Employment and Labour takes services to Western Cape communities ahead of Presidential Imbizo in Paarl, 19 May

In the build-up to the Presidential Imbizo which will be held in Paarl tomorrow (Friday, 19 May 2023), the Department of Employment and Labour in the Western Cape through its full spectrum of services such as Inspection and Enforcement Services(IES), Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), Public Employment Services (PES) and Compensation of Injury on Duty (COID) is taking services closer to the people.

Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi in supporting the Presidential Imbizo is visiting the area.

The Presidential Imbizo affords all social partners, government, traditional leaders, civil society organs, labour, women, youth, persons with disabilities, business and communities an opportunity to collectively engage in keeping with the District Development Model (DDM) principle.

The Department is currently offering services in some parts of the Cape Winelands District Municipality as part of these Pre-Presidential Imbizo build-up events.

Inspections are being conducted in the Agriculture Sector in areas such as Ceres, Worcester, Piketberg, Porterville and Malmesbury. The focus is on the National Minimum wage which was set at R25,42 per hour with effect 1 March 2023. The National Minimum Wage is the floor level below which no employee should be paid. It applies to all workers i.e., any person who works for another person and who receives or is entitled to receive any payment for that work.

The Western Cape UIF rapid response team together with the Paarl Labour Centre embarked on hosting outreaches in the Porterville, Ceres and Paarl-area to expedite the processing of unemployment claims and payments.

The Drakenstein Local Municipality is faced with seasonal unemployment whereby people are unemployed at particular times of the year due to the end of the farming season. The volumes of UIF claims increase dramatically during this time which has a direct impact on the Department.

The unemployed farm workers are considered some of the most vulnerable and rely on the UIF payments during the off season. It is therefore imperative that the processing of the claims is prioritised.

At its exhibition stalls during the Presidential Imbizo which will be held tomorrow from 10h00 at the Dal Josafat Athletics Stadium, Groenheuwel in Paarl, the Department will provide information on the full spectrum of its services such as IES, UIF, PES and COID.

The Department's usual services (for example the processing of UIF claims and payments) will continue to be provided at the Paarl Labour Centre in 68 Breda Street.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Jason Lloyd
Provincial Communication Officer: Western Cape
Cell: 082-728-5476
E-mail: /[email protected](link sends e-mail)

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