Oh hayi sorry bengingazi ukuthi kusho lokho ngiyaxolisa, bengingazi ukuthi kusho lokho
Our Inspection and Enforcement Services Branch has been allocated a budget of R628 million for the current financial year hon Chairperson, I cannot over emphasize the importance of social protection in our fight against poverty.
As part of government's entrenched labour market policy, the UIF mitigates the effects of retrenchments. Recent amendments to the Unemployment Insurance Amendment Act will to that act will expand the coverage and period for UIF beneficiaries from different industries such as domestic workers, interns and those in learnerships; it will increase the income replacement rate for maternity benefits to 66%; it will extend a contributor's
entitlement to benefits under certain circumstances; and finance employment services.
The average turn-around time of payment of UIF claims has been shortened from 10 to 7 days. The UIF also contributes to fighting poverty and unemployment, in that 20% of its Social Responsibility Investment Fund, SRIF, is invested in high impact job creation business ventures across all sectors and provinces. To date, almost R17 billion has been allocated to the SRI investments, which has in turn created 23,442 jobs.
Hon Chairperson, the recent International Labour Organizations, ILO, Conference resolved that Occupational Health and Safety be elevated to a fundamental principle and right. Once again we face the limitations of inspection and enforcement in the field of health and safety.
Let me mention the good work done by media in exposing the non- compliance and failure to report accidents by the employers. My department is processing the compensation claims of the injured persons concerned.
Earlier this year, we launched a campaign to encourage those who have suffered workplace accidents or diseases, and where claims were not processed, to report this to our labour centres. Furthermore, during this year, we will appoint an additional 500 occupational health and safety officers.
Hon Chairperson, the department has worked tirelessly to restructure the Compensation Fund and there have been real improvements. We will soon present to this House amendments to the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act to make provision for the inclusion of domestic workers, and to fund rehabilitation in order to return to work. [Applause.]
IsiZulu:
Ngabasebenzi bethu abasebenzi basezindlini
R17,1 billion has been paid out to beneficiaries by the Compensation Fund in the last year. Whilst this mitigates the effects of injuries and diseases, and represents a large injection into the economy, it is also a clear indication of the failure to prevent workers' exposure to occupational injuries and diseases.