Labour roadshow told that Minister will soon publish employment services regulations for comment
The Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant, will publish the employment services regulations for public comment as soon as they have been ratified, a meeting was told in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
This was part of the labour law amendments roadshows being held countrywide by the department as well as the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
Martin Ratshivhanda, director of public employment services in the department, told about 400 people from labour, business and community constituencies, that the employment services vision was to "contribute to decent employment and inclusive growth by assisting employers and work seekers to adjust to changing labour market conditions.''
The roadshows are a culmination of the bills that were introduced by the minister on 17 December 2010 for public comment and eventual amendment. These were the Labour Relations Amendment Bill - Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill - Employment Equity Amendment Bill and the Employment Services Bill.
The bills have since been signed into law by the President.
Ratshivhanda said all provisions of the employment services Act, except for section 13, will come into force from 1 April 2015.
He said the overall objective of the employment services regulations was to:
- provide for public employment services that will play an active role in employment promotion in order to tackle the high levels of unemployment;
- provide for the creation of schemes to promote the employment of young work seekers and other vulnerable persons;
- provide for schemes to assist employees in distressed companies to retain employment;
- Facilitate the employment of foreign nationals in a manner that is consistent with the objects of this Act and the immigration Act and
- Provide for the creation of the employment services board.
The roadshows, which started in Cape Town on Monday, will proceed to the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg on Friday.
Earlier this week Nerine Kahn, CCMA Executive Director, told one of the roadshows that the labour law changes were the result of agreements by Nedlac stakeholders from business, labour, government and the community.
Contacr person:
Mokgadi Pela, Acting Ministerial Spokesperson
Cell: 082 808 2168
Josial Ramokoena, Provincial Communications Officer
Free State province
Cell: 083 292 4018
