Council Information

As far as the payment of council levies during closed seasons is concerned, it was unanimously decided by the Council’s Executive Committee, which consist of EOCAF (Employer’s Organisation) as well as all the Trade Unions who are party to the Council, that the following procedures should be applied, regarding the payment of Council levies:
·Levies must be deducted from employees every month. These monies, together with the employer’s contribution in respect of each employee, must be paid to the council on a monthly basis.
·During the annual closed seasons (of which there are now three) the employer’s must pay their levies (contributions) as well as their employee’s levies (contributions) which are due during the closed seasons. The employer shall then recover the levies paid by them on behalf of their employees during the closed seasons, the first available opportunity once the fishing season resumes.

It has been suggested that, in order to simplify matters, employers should deduct council levies due by their employees, on a once off basis from their employees, at the completion of the first and/or second fishing trips after October closed season. In effect this will mean that an employee’s annual Council levies of R 120,00 will be deducted once off at for example the end of December every year. This procedure will eliminate the employers having to “subsidise” their employees in respect of Council levies during annual closed seasons. The monies thus deducted, can be paid over on a once off basis together with the employer’s contributions, to the Council, or the employer can chooses to pay it over on a monthly basis, at the discretion of the employer. It is felt that this process will also considerably reduce the paper work from the Council’s office as well as monthly administrative chores on the employer’s behalf.

The Honourable Minister of Labour decided that all people who work in the Squid Fishing Industry shall fall within the jurisdiction of the Statutory Council. This includes both sea going personnel (all persons on the fishing vessel) as well as all land based personnel (factory workers, administrative personnel and maintenance personnel).
It was decided that monthly Council levies shall be paid by an Employer based on the number of Squid Fishing Permits issued to the Employer, by the Department of Environmental Affairs (Branch: Marine and Coastal Management). As the number of permits issued to an Employer includes fishermen as well as Officers, Employers are to deduct and pay Council levies on behalf of fishermen as well as Officers and Employers shall pay Council levies on behalf of fishermen and Officers, to the Council.