Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and colleagues, the Inkatha Freedom Party wishes to acknowledge the fact that this department is generally running in a satisfactory manner. [Applause.] Against the current sporadic unrest, this is commendable.
However, there are issues that require additional impetus and redress and then I would like to draw the Minister's attention to them today, as well as solicit her focus towards the immediate rectification of these issues.
The wildcat strikes are fast becoming the norm on the South African labour landscape, with such strike action inevitably leading to violence, unrest and injury to persons and property. They are also crippling to our economy and occurring with greater regularity. There is a grave danger that they will become the standard operating procedure of labour unions, which is already being evidenced. This lawlessness must be stopped dead in its tracks. Failure to address the issues immediately will lead to unruly labour force with dire socioeconomic results. This, we can ill afford, much less during the current economic downturn.
These strikes regularly lead to the unnecessary and tragic loss of life, in which blame must once again be placed on the unions. They are clearly either unable or unwilling to control their members. Our current labour unions hold this country hostage upon the slightest whim of their leadership. We now have an official strike season within our labour psyche. This must be condemned in the strongest possible terms as it is emotionally based and not rationalised through the manipulation of the mob mentality by unscrupulous union leadership. Unions appear to be creating problems and issues where there are none. This is perhaps because they are trying to show value to their members who pay monthly premiums for their services and because of union rivalry in trying to attract membership.
Our currency has already weakened directly due to ongoing labour tensions in the mining industry and our foreign investment is hurting.
Mhlonishwa uNgqongqoshe ngesikhathi sihambele KwaZulu-Natali njengekomidi ... [Hon Minister, when we visited KwaZulu-Natal as the committee ...]
... we actually discovered some serious problems in some of the labour service centres. One of the issues that were of grave concern to us was the issue of the labour inspectorate services.
Abanazo izinto zokusebenza, Ngqongqoshe. Sathola bengenazo ngisho izimoto [They do not have working facilities, Minister. They do not even have any vehicles.]
In some instances, we discovered that 18 inspectors were actually sharing one vehicle. That is not a conducive working environment. In another place, we found that they did not actually have uniforms. Sometimes they are being supplied with uniforms that do no even fit them.
Akusona-ke isimo esihle leso sokusebenza. [That is not a conducive working environment.]
I am just hoping that the Minister will be able to attend to those issues. The current critical skills list is not accurate nor is it up to date. How do we expect to attract the right people for the necessary positions if we do not know what is required? There is also a lack of leadership at provincial departmental level, which actually exacerbates this problem. Local leaders are more interested in their own positions and financial interest than in finding solutions to labour issues that confront them within the local sphere. So, it is my plea, Madam Minister, that a labour centre be established in an area like KwaNongoma to service farm workers around eNgome, eMagudu and so on.
Labour needs to step up and become part of the solution for our economic crisis and not a ball-and-chain hindrance to it. One wonders how long we will continue to perpetually plan and workshop without action unless that is, sadly, the aim of the department.
Someone actually alluded to the problems around the Compensation Fund. The IFP also submits that the management of these funds should be taken over by the Treasury because as things stand now, it is underperforming. I thank you. [Applause.]