Question NW341 to the Minister of Home Affairs

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08 March 2021 - NW341

Profile picture: Roos, Mr AC

Roos, Mr AC to ask the Minister of Home Affairs

What (a) steps has he taken since he was appointed as Minister of Home Affairs in 2019 to ensure that the offices of his department once again operate on Saturdays and (b) are the relevant details of the (i) dates of meetings with the unions regarding the matter, (ii) steps agreed upon, (iii) progress on steps and (iv) next steps in the process?

Reply:

The department’s response to questions (a), (b), (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) are as follows

a) I convened bilateral meetings with National Office Bearers of NEHAWU and PSA in which parties deliberated on the significance of processing collective bargaining procedures on working time arrangements. Parties agreed that collective bargaining process hold a key to working time arrangement in the Department of Home Affairs in compliance with the Constitutional Court judgement on working time arrangement. The Departmental Mandating Team, consisting of Senior Managers and chaired by the DDG: HRM&D, Ms N. Mohoboko was established and is operational.

The Mandating Team is guiding the Departmental Bargaining Council negotiators on matters for discussion. Currently, parties have agreed on the following:

1. A Task Team to develop shift models was established and terms of reference for the Team were drafted and agreed to.

2. A Task Team of funding model for the shift system was established. The latter Team will start its operation once the Team on shift models has finalised its task. The function of the Task Team on funding model is dependent on the outcomes of the shift models that will be agreed to. Negotiations at the Bargaining Council are currently deadlocked as Trade Unions have raised concerns on the program of the Youth Forum of the Department in which they agreed as Youth to volunteer to render services on Saturdays to their youth counterpart in procuring critical documents such as Identity documents to access matriculation studies and related services.

The impasse is referred to the Director General who has scheduled a meeting on the 19th of March 2021 with a view to break the deadlock.

b) The meeting between the Director General of the Department and Trade Unions is confirmed for the 19th of March 2021.

In terms of question (ii), (iii) and (iv) the department will provide feedback as soon as the parties have met on 19 March 2021.

END

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