Committee fourth quarter programme

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Employment and Labour

07 October 2020
Chairperson: Ms M Dunjwa (ANC)
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Meeting Summary

The Committee met to consider its programme for the fourth and final term of 2020. The Committee made few amendments to the programme, though expressed particular focus on allocating time for oversight of issues concerning the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), the Compensation Fund and the mining industry. An amendment was made to adopt time for a virtual feedback meeting with the UIF and Compensation Fund regarding COVID-19 relief payments and Temporary Employment Recruitment Scheme (TERS). A second amendment was made to the programme to carry out oversight of exploitation, health and unemployment in the mining industry anticipating the Compensation of Occupational Injuries and Diseases Amendment (COIDA) Bill.

Meeting report

Opening

The Chairperson welcomed the Members before bringing their attention to upcoming challenges and events for the Committee. She reassured Members’ standards must be flexible due to the challenges created by COVID-19 and the commencement of lockdown level one. At the end of the last quarter, the Committee received a report from the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA). It has been planned to contact the Department very soon in order to mitigate the difficult issues posed by the AGSA. Both the Committee and the Department have the responsibility of conducting oversight. The Committee will have to consider two pieces of legislation, Employment Equity Amendment Bill and the Compensation of Occupational Injuries and Diseases Amendment (COIDA) Bill, under review of Parliament. She stressed that, on account of all these factors, from now until the end of term ,a lot of hard work and commitment will be required from the Committee.

Draft Committee programme for fourth quarter 2020

Mr Z Sakasa, Committee Secretary, briefly outlined the updated Draft Committee programme framework for the fourth and final term of 2020.

The Chairperson explained to the Committee that on 21 October 2020, there would be a preliminary assessment of the Department using all of the received quarterly reports. The outcomes of these reports and their Annual Performance Plans (APP) would assist when considering and adopting the Committee’s Budgetary Review and Recommendation Report (BRRR). The Committee needs to familiarise itse;f with previously adopted reports and presentations before the assessment of the Department. She warned that during this deep assessment, there will be challenges during this time which is reflected in the issues adopted in the quarterly report. She felt it was important to call Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) at the forefront of the fourth quarter to present a backdrop for the upcoming assessments. Unfortunately, the AGSA would not be called as it has not been able to finish the audit due to focusing on an audit of COVID-19. The Department’s financial and planning assessments will be taking place under unusual and strenuous circumstances when creating the quarterly report.  The preliminary assessment functions as a roadmap for the Committee to use when assessing the Department’s Annual Report. Times and dates on the programme may be subject to change.

Legislation

The Committee made note of the Employment Equity Amendment Bill and COIDA Bill. She consulted with the office of the House Chair to request the Bills be consulted in the upcoming meetings due to great pressure from civil society on the Committee for a response. She asked for input from the Committee.

Discussion

Mr X Ngwezi (IFP) suggested that the Committee allocate time for oversight of many issues concerning the Department.

Ms N Mkhonto (EFF) questioned whether it was on account of COVID-19 that there would not be physical oversight visits for the term.

The Chairperson asked for further questions before responding to the Committee comments.

Ms H Denner (FF+) supported the previous Members’ comments on oversight. She suggested that time be allocated to receive a feedback report from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Compensation Fund with regards to payments made and their progress with the Temporary Employment Recruitment Scheme (TERS) and COVID-19 relief funds.

The Chairperson asked that Members who proposed an oversight indicate where and when an investigation should be conducted. She explained that the Bills before the Committee take precedence which require review from the office of the House Chair. The matters of where to ascribe oversight should be a deliberated on and consensus reached so that the Committee could apply for certain permissions. In reference to Ms Mkhonto, oversight could not be conducted due to lockdown regulations prohibiting interprovincial travelling and during the constituency period, oversight not allowed. Oversight may still be added to the programme with Committee-motivated agreement on why the oversight should take place, as the Committee does not have much control over it. She called upon Members proposing oversight to indicate where, when and why it should take place before submitting a request empowered by the Committee to the office of the House Chair.

Mr Ngwezi noted that the Department has faced many challenges, some of which reaching the Minister, concerning workers being exploited and not receiving their claims in spite of existing institutions to assist them. This has been a common problem in all the offices where the UIF is present and where employers are mistreating employees. He felt that it was important for oversight, though he was unsure of where exactly because it should be upholstered by Committee proposals and agreement.

The Chairperson expressed that Members should contribute on specified matters brought up by the Committee. She asked if he meant that oversight be conducted over the UIF.

Mr Ngwezi agreed.

Mr N Hinana (DA) agreed with the previous remarks. Due to high unemployment rates and exploitation of workers, he sponsored oversight of the mining industry. When miners retire or finish their term due to injury or disease, they end up without much compensation and unemployed. He requested oversight investigating conditions contributing towards their health, hazardous environments and exploitation which the Department may have been unaware of should be added to the programme.

The Chairperson said that since oversight has been agreed upon, the Committee has to consider which areas to factor oversight in. This addition to the programme might necessitate another meeting with Members at a later date. There are two motions for the UIF and mining. She mentioned to Mr Hinana, with regard to mining, there would have to be a meeting with the Portfolio of Mineral Resources and Energy to consider that Department’s processes to allow for a collaborative investigation.

She asked the Committee to second adopting oversight of the UIF to the programme.

Ms Mkhonto seconded the adoption. She said during the constituency period, the Committee received many UIF complaints making it an important issue to be addressed.

The Chairperson asked the Committee for further issues which required their focus.

Ms Denner suggested that the Compensation Fund and UIF provide feedback on their progress in a virtual meeting. 

The Chairperson highlighted that the Compensation Fund would be meeting the Committee in early November 2020.

Ms Denner reiterated that when the Compensation Fund and UIF report feedback, it should include implications concerning COVID-19.

The Chairperson reassured that these concerns would be addressed. She said that they would later need to identify which UIF office(s) to approach as they would not be able to meet with the UIF offices of each province. After being consulted and advised by the UIF, the Committee will hold a meeting concerning the highlighted issues.

She asked the Committee to formally move the programme with the new amendments.

The Committee programme for the fourth quarter was adopted with amendments.

The Chairperson said that there may be changes to the parliamentary programme that are beyond the control of the Committee. The Committee will immediately consult the office of the House Chair regarding the issue of oversight before coming back to Members.

The meeting was adjourned.

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