Labour compliance seminar educates employers
Local employers attended in their numbers and engaged with labour officials.
The Department of Employment and Labour in collaboration with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) organised a successful employer compliance seminar at Margate Hotel recently.
The session was to share information on how employers can effectively administer their businesses in compliance with the UIF and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
Sibongiseni Biyase, the Department of Employment and Labour manager in Ugu District, said the seminar was to promote sound business administration and to ensure compliance with labour laws.
“We urge businesses to declare and register their employees with the UIF and comply with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.”
Local employers attended in their numbers and engaged with labour officials. The seminar focused on critical topics such as UIF compliance, UIF online, e-declaration, labour activation programme and reduced work time benefits.
Noxolo Khubone, also from the Department of Labour said a compensation fund is administered for injuries incurred on duty for employees to benefit. She urged employers to register all their employees working 24 hours a month.
Also, Biyase added that labour inspectors can either arrive announced or unannounced at businesses. “We monitor the enforcement of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and minimum wages. “The minimum wage is R28.79 per hour and R15.83 for EPWP workers. Non-compliant employers may be fined up to R1.5m.”
The department’s Bhele Mzinyati said he believed that the employers who attended were compliant. “We wanted to touch base with employers and ensure their compliance with the UIF Act, Employment Equity Act and Basic Conditions of Employment Act. We are modernising our operations, but we have had glitches with our online system and we request employers to bear with us.”
Siphamandla Gumede said the department’s mandate is to collect UIF contributions and pay benefits. “Employers need to register and declare their employees with the UIF. Employees claim UIF when they have no income and did not voluntarily resign from work.”
Furthermore, Simiso Nkosi said fraudulent claims of Covid-19 TERS cost the department millions of rands. An investigation was launched which led to the arrest and conviction of employers for fraud.
“Due to fraud, more than 141 thousand claims remain unprocessed. We still owe employees R127m in TERS payment. Some employers had ghost claims and took money to buy flashy properties. Others short-paid their employees. If you are one of them, please collaborate with us, don’t let us come for you, negotiate with us and don’t force us to call the Special Investigative Unit,” said Nkosi.
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