The Department of Labour has urged employers to consult with their workers when implementing employment equity plans to ensure that the company meets the goals it has set in terms of equity compliance. This emerged during the Employment Equity (EE) road show in Bloemfontein, Free State today (Friday 16).
Speaking to stakeholders during the road show, Free State’s Richard Cornelissen emphasised that every employer should have a plan in place that shows how it intends to implement EE requirements in the workplace.
“Under the Director-General review, only few companies can prove that they are implementing the EE plans in their workplace and are on the right track, in the Free State alone, 21 companies are currently under the DG review process for this financial year 2011/12,” Cornelissen said.
DG review is a process directed by section 43 of the EE Act, that indicates that the DG may conduct a review on any company to determine whether an employer is complying with the Act or not.
In conducting this review the DG may request an employer to submit a copy of its analysis, employment equity plan, any book, record, correspondence, document or information that could be relevant.
He can request a meeting with the employer to discuss its employment equity plan and its implementation, request a meeting with any employee, trade union, workplace forum or any other person deemed to have relevant information relevant to the review.
Once the DG is satisfied about the progress of the employer in relation to its EE obligation he may approve the employer's EE plan or make recommendations in writing stating steps which the employer must take to comply.
Failure to comply with the Director- General's recommendation by an employer may lead to the matter being referred to Labour Court for prosecution.
The department is currently on a national road show to promote and solicit stakeholders’ views about the draft revised code of good practice on HIV & AIDS in the world of work and employment as well as EE reporting requirements for 2011 while also taking forward the 11th Commission on EE report recently launched by labour Minister, Mildred Oliphant.
Employers planning to file their Employment Equity reports manually have two weeks to do so to beat the deadline which is on 3 October 2011, however, those who wish to report online still have until January 16 next year to do so.
Enquiries:
Wisane Mavasa
Cell: 082 806 1351
Consultation key to proper Employment Equity implementation
