20 Mar 2022

Review of occupational health and safety law remains critical in the prevention of work-related injuries and bringing it up to speed with emerging issues.

Minister of Employment, Labour Productivity and Skills Development, Mr Machana Shamukuni said this when presenting the ministry’s budget estimates for the 2022/2023 financial year recently.

Mr Shamukuni said the ministry was thus in the process of reviewing occupational health and safety laws with a view to also close all existing gaps. “The ministry is committed to putting measures in place to address risky, perilous and hazardous working conditions in order to realise safe and healthy work place,” he said.

He indicated that a total of 576 work-related injuries were recorded in this financial year, due to failure to comply with occupational health and safety laws by some companies, resulting in 23 deaths.

Mr Shamukuni pointed that 20 per cent of compensation claims from the cases, amounting to over P4 million, was paid out.

On labour relation issues, the minister said there was a decrease in the number of trade disputes reported this financial year compared to 7 299 disputes reported in the previous year. He said 6 467 trade disputes were reported from April 2021 to date, with an additional 951 brought forward from the previous financial year, taking the total cases to 7 418.

He attributed the decrease to COVID-19 disruption.

“Although a decrease in trade disputes was realised, the statutory turnaround time of 30 days for mediation and arbitration of trade disputes was not achieved as customers could not access services online,” he said.

He added that the ministry was, therefore, working with SmartBots to develop online case management to ease delays in dispute resolution process.

The minister further said 480 labour inspections were conducted against a target of 3 420, and contraventions noted included failure to insure workers, failure to keep records and delayed payments.

“The ministry continues to intensify public education on labour laws to improve compliance,” he said. He told Parliament that penalties would be increased for violation of the labour laws.

On other issues, Mr Shamukuni said the ministry had collected revenue amounting to P27  870 338 against the projected revenue of P34 157 480 in the current financial year.

That, he said was due to reduction in work permit applications and reduced collection of construction levies as a result of low activity in the construction industry.

MPs also heard that completion of Rapid Skills Development Centres in Bokspits, Ncojane, Phitshane/Molopo and Sojwe would be completed in December. He added that two new centres would be built in Shakawe and Khakhea in the next financial year.

Meanwhile, Mr Shamukuni requested Parliament to approve budget estimates comprising over P768m in recurrent expenditure and over P170m in development expenditure for the 2022/2023 financial year. Under the recurrent budget, he said over P139m would be allocated to the ministry headquarters and over P90m to State Owned Enterprises under the ministry in BNPC and CITF.

He added that over P61.5m would be allocated to the Department of Labour and Social Security and P14,1m  to the Department of Occupational Health and Safety and P553.6m to the

Department of Skills Development. Parliament approved the requested budget estimates. ENDS