Employment equity in the workplace is a business imperative - Department of Labour
Employment Equity in the workplace should not be treated as an afterthought, but a business imperative.
Addressing more than 500 delegates who attended the department's employment equity (EE) roadshow held at Pine Lodge in Port Elizabeth today (September 2), Department of Labour Chief Director: Provincial Operations (Eastern Cape), Bheki Gama said the issue of transformation in the workplace can no longer be postponed.
"We cannot afford to defer transformation in the workplace, and believe the matter will resolve itself. We need to face the issue head-on," Gama said.
He also took an opportunity reminding employers on the implications of the amended EE Act in regard to the principle of "Equal Pay for Work of equal Value".
Gama was addressing more than 500 delegates who attended the department's employment equity roadshow held at Pine Lodge in Port Elizabeth today (September 2).
Department of Labour Employment Equity Directorate's, Deputy Director Niresh Singh said paying workers equally, irrespective of race or gender was the right thing to do. He said the elimination of discrimination in South Africa was being done in line with International Labour Organisation Conventions.
Another of the Department of Labour's annual Employment Equity (EE) national roadshows to promote compliance with EE legislation will be held tomorrow (September3) in Cape Town.
The 2015 EE roadshows are held under the theme: “Transformation - makes business sense”.
The objectives of the roadshows is to:
- To publicise the Code of Good Practice on Equal Pay/Remuneration for Work of Equal Value;
- To publicise the regulated employment equity templates (EE Analysis-EEA12 & EE Plan-EEA13); and
- To encourage designated employers to submit EE Reports On-Line.
The EE roadshows started in Rustenburg on 13 August 2015. To date EE briefing sessions have also been held in Kimberley; Polokwane; Bloemfontein and Durban.
The EE roadshows will conclude next week in Boksburg on 7 September 2015 at Emperors Palace 64 Jones Road; and in Witbank (Emalahleni) on 8 September 2015 at the Protea Hotel Witbank (167 Jellicoe Street).
Employers (companies, government departments etc.) are by law obliged to submit annually to the Department of Labour of their employment equity reports in regard to demographic profile, representation in the organisations and EE plans to address discrimination and inequity in the workplace.
The EE national roadshows presentations are held between 10h00 to 13h00.
The roadshows are targeted at employers or heads of organisations, academics, consultative forum members, human resource executives and practitioners; assigned Senior EE Managers/Transformation Managers, trade unions and employees among others.
The EE Act was first promulgated in 1998. It was also recently amended. The amended EE ACT of 2013 was assented in January 2014.
The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) disclosed during the EE roadshow that 2500 cases have been referred to it relating to unfair discrimination. Some of the leading cases relate to discrimination on arbitrary grounds, dispute over equal pay for work of equal value and sexual harassment.
Meanwhile, the EE reporting season opened on Tuesday (1 September 2015) for both manual and online reporting. Manual reporting submissions close on 1 October 2015. Online reporting will close on 15 January 2016.
Enquiries:
Mokgadi Pela
Cell: 082 808 2168
