Parliament, Wednesday, 20 November 2024 – The Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour welcomed the quarterly performance reports for the 2024/25 financial year it received today from the Department of Employment and Labour and its entities: the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA); the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC); the Public Service Association (PSA); the Compensation Fund (CF); and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
One of the issues highlighted by the committee during the engagements was that key positions within the portfolio are occupied in an acting capacity, including the position of Director-General. Members of the committee called for these positions to be filled without delay, as acting appointments can lead to instability and poor productivity. The department replied that the delays in filling posts was a response to an instruction from the National Treasury. However, this instruction has been lifted and all the positions will now be filled.
Although the committee was pleased with the general productivity highlighted by the reports at all the entities, the decline in revenue generation across the board was highlighted as a concern. Committee members called for strategies to generate revenue and also called on the department to provide enough support to all the entities to raise revenue to ensure their sustainability.
Turning to the CCMA, committee members noted that employers are quick to implement CCMA outcomes in their favour but ignore those that penalise them in favour of the employee. They appealed to the department and the CCMA to strengthen their oversight mechanisms to ensure that CCMA outcomes are properly implemented.
On NEDLAC, the committee wanted further explanation on the expert dialogue on the settlement of foreign nationals in towns. The department responded that the dialogue was more about research for the mitigation of hazardous and climate-related challenges. The committee also called on the department to address the problem of the denial of access to labour inspectors, some of whom are even threatened as they try to go about their work.
The Minister of Employment and Labour, Ms Nomakhosazana Meth, and her deputy, Mr Jomo Sibiya, thanked the committee for the educative engagement. They assured the committee of the department’s commitment to meeting its mandate.
In acknowledging the reports provided by the department and its entities, the committee Chairperson, Mr Boyce Maneli, urged the department to maintain and strengthen its support to the entities in its portfolio. “Keep up the good work you are doing,” he said. In addition, he noted that at the beginning of the seventh Parliament, the committee had committed itself to measure the Employment and Labour portfolio’s performance in improving the situation at the Compensation Fund and the UIF; the committee welcomes the information that both entities are meeting their mandates.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND LABOUR, MR BOYCE MANELI.
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