I recently went to the Department of Labour offices in Pinetown to follow up on my continuation of payment from UIF.
Arriving at 6.15am, and parking in Sunnyside Lane, I joined the back of the queue. At this stage, the queue started at the entrance to the office (which is locked with a steel gate) and snaked from there up to the top of Kings Road, Crompton Street and into Sunnyside Lane.
The office opens at 7.30am and a few at a time are let in from the queue throughout the day. There appears to be no system in place. The queue consists of all types of applicants – new, continuation of benefits as well as enquiries and other requests.
Sale of fruit, sweets and fried fish is done by vendors. There are no rubbish bins in the street outside the offices.
It is a disgrace that citizens have to stand in such filth. The banana peels are just thrown onto the pavement and into the gutters.
I stood in the queue from 6.15am until 4pm, when the office closed. Those left rushed to the entrance with appeals for help. The speed of the queue slows down as the day progresses, with a handful being let in after 3pm.
For the entire time I had no food or water as I was too afraid to drink in case I needed the toilet – and there are no toilet facilities.
For those of us who were not successful in gaining entrance or assistance, I was advised by others in the queue that you need to arrive by 5am. Some advised me that the previous month they had the same problem and had to return the following day.
There are so many unemployed people and a suggestion is additional staff could be employed to vet the queue. That would ensure those whose documents are not in order do not spend the entire day in the queue, only to be turned away, and to provide advice.
The staff member assisting at the entrance and exit should advise the rest of the queue by at least 2pm that not all would receive assistance.
There is no communication to those standing in the queue by the staff of the labour office and, when there was, they stood out of earshot of many in the queue.
Despite numerous endeavours, the phones at Pinetown are not answered, nor any other labour office in the Durban area.
The call centre number (0800 030 007) advises that they are unable to assist in application/follow up enquiries as they only provide information.
During the second wave of Covid, this has the potential of being a super spreader. It saddens me that citizens of South Africa have to endure such treatment and this needs to be addressed.
Some advice for anyone going to Pinetown Department of Labour: arrive at 5am and take a fold up chair, not forgetting an umbrella for the rain/sun and your mask.
A concerned citizen
Pinetown
The Department of Labour did not respond to questions by the time of going to print.
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