The Department of Employment and Labour’s Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), in collaboration with King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality, hosted an Employer Seminar and Open Day in Mthatha, last week.
The seminar was held at Hotel Savoy and the Open Day, which took place over two days, was held at Mthatha Town Hall.
During the Employers’ Seminar, the Unemployment Insurance Fund educated employers, particularly those from the security sector, about the UIF’s system and the importance of compliance to the legislation.
The Provincial Chief Inspector responsible for the inspectorate section, Patiswa Mbhongwana, confirmed that they wanted to deal with the challenges facing private security.
She said they had invited employers and employees from this sector, and trade unions.
She indicated that the reason is that a lot of security guards are not treated well where they work so, as government, they were seen as officials who are not doing anything about it.
“Now we are doing an advocacy session where we are explaining deeper about our different responsibilities. For instance, here we have asked the office of the National Bargaining Council of Private Security. They have a collective agreement, so if our department is talking about conditions of employment, we also add this council because it has that responsibility,” said Mbongwana.
She added that they had also invited Psira and the Compensation Fund because they noticed that there is a problem in the registration of Compensation Fund, and also the officials of the Unemployment Insurance Funds section were also present.
Mbongwana said they (UIF section) were there to explain more about the UIF, where people should be registered, and how they can make their claims if there is something that requires them to claim.
“It is more an information session targeting the security industry due to the grievances that we received. We have focused on the OR Tambo Region. In fact, our intention is also to go to other clusters, like in Komani; then we move to East London and Gqeberha. But for now, we are focusing in the area of OR Tambo and its surrounding districts. Our invites were not limited to Mthatha only, but also to other districts that are under OR Tambo.”
She said they would negotiate about the date, because they want to ensure that in the next quarter they will go to Komani because there are employees, employers, and unions also in that area. Then it is off to the East London cluster, then the Gqeberha cluster.
Case Management Officer from the National Bargaining Council of Private Security, Avumile Simandla, said he deals with disputes of the Labour Relations Act and collective agreement.
“Dealing with disputes is mainly because of the labour; everything that has to do with unfair dismissals, unfair labour practise disputes, and also matters of mutual interest. When we are talking about matters of mutual interests we refer to strikes, wage disputes, etc.,” said Simandla.
He added that ever since they started in 2019, they have seen a big change, and people are getting help.
Simandla said they still face difficulties, because as they are the National Bargaining Council they have only one office, which is in Gqeberha.
He said that they do not have offices in other areas, including in Mthatha.
“We are working with this department by assisting us with offices where we can host our cases. Those who want to get more information can go to www.nbcpss.org.za, and on all other social media platforms.”
The chairperson of the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU), Nkosibonile Sinxeke, said the presentation made by this department was clear.
He said the main challenge was that of non-compliance of the employers to pay their workers according to the Government Gazette.
“As the union we are trying to inform workers about their rights, even though their employers do not want them to join unions. What we are saying is that they must do what is right and follow the procedure. Some of the employers said that they are forced to drop prices with their clients, and this is leading them to pay employees peanuts, not what is in the Government Gazette,” said Sinxeke.
