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Viewing cable 08JOHANNESBURG57, SOUTH AFRICA: APRIL LABOR NOTES

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08JOHANNESBURG57 2008-04-02 10:22 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Johannesburg
VZCZCXRO1002
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHJO #0057/01 0931022
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021022Z APR 08
FM AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6145
INFO RUCNSAD/SADC COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 2905
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JOHANNESBURG 000057 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB ECON ENRG SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA: APRIL LABOR NOTES 
 
JOHANNESBU 00000057  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Summary 
 
1.  South Africa's statistical agency, Stats SA, reports that 
unemployment dropped to 23 percent as of September 2007, though 
the number of discouraged workers also increased.  Labor 
federation COSATU threatened strike action over proposed 53 
percent increases in electricity tariffs, and suggested an 
alternative tiered pricing structure that would limit price 
increases for poor households.  Bayside smelter employees are 
facing layoffs after its owner, BHP Billiton, was forced to cut 
electricity consumption; the metalworkers union estimated 20,000 
families in the Richards Bay area may be affected.   Labor 
inspectors forced the shutdown of a wood manufacturing factory 
in Pietermaritzburg over egregious health and safety violations. 
  End Summary. 
 
Unemployment Drops to 23 Percent According to Official 
Statistics 
 
2.  The latest Labor Force Survey (LFS), released by Stats SA on 
March 27, indicated that unemployment dropped to 23 percent as 
of September 2007.   The LFS noted that the employment growth 
over the past three years had been substantial but also noted 
that a decline in the labor force from September 2006- September 
2007 resulted in a lower unemployment rate.  The corresponding 
increase in discouraged job seekers resulted in the broader 
definition of unemployment (to include those willing to work but 
who have not been actively job hunting in the past four weeks) 
remaining at 37 percent.  (Note: this figure was not published 
in the latest LFS but was calculated using the raw data 
provided. End Note.)  The LFS noted that younger people 
disproportionately accounted for the increase in discouraged 
workers. 
 
3.  The number of domestic workers increased rapidly to 1.06 
million during the twelve months ending in September 2007, with 
domestic workers now accounting for 8 percent of the labor 
force, according to LFS data.  This increase, together with 
rising numbers of community workers (also mostly female), is 
said to have accounted for a substantial drop in unemployment. 
 
4.  A number of local economists have queried whether the 
economy created the number of jobs implicit in the decline, and 
compared or attempted to compare LFS data with the Quarterly 
Employment Survey which also was released on March 27.   One 
economist noted that data suggested 660,000 jobs had had to be 
created between March and September 2007.  Another analyst said 
that the data showed 34.7 percent increase in employment in 
commercial agriculture, for which he had no explanation. 
 
Labor Federation Threatens Strike over Electricity Fee Hike 
 
5.  The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has 
applied for a section 77 notice which would allow it to call for 
protected strike action with regard to planned 53 percent 
increase in electricity tariffs.   South Africa's electric 
utility Eskom plans to substantially increase generating 
capacity to keep pace with increased demand, and has already 
increased its rates by 14 percent in December to permit to fund 
capital expenditures of R340 million as well as increased costs 
of coal.   Consumer price inflation is currently running at 9.8 
percent, and expected to increase further after 8-12 percent 
increases in gas and diesel prices this week. 
 
6.  COSATU has said that an increase would have "devastating" 
consequences for South Africa, affecting not just consumers but 
also job creation, as small and medium business could be forced 
to close, and larger businesses, like mining company Goldfields, 
to retrench some of their workforce.  COSATU has suggested a 
sliding scale price structure with heavy industry and 
high-income/high user households being charged more per unit, 
and poorer households paying less.   The labor federation has 
also demanded consultations and a price freeze until their 
conclusion.    White trade union Solidarity has said it will 
look at legal remedies should any of its workers lose their jobs 
due to the Eskom crisis. 
 
7.  Comment:  Although public service and other workers received 
relatively high wage increases in 2007, inflation has already 
consumed any real wage increase.   Apartheid- era housing 
policies mean that many low-income workers live a substantial 
distance from their workplace and spend a high proportion of 
their disposable income on transport costs, which are also 
increasing rapidly in line with world oil prices.   Food prices 
are also increasing at higher than average rates, putting more 
stress on household budgets of the poor.  Eskom's rate 
increases, which have to be approved by its regulator and thus 
are seen to be under government control, make it a very visible 
target for frustrated workers and unions.   Pocketbook issues 
are likely to lead to another active strike season in May and 
June of this year.  End Comment. 
 
 
JOHANNESBU 00000057  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Electrical Engineer Wins Employment Equity Case 
 
8.  The South Africa Report published in its February 8 edition 
a report of a high court decision that prohibited the Tshwane 
municipality for sanctioning a senior electrical engineer 
working for the city for opposing its employment equity 
(affirmative action) policy when this was likely to endanger the 
public and safety of fellow employees.    According to the 
report, the engineer raised concerns about being forced to 
appoint under-qualified black electricians to perform dangerous 
operations over better qualified whites after a newly-appointed 
development manager changed company policy so that only 
employment equity candidates could be considered.   After his 
management failed to support him, the engineer then sent letters 
of protest to the Engineering Council and the Department of 
Labor, noting that this policy endangered both the public and 
the electricians themselves.   The high court lifted the 
disciplinary measures imposed on the engineer and censured the 
Tshwane municipality. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
9.  According to primarily white trade union Solidarity, South 
Africa currently one engineer for every 3200 citizens, compared 
to Europe (roughly one for every 250) and the US (one for every 
4-500 citizens). 
 
More Eskom fallout: Layoffs for Smelter Workers 
 
10.  BHP Billiton is likely to lay off between 400-800 workers 
at its Bayside aluminum smelter in Richards Bay, after the 
company received notice from electricity utility Eskom that it 
needed to cut consumption levels by 10 percent.   The National 
Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has said that 
these layoffs would affect 20,000 families in the area, and has 
called for consultations to adopt a social plan to minimize the 
impact on workers.   BHP Billiton recently fired its banker, 
Standard Bank, after one of the bank's employees suggested in a 
meeting with the government that the Bayside smelter be shut 
down entirely in order to save electricity. 
 
Labor Inspectors shut down Wood Factory over Safety Issues 
 
11. Inspectors from the Department of Labor shut down a wood 
manufacturing plant in Pietermaritzburg on March 7, after 
finding that electrical equipment was sufficiently hazardous to 
warrant the shut-down.   A variety of other occupational health 
and safety violations were also discovered, and the state of 
toilets, canteens, and change rooms was described as 
"appalling."   The factory was given 60 days to come into 
compliance. 
 
Teachers Finally Sign Pay Agreement 
 
12. Teachers joined other public servants on strike in May and 
June of 2007, and returned to work with other public sector 
workers but until recently were working without an agreed 
contract.   The contract, scheduled to be signed on April 2, 
would give teachers a 12 percent pay raise encompassing the 7.5 
percent given to all public sector workers and a 4 percent 
occupation-specific increase as well. 
COFFMAN