Labour

State accused of letting Tormin damage West Coast

Activists have accused government officials of turning a blind eye to a pattern of environmental violations at the Tormin dune mine on the West Coast – including a “catastrophic” cliff collapse – after state departments failed to act on a string of letters, objections and a formal appeal.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

Feature | 11 December 2015

Dismay as cops withdraw cases against Tormin managers

Police cases against three Tormin mine managers, one of whom was accused of driving into and knocking over a mineworker during a strike, have all been withdrawn.

Barbara Maregele

Feature | 11 December 2015

Pietermaritzburg municipal workers demand permanent jobs

About a hundred municipality workers on temporary contracts for the Msunduzi municipality, which includes Pietermaritzburg, downed their tools and protested outside the KaMagwayi depo yesterday. They are demanding permanent positions.

Ntombi Mbomvu

News | 8 December 2015

Cosatu is not dying, but better leadership is needed

The American writer and humourist Mark Twain once wrote, following an erroneous report of his death, that it was an exaggeration. The same can be said about Cosatu.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 7 December 2015

National Minimum Wage: Cosatu calls for R4,125 to R5,276 a month

At Cosatu’s 12th national congress, delegates resolved to support a call for a national minimum wage of between R4,125 and R5,276 a month. Here is an edited summary of the congress declaration.

Cosatu

Analysis | 2 December 2015

Cosatu can learn from Corbyn to avoid slipping into irrelevance

“The ANC came before democracy.” This statement by President Jacob Zuma was obviously incorrect since the concept of democracy pre-dated the formation of the ANC in 1912 by about 2,500 years.

Terry Bell

Opinion | 30 November 2015

National minimum wage part three: the options

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is hosting a social dialogue between business, labour and other constituencies over setting a national minimum wage (NMW). This is the final installment of a three part series by two University of Cape Town professors.

Nicoli Nattrass and Jeremy Seekings

Analysis | 26 November 2015

National minimum wage part two: What will happen to jobs?

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is hosting a social dialogue between business, labour and other constituencies over setting a national minimum wage (NMW). This is the second of a three part series by two University of Cape Town professors. Part one looked at South African minimum wage-setting in comparative context. Here they discuss the relationship between minimum wages and employment.

Nicoli Nattrass and Jeremy Seekings

Analysis | 25 November 2015

National minimum wage part one: Comparing South Africa to other countries

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa is hosting a social dialogue between business, labour and other constituencies over setting a national minimum wage (NMW). Minimum wages currently vary from sector to sector. A NMW would set a national wage floor applying to all workers irrespective of existing collective agreements and sectoral wage determinations. What level should the NMW be? This is the first of a three part series by two University of Cape Town professors.

Nicoli Nattrass and Jeremy Seekings

Analysis | 24 November 2015

Waste pickers protest over access to dump site

Police used rubber bullets and stun grenades today against waste pickers protesting at a dump site in Pietermaritzburg against plans to stop them collecting on the site.

Ntombi Mbomvu

News | 11 November 2015

West Coast mine boss must go, say staff

A gyrocopter overflying the embattled MSR Tormin mine near the remote West Coast town of Vredendal was shot at last month, according to a witness who reported the alleged incident to the local police.

Mary-Anne Gontsana

News | 6 November 2015

Mining company “lied” to its shareholders

Representatives of the Amadiba community in the Eastern Cape have accused Australian company Mineral Commodities, part owner of the Tormin mine on the West Coast, of lying to its shareholders.

GroundUp Staff with AmaBhungane

News | 6 November 2015

Fired newspaper employee wins settlement award

Bongani Fani, the newspaper deliveryman dismissed by Independent Newspapers, has accepted an award of R34,000 (the equivalent of three-months gross pay) after a hearing at the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). It took seven months to reach the settlement for an amount slightly less than the R40,000 his lawyer had asked for.

Bernard Chiguvare

News | 30 October 2015

UCT commits to “insourcing” - and other reports from the #FeesMustFall protests

The University of Cape Town (UCT) has agreed, in principle, to employ its workers directly, and charges were dropped against 23 protesters. But at Wits, students and reporters were intimidated by protesters. Here are reports of today's protest activities from Cape Town, East London and Johannesburg.

GroundUp staff

News | 28 October 2015

I can’t afford to send my children to university, says campus worker

Moedie Motlanke, 53, who works for a catering company which has a contract with the University of Cape Town, has been involved in the student protests since they began last week.

Ashleigh Furlong and Pasqua Heard

News | 27 October 2015

Silicosis: an epidemic of racism?

As the judges of the South Gauteng High Court prepare their findings in the massive silicosis class action case, Pete Lewis reflects on the failure of the compensation system to protect black mineworkers from the disease, condemning them to poverty and destitution.

Pete Lewis

Analysis | 27 October 2015