20 April 2007
The Labour Ministry has hit back at political party Freedom Front (FF)Plus
which lambasted the department following a closure of its Nelspruit, Mpumalanga
offices by its own inspectors, for health and safety reasons. The incident had
been reported to the media by the department itself.
In its response to the incident, the FFPlus said the department was making a
habit of displaying a very strange sense of humour. FF Plus spokesperson Willie
Spies said the "latest action of labour inspectors could be described as
another well-aimed shot in the foot by our Department of Labour."
Labour Spokesperson Zolisa Sigabi said yesterday the action taken by labour
inspectors in closing the Labour Centre was not a self defeating move as Spies
suggested. "My sense is that we can never win with the likes of the FF Plus'
Willie Spies. There is nothing shameful in the department taking action against
the contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety regulations by our
own."
"Workers are workers in any environment. If we had kept quiet about this, Mr
Spies and his FF Plus would have a bigger bone to pick. "This is not the first
public sector office to be shut down by the way. Besides Minister Mdladlana
himself has again and again pointed out that government is not immune from
complying with any of the labour laws."
"He said this when the Home Affairs offices were shut down in the North West
earlier this year. We do state that this is not entirely the department's fault
for we do not own the buildings they belong to the Department of Public Works,"
Sigabi said.
Enquiries:
Zolisa Sigabi
Cell: 082 906 3878
Issued by: Department of Labour
20 April 2007
