Suspended Department of Labour employees costing taxpayer R5.2 million
4 March 2015
In a reply to a DA parliamentary question the Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant, revealed that there are currently 16 government officials within the Department of Labour who are on suspension with full pay, costing the taxpayer R5.2 million to date.
I have written to Minister Oliphant requesting her to commit to a date by which these disciplinary hearings will be conducted, so that the 16 suspensions can be concluded as soon as possible.
In terms of the Disciplinary Code and Procedures for the Public Service, prompt investigations must be conducted and disciplinary hearings must be held within 60 days from the date of suspension.
This is clearly not happening, and with a public sector wage bill amounting to a staggering R439 billion per year, government must do all it can to mitigate such unnecessary expense.