Business Report corrects Molefe editing error
A front page pointer to the BR Leadership Platform in yesterday’s edition of Business Report incorrectly referred to Brian Molefe, the chief executive of Transnet, as pushing Telkom to deliver better service. The error was introduced in the sub-editing of the page and eluded the attention of proof readers. Business Report apologises for the mistake and regrets any inconvenience it may have caused.
Municipal wage talks set to settle
The last round of wage negotiations between trade unions and the SA Local Government Association ended with a provisional settlement on a 6.5 percent wage increase. Both the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union said they would take the wage increase proposal back to their members for approval. The facilitator, Yunis Shaik, had proposed wage increases of 6.5 percent for 2012/13, the average consumer price index (CPI) rise plus 0.5 percent age points for 2013/14 and the CPI average plus 1 percentage point in 2014/15. Mthandeki Nhlapo, Samwu’s general secretary, said yesterday that the last round of negotiations had ended on a positive note. He said a full agreement would be reached once the union’s members approved the offer. – Nompumelelo Magwaza
Court tells Denel to employ contractor
The Labour Court has ordered Denel Dynamics to permanently appoint a former employee who was appointed seven times in continuous fixed-term contracts over 24 months because she was white. Solidarity said yesterday that the case was one of more than 20 it had instituted against government departments and state-owned companies regarding the unfair implementation of affirmative action. And the union cautioned companies to stop denying white employees permanent appointments while they were waiting to appoint affirmative action employees. Ansie van Niekerk was appointed seven times in continuous fixed-term contracts over the period from February 9, 2009, to February 28 last year. After being employed for 24 months as a contract worker in the position of senior secretary, she had applied for permanent positions on three occasions, but was turned down. – Wiseman Khuzwayo