Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill [B15-2012] & Labour Relations Amendment Bill [B16-2012]: Committee Report on input received during public hearings

Meeting report

Committee Report on input received during Public Hearings on the Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill and the Labour Relations Amendment Bill
The Chairperson advised that the Committee had requested additional information and suggestions from entities that had made submissions on the Bills. The deadline for the additional submissions was Wednesday, 8 August 2012. As a result, the Committee Report was incomplete and there was no point in proceeding with the deliberations on the report as planned. There were no other items on the agenda and the meeting was postponed to the following week.

Mr S Motau (DA) agreed that the deliberations should be postponed. He asked that the Committee Secretary ensured that the drafting of the report was expedited.

Ms L Makhubela-Mashele (ANC) asked that the draft report be circulated to Members before the meeting to allow them to study the contents. She felt that the meeting should have been cancelled as it was known that the deadline for additional input was the following day.

Mr D Kganare (COPE) said that it was not acceptable that a meeting to discuss a report was scheduled when it was known beforehand that it could not be proceeded with. He had received confirmation the previous evening that the meeting would take place.

The Chairperson advised that the report was being drafted whilst the public hearings took place. The assumption was made by the drafter that the additional input requested would have been received in time. He apologised for the inconvenience caused to the Members.

Ms Makhubela-Mashele pointed out that the public hearings were concluded on Tuesday, 31 July 2012. The participants were informed that the additional information required by the Committee was required within one week. It was known that the deadline for the additional submission was after the scheduled meeting and it was not correct to assume that the input would be received in time. She expressed displeasure over the time that had been wasted by the failure to cancel the meeting.

Mr A Van der Westhuizen (DA) noted that Mr Luvo Nxelewa (the Committee Secretary) had been transferred. He took the opportunity to express his gratitude for the contribution made by Mr Nxelewa and wished him well in his new position. He welcomed Mr Ben Kali, who had replaced Mr Nxelewa.

Mr K Manamela (ANC) concurred and added his congratulations to Mr Kali. He presumed that the failure to cancel the meeting would not recur and suggested that Members’ concerns were noted and the meeting adjourned.

Mr Kganare remarked that it would have been more appropriate to have thanked Mr Nxelewa for the work done for the Committee before his departure.

The Chairperson asked Members to bring problems to his attention as soon as any were noticed. He apologised again for the inconvenience caused. He informed Members of Mr Kali’s experience as the Secretary for other parliamentary committees. Certain matters dealt with by the previous Secretary had to be finalised and there would be a handover process.

The meeting was adjourned.