Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, the ANC supports Vote 28, particularly because of the ANC's commitment to spearhead and make strides in terms of developing laws to enforce the
legislation in workplace. Amongst our key laws, is the Labour Relations Act 1995 that indeed has made tremendous impact in terms of how workplace must be organised.
Secondly, we rise as the ANC to support this budget allocation precisely by virtue of its commitment to ensure that indeed the Minimum Wage Act is a step closer to mitigate the impact on our working class and the poor, such that we are able to ensure that there is smooth implementation of this Act.
Also, the ANC supports this budget because of its commitment to finalise the Employment Equity Bill which has to be finalised before or during 2019- 20 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF. We also support this Bill precisely by virtue of the fact that it will be able to empower the Minister to set a sector specific employment equity targets and the promulgation of section 53 of the Act.
It is upon this background that the ANC sees the budget as vital in reducing income gap in the workplace. Also, the allocation on labour policy and industrial relations programme is also vital on South Africa to co- chair the international labour relations organisations and global commission. We also take note of the department's commitment to utilise the Unemployment Insurance Fund, UIF, as a
platform to be able to reskill and retrain, so that we are able to mitigate the effects of job losses.
The ANC also continues also with its work to increase labour intensive industries to accommodate the demand for jobs, particularly with regard to public employment programme creation which also will be able to ensure that we broaden the space for the working class and the poor to be able to get access to decent jobs.
The Department of Labour's mandate on ensuring that there is decent work is pursued under the conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity, the ideals that drove our people to create a blueprint called the Freedom Charter. Therefore, the ANC supports this budget. Thank you, Deputy Chair. [Applause.]