With the employment equity (EE) reporting season already in full swing, the Department of Labour (DoL) expects a record of more than 16 000 reports to be submitted this year, said DoL’s EE Registry: Deputy Director, Lucia Rayner said.
Rayner appealed to employers to ensure that their EE Reports are submitted on time and not wait until the eleventh hour. Rayner commended the Online Reporting system, saying it has proved to be a success with its efficiency, saying: “We do not expect much problems in regard to this year’s reporting. Despite problems and technical glitches in the past, the Online system is working”.
She was speaking at a workshop organised by the Department of Labour that was held at the Gooderson Leisure Hotel in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal today (September 5).
The forum is used by DoL’s Employment Equity (EE) Advisory Unit Directorate as part of its annual national road show to outline details about the Public Register and guidance for successful EE reporting.
This year’s EE road-shows also coincided with the recent gazetting of the newly-unveiled code that provides key steps for successful implementation of the revised HIV/Aids and TB Code, and the technical assistance guideline (TAG) policy in the World of Work.
The road-shows are held under the theme of: “Bridging the equity Gap”.
In the EE Public Register (list of employers who report successfully), there were 10 665 in 2011 who submitted. The register shows that a majority of reporting, some 59% were coming from small employers.
The EE reporting period opened on 1 September 2012 and closes on 1 October 2012 for posted or hand-delivered EE reports to reach the DoL. Online reporting for 2012 opened on 1 September 2012 and closes on 15 January 2013.
Meanwhile, DoL’s Policy Development Unit of EE: assistant director, Phaphama Ntsenge told the workshop that the primary objective of the newly-unveiled key steps for successful implementation of the revised HIV/Aids and TB Code, and the technical assistance guideline (TAG) policy in the World of Work, was to ensure the elimination of unfair discrimination and stigma in the workplace based on real or perceived HIV status.
“A responsible employer will ensure that in order to have a productive workforce, he or she needs to take care of the welfare of the workforce,” Ntsenga said.
He said some of the possible interventions to ensure a health and safety measures must include accident and hazard prevention strategies, work practice control, protective equipment among others.
Ntsenga said the scope of the code was that it covers people in any employment or occupation including the disabled. He called for employers dealing with workers affected to be reasonable in accommodating them within the confines of decent work, while ensuring that all parties are protected by confidentiality.
The new code was a result of a reviewing of a 2000 code. Following a recommendation from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on HIV and Aids including TB in World of Work, the DoL last year embarked on a national input gathering process that led to the development of the new code and guideline on how to manage HIV/Aids and TB as occupational diseases.
The new guidelines on HIV/Aids and TB and accompanying TAG cover aspects relating to: elimination of unfair-discrimination and promotion of equal opportunity and fair treatment, using a multilateral approach to deal with the disease(s), promoting a safe working environment; management of HIV and Aids plus TB and the world of work, monitoring and evaluation.
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Department of Labour expects record submissions as employment equity (EE) reporting season gets underway
