Questions and Replies
11 August 2015 - NW2744
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Labour
(1)Why did she transfer a certain person (details furnished) from the Compensation Fund without first instituting disciplinary proceedings against the specified person; (2) will disciplinary proceedings still be initiated against the specified person; if not, why not?
Reply:
- At this point transfer is the best solution
- No, reason being no misconduct has been established.
11 August 2015 - NW2742
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Labour
Does the Chief Financial Officer of the Unemployment Insurance Fund have a turnaround strategy for the Compensation Fund and (b) what does the plan entail?
Reply:
- Yes. We have put together a plan that aims to address the basic bottlenecks in service delivery and sound financial management. It entails focusing on improving the financial administration, improving the levels of customer service in the Fund, addressing human resource constraints in the Fund.
- This is to be achieved by addressing the system deficiencies that prevent performance of basic financial management functions, improving access to benefits for clients though a number of initiatives which include easing the process of access to chronic medication, filling the critical vacancies required in the adjudication of claims and addressing all systems problems that contribute to slow rate of processing claims.
NW3173E
04 August 2015 - NW2274
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Labour
(a) What proposals for the revision of planning models for the inspection of valid work permits have been completed by her department, (b) how do these propose to protect vulnerable workers and (c)(i) when and (ii) where will it be published? NW2634E
Reply:
(a) The Department of Labour does not have a planning model for the inspection of valid work permits as this is a legislative responsibility of the Department of the Home Affairs and South African Police.
(b) In its normal work aligned with granting of work permits the Department of Labour mere conducts inspections at work places to determine compliance with prescribed conditions of employment. Furthermore the Department notifies the Department of Home Affairs should it discover employees without valid work permits.
(c) (i) N/A and (ii) N/A
04 August 2015 - NW2275
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Labour
(1)What action is taken by her department when labour inspectors find that an employee does not have a valid work permit; (2) are employees who are found to not have valid work permits removed from the work place? NW2635E
Reply:
- When Labour inspectors find that an employee does not have a valid work permit, the matter will be reported to Home Affairs who has jurisdiction over such matters.
- The Department of Labour does not have a legal mandate or powers to remove such employees from the workplace but will refer the matter to Home Affairs to take further action.
04 August 2015 - NW2273
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Labour
(a) Do all labour inspectors have access to the necessary equipment to conduct their inspections properly and (b) what is her department doing to adequately capacitate the labour inspectors who do not have access to the necessary equipment?
Reply:
(a) Yes
(b) The Department makes provision for the procurement of the necessary or required equipment.
29 July 2015 - NW2215
Ollis, Mr IM to ask the Minister of Labour
What is preventing the medical aid portion of the Compensation Fund from being privatised or operated by a private medical aid administrator, such as Medscheme, Discovery Health or Old Mutual?
Reply:
The Portfolio Committee on Labour was briefed by the Department of Labour through the Director General where the Department of Labour presented its plan and programmes to turn the Fund around. Also SCOPA was briefed on the same work plan approximately in the Month of June 2015. At this stage there are no intentions to privatise the medical aid portion.
29 July 2015 - NW2256
America, Mr D to ask the Minister of Labour
Whether (a) her department and (b) any entities reporting to her has paid out the remainder of any employee’s contract before the contractually stipulated date of termination of the contract since the 2008-09 financial year up to the latest specified date for which information is available; if so, (i) what amount has (aa) her department and (bb) entities reporting to her spent on each such payout, (ii) to whom were these payouts made and (iii) what were the reasons for the early termination of the contracts in each specified case?
Reply:
The Department of Labour and entities are governed by laid down procedures, policies and legislations in managing employer and employee relations. Further more, monies paid out for any reason are reflecting in Annual Reports which Honourable member has access to.
28 July 2015 - NW2448
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Labour
Whether she has found that the lack of work placements is due to the delays by employers; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what ways are employers responsible for the delay in work placements?
Reply:
No. the law has only been in place for few months hence cannot make a realistic analysis of what the real cause of the delays are at this stage.
28 July 2015 - NW2432
America, Mr D to ask the Minister of Labour
What amount did (a) her department and (b) each entity reporting to her spend on advertising in (i) Sowetan and (ii) Daily Sun in the (aa) 2012-13, (bb) 2013-14 and (cc) 2014-15 financial years?
Reply:
The Department spent as per below breakdown:
|
|
2012-2013 |
2013-2014 |
2014-2015 |
|
(i)SOWETAN |
R560 159.87 |
R585 060.78 |
R271 368.72 |
|
(ii)DAILY SUN |
R777 265.50 |
R789 273.05 |
R699 177.80 |
ENTITIES:
|
(b) ENTITIES REPORTING TO THE MINISTER (i) (Sowetan) |
(aa) 2012-13 |
(bb) 2013-14 |
(cc) 2014-15 |
|
NEDLAC |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
UIF |
n/a |
R148,243.32 |
R371,229.60 |
|
CF |
R291, 012.20 |
R624, 552.22 |
R66, 983.43 |
|
PSA |
n/a |
R76, 799.52 |
R254, 177.02 |
|
CCMA |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
(b) ENTITIES REPORTING TO THE MINISTER (ii) (Daily Sun ) |
(aa) 2012-13 |
(bb) 2013-14 |
(cc) 2014-15 |
|
NEDLAC |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
UIF |
n/a |
R29,930.47 |
n/a |
|
CF |
R174, 911.80 |
R298, 344.39 |
n/a |
|
PSA |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
CCMA |
n/a |
n/a |
*R 39, 979.80 |
# PSA – payment made to Times Media with adverts in Sowetan and Sunday times.
Compensation Fund – Sowetan Live – 2013/14 = R100, 000.00.
28 July 2015 - NW2449
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Labour
Whether she has found that there are challenges in matching suitable candidates with the requirements of employers ; if so, what steps will she take to ensure that these challenges are overcome?
Reply:
No. The law has only been in place for few months hence cannot make a realistic diagnosis of the challenges in matching suitable candidates with the requirements of the employers at this stage.
27 July 2015 - NW2123
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Labour
(a) What does her department mean by vulnerable workers and (b) can she provide a definition as used by her department? (b) can she provide a definition as used by her department?
Reply:
Vulnerable workers are workers in ordinary employment who are less likely to have formal working arrangements and are therefore likely to lack decent working conditions, inadequate or no social security, no voice through a trade union and are characterised by inadequate earnings and difficult conditions of work. Often their fundamental workers’ rights are undermined or violated willy-nilly.
23 March 2015 - Questions asked to Minister of Labour
12 December 2014 - NW2464
Bagraim, Mr M to ask the Minister of Labour:
How many work days has her department lost to (a) sick leave and (b) strike action in the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and 2013-14 financial years?
Reply:
Sick leave
(a)(i) 2011-12 = 56 165.5 days
(a)(ii) 2012-13 = 49 790 days
(a)(iii) 2013-14 = 71 094 days
Strike action
(b)(i)
(b)(ii)
(b)(iii)
2011-12 = 6 working days
2012-13 = 0 working days
2013-14 = 0 working days