The existing Employment Equity (EE) Act provisions for the 2024 Employment Equity reporting period are still applicable, pending the signing of the EE amendments.
This is according to the Department of Employment and Labour’s Deputy Director of Employment Equity, Masilo Lefika, who was speaking during the second of the first series of annual Employment Equity roadshows, held in collaboration with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in Rustenburg on Thursday.
The series of the workshops is designed to improve racial, gender and disability equality in the workplace.
The first series of the roadshows kicked off in the North West province with workshops held in Klerksdorp on Tuesday and Rustenburg on Wednesday.
This year's Employment Equity workshops are being held under the theme: “Bridging the Equity Gap through Diversity and Inclusion".
The EE Amendment Bill was signed into law on 6 April 2023 by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The amendments to the EE Act of 1998 and its regulations are primarily aimed at empowering the Minister of Employment and Labour to regulate the setting of sector specific EE numerical targets and the promulgation of Section 53 that deals with the issuing of an EE Compliance Certificate as a prerequisite for the accessing of State contracts.
Reflecting on the 26 years since the enactment of Employment Equity Act legislation, Lefika said the previous amendments implemented in 2013 have not had a positive impact.
Lefika said following the publishing of EE regulations in February, the focus was on their refinement, as these were a key guide to legislation.
“Of importance is to broaden consultation while waiting for proclamation,” he said.
The 2024 EE workshops will focus on the EE status of the labour market, as per the 24th Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) Annual Report; update on the EE amendments, in particular the proposed draft regulations on proposed sector EE targets, and an update on the 2024 EE reporting season.
The workshops will also focus on the key insights from the CCMA on topical cases related to unfair discrimination in terms of harassment, disability and discrimination based on arbitrary grounds.
The EE workshops are targeted at employers or heads of organisations, academics, assigned senior managers, consultative forum members, human resource practitioners, trade unions, employees and interested stakeholders.
The next session of EE roadshows will be held at Upington on 13 August 2024.
More information on the EE workshops, including updates on the venues to be used is available on the department’s and the CCMA’s social media platforms, as well as the department’s website: www.labour.gov.za. – SAnews.gov.za
