Talks to resolve perpetual friction among factions in the labour force have begun.
According to Robertson police spokesperson Warrant Officer Blackie Swart, a meeting between the South African Human Rights Commission and the police was held on 22 March.
“A meeting involving SAPS, Chris Nissen of the Human Rights Commission, the Department of Employment and Labour and farm owners was held,” he said.
“At the meeting it was determined another meeting between the Department of Employment and Labour and the labour brokers is to be held on Thursday 7 April.”
According to a statement released by the department, issued on Langeberg Municipality’s Facebook page, it will conduct inspection in the agricultural sector from Monday 11 to Thursday 14 April in the towns of Robertson, McGregor, Ashton, Montagu and Bonnievale.
It said: “The inspectorate will test compliance with the Unemployment Insurance Act (UIA), Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) and the National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA).”
This comes after allegations of the employment of undocumented migrants were brought to the attention of the department.
Said the statement: “The department will be conducting inspections together with the provincial Department of Agriculture, South African Police Service (SAPS), and Department of Home Affairs, which will be testing the authenticity and validity of the documents produced.
“The department has been engaging various stakeholders including municipalities, employers, and some of the labour brokers in the Robertson area and surroundings, to form a collaboration that will ensure that the recruitment process in the sector is conducted in line with labour legislation and that, the first preference for jobs is allocated for the local unemployed individuals.”
The department said it will come down very hard on employers who do not follow the law.
“Our inspections are not punitive, but collaborative, to ensure workplaces adhere to the rule of law and promote a healthy and safe working environment,” Western Cape Provincial Chief Inspector David Esau said in the statement.
“However, we will be very hard on employers who are deliberately operating outside the parameters of the law.”
Last week Gazette sent a media query to the Langeberg Municipality with the following questions:
1. What is the status of the SAHRC’s talks with SAPS and Nkqubela representatives?
2. In a Facebook post dated 22 March, it states that the Mayor would engage in talks with Western Cape Premier Alan Winde – Have the two of them engaged in said talks yet? What was the outcome?
3. In the same post dated March 22, it makes mention of a summit to be organise – has a date been set or has the summit taken place yet?
4. What is the Mayor’s general opinion of the unrest and what is his feelings regarding the way forward?
At the time of going to print yesterday (Monday 4 April), no response was received from the municipality.
