Owing to the decisive interventions embarked upon by the Deputy Minister of Labour, Inkosi Patekile Holomisa, the Director-General of the Department of Labour Mr. Thobile Lamati will visit the town of Ficksburg in the Free State province to assess the progress made regarding commitments made to help former Wood@Heart employees.
These are 23 employees whose cases were referred to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) post their dismissals from their employ. As per their former employer’s assertions, these are workers who were laid-off after participating in an illegal strike action.
The Department of Labour’s resolve to involve all role players in finding the lasting solution to this impasse culminated into a round table discussion it had with the CCMA, the Department of Environmental Affairs, Wood at Heart management, Setsoto Local Municipality and all the victims of these injuries and other dismissed workers.
Held on the 1 February 2016 and chaired by the Deputy Minister himself, the meeting reached the following conclusions:
- The Department of Environmental Affairs undertook to look for possible alternative employment in their other EPWP projects for all 23 workers who were dismissed by Wood at Heart following their illegal strike action
- Compensation Fund will provide counselling for all workers who sustained injuries on duty at the factory
- CCMA to provide workplace relations building training to all 23 workers who sought their intervention following their dismissals
- Department of Environmental Affairs undertook to give one family member of a deceased worker employment.
- The planned march by dismissed workers which was supposed to have taken place on the 08 February 2015 has been cancelled.
The next meeting which will be chaired by the DG of the Department of Labour will be held on the 17 February 2016. Attendees of this meeting will include the Department of Environmental Affairs, CCMA and dismissed workers. The meeting will be held at Setsoto Local Municipality offices from 9:00 in the morning.
The media is invited to attend the press briefing which will be held post the meeting.
Enquiries:
Josial Ramokoena
Provincial Spokesperson of the Department of Labour: Free State
Cell: 083 292 4018
Email: josial.ramokoena@labour.gov.za
