THE labour centres established by the government to help jobseekers find work were in a "dire" state and not achieving their objective, Democratic Alliance labour spokesman Ian Ollis said on Tuesday, following an on-site visit to centres in Tshwane and Johannesburg.
The visit provided concrete evidence, he said, as to why the 128 labour centres around the country placed only 2.3% (14,634) of the public employment service applicants in viable jobs in 2014-15.
Mr Ollis cited the central Johannesburg labour centre as the worst. It had remained shut for 18 months, referring people to far-flung labour centres via a sign on the door. A number of other centres had remained closed for periods of more than a year due to buildings being unfit for human occupation or utility bills not being paid.
"Job seekers and Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) claimants are being forced to return again and again to plead for services, with no feedback, sitting for hours in long queues. People expressed waiting for up to eight hours before being attended to," Mr Ollis said.
"When people arrive to get UIF or Compensation Fund payouts, they are told that all documents have been lost and they must start the process all over again," he said.
He said Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant must "shape up, or ship out".
Prospective job seekers queue to be registered outside the Alberton Civic Centre during a youth job creation initiative in June last year. Picture: THE SOWETAN
THE labour centres established by the government to help jobseekers find work were in a "dire" state and not achieving their objective, Democratic Alliance labour spokesman Ian Ollis said on Tuesday, following an on-site visit to centres in Tshwane and Johannesburg.
The visit provided concrete evidence, he said, as to why the 128 labour centres around the country placed only 2.3% (14,634) of the public employment service applicants in viable jobs in 2014-15.
Mr Ollis cited the central Johannesburg labour centre as the worst. It had remained shut for 18 months, referring people to far-flung labour centres via a sign on the door. A number of other centres had remained closed for periods of more than a year due to buildings being unfit for human occupation or utility bills not being paid.
"Job seekers and Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) claimants are being forced to return again and again to plead for services, with no feedback, sitting for hours in long queues. People expressed waiting for up to eight hours before being attended to," Mr Ollis said.
"When people arrive to get UIF or Compensation Fund payouts, they are told that all documents have been lost and they must start the process all over again," he said.
He said Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant must "shape up, or ship out".
Change: 0.60%
Change: 0.63%
Change: 0.47%
Change: 0.73%
Change: 0.27%
Data supplied by Profile Data
Change: 0.30%
Change: -0.31%
Change: 0.60%
Change: 0.00%
Change: -0.39%
Data supplied by Profile Data
Change: 0.41%
Change: 0.90%
Change: 0.64%
Change: 0.92%
Change: -0.56%
Data supplied by Profile Data
Change: -0.52%
Change: -1.78%
Change: -0.73%
Change: -2.84%
Change: -2.30%
Data supplied by Profile Data