The Department of Employment and Labour has encouraged trade unions to communicate amendments concerning employment equity (EE) to workers on the ground.
The department on Tuesday hosted a workshop with trade union representatives to capacitate them on their roles and responsibilities, as members of EE consultative forums, in the implementation of EE plans in the workplace, with the aim of achieving alignment with EE amendments and sector targets.
“Workplace activism is where unions are important. They play a critical role, and the fact that we have consultative forums means that all of us have the responsibility of implementing the Employment Equity Act, and including Affirmative Action,” said the department’s Deputy Director of Employment Equity, Niresh Singh.
Singh said there must be consultations between employers and trade unions to protect the interests of people with disabilities and women.
“This is where we find a shortcoming... where unions are not involved. The law has clarified that the employer must consult with representative trade unions or if there are no trade unions, employers must consult with the employees representing the workforce (or the employees at the various occupational levels)."
Singh said unions must also include non-designated groups in the consultative forums so there can be an exchange of voices and concerns.
Every designated employer, he said, must conduct an analysis of the workforce profile to determine the degree of under-representation of the various groups in terms of race and gender, and per occupational level.
Employers were also encouraged to conduct an analysis of their employment policies, practices, procedures and the working environment to identify employment barriers.
Singh stressed that the Employment Equity Act is "not about race".
“Employment equity is also about including people with disabilities, coloured people, Indian people, white women, and so forth.”
The trade union federations welcomed the launch of the Commission of Employment Equity Report, which is scheduled to take place next week.
The newly amended EE Act, which will aid workplace transformation in South Africa, is set to come into operation on 1 September 2023.
The amended act will empower the Employment and Labour Minister to regulate sector specific EE targets and to regulate compliance criteria to issue EE compliance certificates in terms of Section 53 of the EE Act. – SAnews.gov.za
