South Africa’s Govt Calls for Labour Law Compliance in Agriculture Sector

The Department of Employment and Labour has called for maximum labour law compliance in the agriculture sector during a seminar targeted at employers, employees, employer organisations and trade unions.
The department hosted an agriculture sector seminar in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, under the theme, ‘Paying the National Minimum Wage is the Right Thing to Do’.
In a statement, the department said the seminar was preceded by an agricultural sector inspection blitz, the results of which indicated the need for an advocacy session with sector stakeholders.
Describing the seminar’s purpose, the department’s Advocate Fix Bede stated that the emphasis was on payment of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), registration of workers with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), registration of workers with the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), and referral of disputes to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA).
Dr Naidoo, from the department’s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) division, told several agricultural sector employers that Limpopo province is dealing with some labour legislation issues. The seminar, he said, was one way for the department to show its willingness to help with these issues in an open and accessible manner.
“Because the department exists to regulate labour markets, it promotes job growth. The department never intends for employers to fail as a result of business closures, as this has a negative impact on communities.
“When it comes to labour legislation, there is a lot to take in but this seminar is just one among many engagements to help employers and employees in the sector understand these laws,” the department said.
“The agriculture sector [labour practice] compliance level in Limpopo for 2020 to 2021 return of earnings [ROE] season revealed that there are still 2 226 registered employers with the CF and 1 007 ROEs and invoices received; 73 invoices paid; an estimated 45% of ROE submission; an estimated 7% level of compliance, with an estimated 32 000 players in the sector (as per Google search),” the department said.
The department has further urged employers in the agricultural sector to comply with labour laws.
“It is important to remember and remind everyone that before these laws were enacted, there was massive public participation, which also allowed employer and employee organisations, trade unions, and civil society to provide input into these laws before they were passed in Parliament, and now all that is required is compliance with these laws,” the department said.
The department emphasised that it strives for a labour market that is conducive to investment, economic growth, employment creation and decent work by enacting its mission.
The department’s mission is to regulate the South African labour market for a sustainable economy through appropriate legislation and regulations, inspection, compliance monitoring and enforcement, protection of human rights, provision of employment services, promoting equity, social and income protection and social dialogue.


Discover more from LN247

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Advertisement

Most Popular This Week

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More from Author

Advertisement

Read Now

Moniepoint Partners with Visa to Empower African Businesses

Moniepoint, Nigeria's fintech unicorn, has announced a strategic partnership with Visa to accelerate its expansion across Africa and offer innovative payment solutions to local businesses. This collaboration follows Moniepoint's successful $110 million Series C funding round, which tripled the company’s valuation to over $1 billion in October...

Tariff Hike: NLC Threatens Nationwide Telecoms Boycott

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a stern warning to the Nigerian government and telecommunications companies, threatening a nationwide boycott of telecom services in response to the recent 50% increase in tariffs. The NLC argues that this hike, approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), constitutes...

FCCPC Urges Telecom Operators to Improve Services After Tariff Hike

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has called on telecom operators to prioritize service improvements following the recent approval of a 50% increase in telecom tariffs by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). In a statement released on Wednesday via its official X handle, the FCCPC recognized...

Discover more from LN247

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading