MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Employment and Labour Committee Supports Interventions to Avert Job Losses at AMSA

Employment and Labour Committee Supports Interventions to Avert Job Losses at AMSA

Republic of South Africa: The Parliament
Download logo

The Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour supports government’s intervention and engagement with ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) regarding potential job losses due to the company’s decision to wind down its long steel business, exploring avenues to avert job losses and support affected workers.

AMSA raised concerns about possible job losses in the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces as a result of possible closure of the company. The briefing the committee received from the Department of Employment and Labour yesterday was appreciative of the cooperation between the departments of Employment and Labour; Trade, Industry and Competition; and other role-players to secure the possible return of AMSA.

Regarding the report of the performance of the Department of Employment and Labour’s entities – the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Compensation Fund (CF) – in the third quarter, the committee noted areas of overachievement in the quarter from both entities in the area of service delivery.

However, the committee raised concerns about a pervasive culture in the department of not filling vacant positions and of employing people in long-standing acting positions. The department should lead by example by filling vacancies to promote a culture of doing so in the entire government system, as this is a problem across all spheres of government, the committee said.

The department was unable to respond to questions on this issue from the committee about why these posts were not filled permanently with suitable and competent people. The department asked to be granted another opportunity to provide the committee with a comprehensive response on this issue.

On the Labour Activation Programme (LAP), the committee Chairperson, Mr Boyce Maneli, said this is a noble project that creates employment opportunities and promotes entrepreneurial development. In this regard, Mr Maneli said the committee is happy with the funding of LAP projects in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and in North West, which launched recently. “We know that this project will cover all the provinces at the end,” he said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

The Portfolio Committee on Employment and Labour supports government’s intervention and engagement with ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) regarding potential job losses due to the company’s decision to wind down its long steel business, exploring avenues to avert job losses and support affected workers.

AMSA raised concerns about possible job losses in the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces as a result of possible closure of the company. The briefing the committee received from the Department of Employment and Labour yesterday was appreciative of the cooperation between the departments of Employment and Labour; Trade, Industry and Competition; and other role-players to secure the possible return of AMSA.

Regarding the report of the performance of the Department of Employment and Labour’s entities – the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the Compensation Fund (CF) – in the third quarter, the committee noted areas of overachievement in the quarter from both entities in the area of service delivery.

However, the committee raised concerns about a pervasive culture in the department of not filling vacant positions and of employing people in long-standing acting positions. The department should lead by example by filling vacancies to promote a culture of doing so in the entire government system, as this is a problem across all spheres of government, the committee said.

The department was unable to respond to questions on this issue from the committee about why these posts were not filled permanently with suitable and competent people. The department asked to be granted another opportunity to provide the committee with a comprehensive response on this issue.

On the Labour Activation Programme (LAP), the committee Chairperson, Mr Boyce Maneli, said this is a noble project that creates employment opportunities and promotes entrepreneurial development. In this regard, Mr Maneli said the committee is happy with the funding of LAP projects in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and in North West, which launched recently. “We know that this project will cover all the provinces at the end,” he said.

Per Kind Favour of APO

Africa Fact: The Fintech sector in SSA is made up of 260 different companies, 80% of which are local.

Category: Tag: , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…

  • November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…

  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Forgive me for being a bit of an idiot but where do I find your newsletter subscription service?