across the country to establish whether there are companies that are suitable.
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/ 4 February 2004
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Wednesday accused world number two gold miner AngloGold’s Tautona mine near Carletonville of being the latest contributor to what it called the company’s "mines of death". This comes after two mineworkers died in an accident related to a mine elevator on Wednesday morning.
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/ 28 January 2004
The baggage-handling strike at major airports by South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) members entered its sixth week on Wednesday with no end in sight. Close to 690 Satawu members employed by the company have been on strike at the Johannesburg and Cape Town international airports.
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/ 28 January 2004
South African Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana on Wednesday called on the country’s employers to open their doors to young prospective employees for learnership programmes. If one employer can take one learner for training, about 200Â 000 young people will be in learnership programmes, the minister said.
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/ 26 January 2004
South African Department of Labour inspectors continued their surprise visits to companies over the weekend in an effort to make sure that the country’s companies adhere to labour-law legislation. The inspectors slapped two East London companies with nine contravention notices and two prohibitions.
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/ 21 January 2004
South African Minister of Labour on Wednesday called on the parties involved in the baggage handler strike at Johannesburg International airport to settle their dispute using the framework created by labour legislation.
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/ 20 January 2004
The newly formed Chambers of Commerce and Industry of South Africa (Chamsa) on Tuesday appointed Sipho Mseleku as the new CEO of the body. Chamsa is a constituent member of Business Unity South Africa, which is the new national body replacing the former Black Business Council and Business South Africa.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Tuesday pledged its full support for members of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) employed by Equity Aviation, who are on strike for the third week over wage increase demands.