Non-Compliant Employers Watch Out, Warns Labour Minister as She Tables Departmental Budget for Debate in Parliament

The Department of Employment and Labour has hit the ground running to ensure continuity of progress and service delivery. This is according to the Minister, Ms Nomakhosazana Meth, who led the tabling of the department’s budget for debate on Thursday.

Minister Meth said that, working with stakeholders, the department will ensure that its work is on a path to improvement, with a focus on strategic and operational deliverables. She said unemployment was structural, deep-seated and stubborn. “Sustainable solutions to the unemployment crisis cannot come from one department but require a collective approach,” she said.

“We plan to lead the department in upping the ante pertaining to coordination of work and ensuring that interventions in creating jobs are the order of the day. Non-compliant employers must watch out, as inspectors will be hard at work.”

She divulged that the inspectorate has recovered over R200 million from non-compliant employers. In addition, the department intends to recruit 360 000 unemployed people into skills development and employability enhancement programme.

Also participating in the budget vote debate, the newly elected chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour, Mr Boyce Maneli, said the legacy of apartheid and colonialism amplified the disparities that remain deeply embedded in society. “Politics of equal recognition must not be blind to the effects of the apartheid and colonialism,” he said.

Meanwhile, Productivity SA will focus on improving South Africa’s competitiveness and sustainability. “The budget for this entity had been significantly reduced and despite that reduction its impact is expected to enhance productivity and sustainability of enterprises,” Mr Maneli pointed out.

Growth without structural transformation will reinforce and continue to produce inequitable patterns of wealth inherited from the past. “No transformation can occur without economic growth and job creation,” he asserted.

Also participating in the debate, Mr Michael Bagraim of the Democratic Alliance said the department has failed the workers in the country However, the Democratic Alliance, “holds out the hand of friendship to Minister Meth and her deputy; likewise we pledge to work very strongly with the Government of National Unity and the trade union movements in order to improve the lives of our workers,” Mr Bagraim assured his audience.

He pleaded with the minister to impress upon the CCMA the importance of intervening early to avoid impending strikes so that there are no damaging effects on the economy. He also noted that the inspectorate requires additional financing as there are too few inspectors and inadequate training.

Another participant in the debate, Mr Moshome Motubatse of the Umkhonto Wesizwe Party said it will not be business as usual in the labour portfolio. “The current budget speeches that are being tabled are not assisting. We all need to go to the ground and ensure that things are done correctly, and we implement the things we said we will do,” he said.

“The question of racism in the workplace is there. If you turn the tide and deal with this aspect, you have our support,” Mr Motubatse said. In addition, he called for legislation making it mandatory that farms found guilty of transgressing labour laws are confiscated and given over to “the people”.

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters’ Ms Constance Mkhonto rejected the budget vote. In addition, she mentioned that: “CCMA recommendations do not get implemented, unless they favour employers. This is a toothless entity because of inadequate funding,” she said.

Concluding the debate, Minister Meth said the department will continue the work done by the sixth administration and will focus on coordination in line with the intergovernmental relations framework. “We will build on interventions and strengthen efforts through the workstream on employment,” she promised.

She outlined the programmes that will support employment creation objectives but said the portfolio was not properly capacitated. She also revealed that she will soon unveil a youth deployment programme that will create 335 employment opportunities where youths will assist with career counselling.