Department of Labour:

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Progress Report on Ex Mineworkers23 July 2010

Progress Report on Ex Mineworkers23 July 2010

Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Labour

Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Labour

Unemployment Insurance Commissioner: Mr. TB SeruweUnemployment Insurance Commissioner: Mr. TB Seruwe

Department of Labour:

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Background information

The People’s assembly took place in Bhizana in the Eastern Cape from 17 – 19 September 2007.

Parliament established the Ad hoc committee on matters relating to the Ex Mineworkers Union.

A motion was tabled in the National Assembly on September 19, 2007 to establish a Committee to look into the concerns of the Ex Mineworkers Union.

Department of Labour:

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Background information

The following recommendations were made by the Committee:

The Establishment of an Interdepartmental Task Team consisting of the Department of Labour, Department of Health, Department of Minerals and Energy and National Treasury

The main objectives of the Task Team should be:

To process the findings and recommendations

To trace all the monies that belong to the ex mineworkers and once trace,

Publish regular reports on both the electronic and print media

Department of Labour:

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Background information

The Interdepartmental Task Team should be headed by a Senior Official form the Department of Labour

All the claims have to be processed form one office which should be co -ordinated and managed by the ITT

Monies of ex mineworkers that can not be traced must be transferred to the state

All documents kept by stakeholders that could assist in tracing beneficiaries should be surrendered to the ITT and kept by the Department of Labour

The Portfolio Committee on Labour should play an oversight role in the implementation of the recommendations and should receive regular briefings from the ITT

Department of Labour:

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Overall Progress since recommendations

The Interdepartmental Task Team and the Provincial Steering Committee have been constituted by the Department of Labour.

Regular meetings have been held by the Interdepartmental Task Team and the Provincial Steering Committee

The Interpartmental Task Team has made recommendations to the Portfolio Committee of Labour after it was constituted

Ex mine workers have started to receive payments from the Department of Health and the Department of Labour

Department of Labour:

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The BriefThe Brief

As per the Labour Portfolio Committee’s request, the Department of Labour (DoL), through the UI Commissioner as the Chairperson of IDTT will:

Provide feedback on the progress made so far on the issue of payment of ex mineworkers

Brief the Committee on the challenges faced by Department of Labour, Department of Health and Rand Mutual Assurance and the possible

solutions to the challenges.

Department of Labour:

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Unemployment Insurance FundUnemployment Insurance Fund

PROGRESS TO DATE

UIF identified 2100 people who are eligible to be paid.

Assisted 912 people to fill application forms in the Eastern Cape

A total of 343 payments to the value of R1.5m has been paid to ex mine workers.

56 additional files have been scrutinized and local IT administrators

have been engaged in order to acquire additional information e.g.: remuneration and period of employment.

On receipt of the information, payments will be effected

Department of Labour:

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37 payments were rejected by the bank because banking details challenges.

Out of 2100 applications expected, only 912 applications have been received.

People who are not supposed to apply, are part of the 912 applicants.

Some applicants do not have mine related experience.

Some applicants do not have bank accounts and in some cases bank accounts have been closed.

Challenges

Department of Labour:

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Proposed Solutions

Banks will be approached to assist ex mine workers with regard to the opening of bank accounts.

Phase two will be started whereby additional applications will be taken. Discussions have been started with the group that is led by Mr.Nyamfu to assist ex mine workers in filling the application forms.

TEBA and Chamber of Mines will be approached to provide the IDTT with necessary information. The Minister of Labour has promised to ensure that TEBA attend task team meetings.

Department of Labour:

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Department of HealthDepartment of Health

The Department of Health through Compensation Commission for Occupational Deaseshas received a total of 1185 applications for compensation

751 applicants have been paid a total of R2m. Each claimant has been paid a fixed amount of R2 700.

Queries have been raised on the validity of 434 applicants. These queries relate to people claiming for other people.

Department of Labour:

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Department of Health: Challenges

Lack of adequate information to process claims hence, there are queries that have been raised in certain applications.

Applications are not being made by daughters in law, hence only 1185 applications out of 7500 expected. About 6300 applicant still need to make applications

Only R2m disbursed out of R20 m which is equivalent to only 10% of the available amount to be claimed

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Department of Labour:

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Department of Health: Proposed Solutions

Leadership of ex mine workers will help to provide outstanding information.

Second phase of taking applications will be initiated. The Provincial Steering Committee will discuss this process in their upcoming meeting.

Advocacy campaigns will be conducted through the media.

There will be close cooperation between the Department of Health and Ex mine workers in ensuring that all affected areas are covered by the team as they take the application forms.

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Department of Labour:

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Rand Mutual AssuranceRand Mutual Assurance

RMA has received a list of 18 500 claimants from ex mine workers

1000 of these have been investigated.

CHALLENGES

The list of 1000 people that have been investigated contain old reference books and not the 13 digit barcorded id. RMA needs an industry number to verify the validity of the application.

It is proposed that TEBA be asked to help with information.

Department of Labour:

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Office of the Eastern Cape Premier

Provincial Steering Committee meetings are not taking place as frequently as they are supposed to.

Poor attendance by the representative from the Premier’s Office.

As an interim measure, Mr Thabo Madikazi from the Department of Labour has been tasked with the responsibility to convene the Provincial Steering Committee.

Department of Labour:

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Overall Challenges facing the Project Lack of resources ring fenced to execute the task such as:

Finance – there is no budget that has been allocated to the activities of the Inter Departmental Task Team. The Department of Labour is paying for the activities of the Interdepartmental Task Team.

Human Resources – lack of full time staff allocated to the Interdepartmental Task Team. Staff do their normal day to day activities over and above the IDTT.

Department of Labour:

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Thank youThank you

Department of Labour:

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