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I have noted the statement issued by NEHAWU regarding issues of workplace safety and other related issues published on September 18, 2020.

Indeed, it is true that I, together with my team, met with Nehawu on August 22 wherein extensive discussions were held on issues of safety, but the allegations contained in the statement issued this week are not correct.

For the purposes of brevity, I shall deal with some of the issues raised and address the distortions to the extent possible:

The union alleges that I did not know the scope of my department and that it has jurisdiction over Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), including regarding other Government Departments.

Since the start of lockdown, we have drafted regulations and issued statements reflecting the oversight work that we have conducted in other government departments including the prohibition notice that was served on Frere Hospital in the Eastern Cape. If we did not know the extent of our work, how could we have done all that work including closing down post offices, Home Affairs offices and even health facilities?

I am also accused that I said that health inspectors cannot be in all workplaces. This is true. There is only so much that can be accomplished at any given point given the finite number of inspectors. This is not a secret. I have announced that we are in the process of inducting 500 new inspectors and they will soon be on stream. The challenge will always be finding smart solutions with the given cohort we have, and this is what the DG and his team have been working on to ensure that limited resources do not hamper the work we need to do.

Nehawu says some of their workers have lost their lives in COVID 19. This is true. It is also true that we have lost inspectors and officials. That fact attests to the work we have been doing in this extremely dangerous situation. If it were true that we were not doing anything, then we wouldn't be counting numbers of our fallen staff who died in service to the workers of this country.

Nehawu also lists provincial referrals and alleges that the provinces have not responded. Here are the facts:

• Eastern Cape:  We have been working with Nehawu in all our inspections. Even when we closed Frere hospital the union, including their Regional Chairperson Mr Tjwala, worked with us, as well as in the case of East London's private and St Dominic's facilities. Even in subsequent meetings where the CDPO was involved the union was always there. The same happened with the Mthatha General and Academic Hospitals. Inspectors are provided with proper PPE, and we have sufficient supply of these.

• KZN: We have sufficient PPE in our stock and all Labour Centres have been provided with these. The specialist Inspector for OHS had a meeting with two officials from Nehawu on the 14 August 2020 wherein there was agreement on protocols as per Standard Operating Procedures. Nehawu gave us the list of such outstanding reports which we are busy following up with the affected offices and some hospitals are yet to be inspected. We are in the process of developing joint advocacy and inspection programmes targeting the hospitals they are complaining about.

• Free State: There were no reports received from Nehawu that were not attended to and no inspectors were sent out without PPE.

• Gauteng: Nehawu is involved in inspections with us in the province. For example, the Clinix Group complaint was referred by Nehawu and it was attended to with their involvement. There are no inspectors who were forced to conduct inspections without PPE. If Nehawu has information to the contrary, I would like those names.

• Western Cape: We have an agreement with COSATU where they interact with our CDPO directly. We have had numerous meetings with them, but Nehawu fails to follow agreed protocols. Our arrangement to work through COSATU stands, but Nehawu does not follow this agreement.

• North West:  We have held a meeting with Nehawu in this province and we have shared with them our comprehensive inspection report. We have a joint structure and we have agreed that if there are issues of OHS, the CDPO office and the provincial chief inspector are available for discussions and engagement.

• Limpopo: This province has been in touch with different unions and where matters were raised, they have been dealt with.  We have conducted inspections at the Department of Justice in Giyani, bus stop clinic in Phalaborwa, Maphuta Matjali hospital in Phalaborwa, 21 Home Affairs offices in the province, Social Development facilities including 9 quarantine sites, six offices of the Department of Education in Sekhukhune and countless others.  Any allegation to the contrary is inaccurate, except where we still have inspections scheduled.

• Mpumalanga: No complaints were received from Nehawu and no inspectors were sent out without PPE.

The Department welcomes the co-operation and oversight of unions in the quest to keep workers safe and no one is more worried about this aspect than my Department and the inspectorate. Any suggestion to the contrary is without foundation.

Thulas Nxesi MP, Minister of Employment and Labour

23.09.2020

“Our actions are key to stopping the second wave of Covid-19 spread. Wear your mask, wash hands regularly and keep maintaining the social distancing"

-ENDS-

Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour

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