Hon Chairperson, this is a report of the Portfolio Committee on Labour on the progress made by the department towards attaining the 2014 Millennium Development Goals, MDGs. This progress concerns the Department of Labour and its entities.
The first Millennium Development Goal, MDG, applicable to labour is MDG 1: "Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger". In order to contribute to this target, the committee recommends that the Department of Labour should fast- track the new review extension of social protection to certain categories of workers who are currently not covered by the Unemployment Insurance Fund, UIF. These include public servants, migrant workers and the youth registered for learnerships. Furthermore, the department needs to amend the relevant legislation to ensure that vulnerable workers such as domestic and farm workers are covered as beneficiaries in the compensation fund.
With regard to MDG 3: "Promote gender equality and empower women", and in the light of the slow progress in meeting national targets to empower women in the workplace, the committee recommends that the department must accelerate implementing stricter regulations as promulgated by proposed employment equity amendments.
In regard to MDG 6: "Combat HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases", the committee recommends that the department should ensure that occupational health and safety regulations are promulgated and implemented through effective enforcement services.
On MDG 8: "Develop a global partnership for Development", the Department of Labour must strengthen the Southern African Development Community's, SADC's, regional partnerships, as relations within this region have a direct impact on South Africa's development. Furthermore, Parliament must actively participate in regional forums that will have a direct impact on the country's labour policy development.
South Africa, being a labour-receiving country, should deliberate on migrant labour challenges and work towards reaching progressive agreements to address challenges faced by migrant workers in the SADC region, as this has a direct impact on the country's labour policy developments.
We make the following recommendations. Firstly, Parliament must ensure that government delivers on decent employment in order to curb growing inequalities in society. Through oversight, Parliament should ensure that departments and entities align their programmes with a decent work programme.
Through oversight, Parliament must ensure the institutional capacity of the Department of Labour to prevent discrimination in the labour market.
Although sheltered employment factories play a positive role in equipping disabled people, they have the potential to unnecessarily isolate individuals from the rest of their communities. Rather than lessening obstacles to employment for persons with disabilities, this segregation actually contributes to lowered expectations and negative public attitudes. As a result, Parliament, through joint oversight by committees, should ensure that policies encouraging the active participation of disabled people not only focus on sheltered employment, but also on employment in the mainstream economy.
Parliament must ensure that the Department of Labour monitors employment trends in the informal sector. It should further ensure that policies recognise and improve conditions in the informal economy, where most poor women and men earn their livelihoods, as these policies are critical to poverty reduction.
Through proper oversight and monitoring Parliament must ensure that labour market policies can create an environment for job creation, productivity and wage growth. The Portfolio Committee on Labour must conduct oversight and hold joint meetings with other committees that fall under the Economic Transformation Cluster, such as Economic Development, to ensure the alignment of employment legislation and other economic promotion strategies.
Parliament recognises the country's state of skills and that South Africa faces challenges of serious skills shortages in a number of critical fields. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
There was no debate.