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The ANC is delaying serious discussions on politically uncomfortable bills in the run-up to Mangaung.

Persistent absenteeism by ANC MPs is causing delays in the discussions on the labour amendment bills currently before the Portfolio Committee on Labour.

The DA suspects that ANC committee members have lost interest in the discussions after private deals around the bills were allegedly struck between COSATU and the ruling party outside of the formal deliberations. We also believe that the ANC is trying to avoid discussions on the bills because it may curb the power of majority unions and introduce a greater level of democracy in union decision-making.

I will be tabling this as a discussion point in the committee and will be asking the committee chairperson for a firm timeline on how discussions on the bills are to proceed.

The committee has only deliberated on the bills for two days following the public hearings in July 2012.

A detailed account of the Labour Committee’s deliberations on the bills since early August looks as follows:

• 7 August: Early adjournment because a parliamentary report on the public hearings of July 2012 was not yet available.
• 8 August: No meeting was held since the report on the public hearings was still not available.
• 14 August: Meeting cancelled as the report on the public hearings was still outstanding.
• 21 August: Meeting was adjourned after 35 minutes due to the late circulation of the report. Members were not able to study the report before the meeting.
• 22 August: A briefing by the Department of Labour in response to public hearings took place.
• 28 August: The meeting was cancelled with no reasons given. The meeting was supposed to have been moved to the afternoon because of the reception for the Olympic Team.
• 4 September: Early adjournment/postponement because there was not a sufficient number of MPs present.
• 11 September: The committee did meet and started to discuss the bill on the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
• 18 September: Meeting was not quorate – it was only attended by the chairperson (ANC), both of the DA’s committee MPs and the member from COPE (who arrived at tea-time).

The DA strongly suspects that the no-show by ANC MPs on 18 September has everything to do with the fact that these members were too busy being wined and dined by COSTAU at its national congress.

As the next two weeks see MPs occupied with their constituency obligations, the Labour Committee will not meet again until the 9th of October.

After the events at Marikana, you would think that elected officials would jump at the opportunity to transform South Africa’s labour regime.

ANC MPs disregard for their responsibilities is unacceptable at best and at worst, could contribute to another Marikana.