China and South Africa are to further enhance mutual understanding, promote cooperation and to implement the Agreement signed between the two governments in the fields of human resource development and employment services in September 2014.
Action and outcomes were the operative words when the Deputy Minister of Labour, Nkosi Phathekile Holomisa with his Chinese counterpart Vice Minister of Human Resource and Social Security, Xin Changxing exchanged formalities and discussed immediate areas of cooperation and implementation.
The agreement enjoins the two countries to cooperate in the following specialised areas:
- Strategies and programmes to enhance the provision of employment services
- Social security (Unemployment Insurance ad Compensation of Employees)
- Strengthening of labour inspection services
- Employment programmes to meet the challenges of the labour market and globalisation.
Holomisa and Xin have agreed that there is a need to prioritize the exchange of information and the sharing of best practices between the two countries on the systems and processes employed by the Chinese government on public employment services.
Similarly emphasis was also placed on the exploring and learning from the model and approach to social security used in China and how they have reformed their social security system taking into account the growing population and attendant needs. Finally another area of mutual interest was that of vocational training in order to meet the needs of the labour market.
The South African delegation visited the Beijing Rehabilitation Centre for injuries on duty, the Public Employment Office of Dongcheng District, the Zhejiang Provincial Administration and a Vocational Training Centre on motor mechanics.
Nkosi Holomisa and his entourage were exposed to state of the art equipment in rehabilitation of work injuries, modern employment centre facilities, inner workings of a Zhejiang provincial administration (54 million people) and a 21st century motor mechanics vocational training college.
A concrete annual plan will be formalized within the next 3 months and implementation will proceed as soon as the Minister, Mrs Mildred Oliphant and the Presidency have received reports on the visit.
Nkosi Holomisa led a delegation of senior officials from the Department of Labour which included the Deputy Director-General: Public Employment Services, Sam Morotoba, Commissioner: Compensation Fund, Shadrack Mkhonto the Chief Financial Officer: Unemployment Insurance Fund, Vuyo Mafata and the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Minister Greg Schneeman.
For more information:
Sithembele Tshwete
Cell: 071 675 9849
E-mail: Sithembele.tshwete@labour.gov.za
