Reducing the wage gap is the goal – Department of Labour tells stakeholders at employment equity roadshow
The Department of Labour has told the audience at an employment equity roadshow in Pretoria that it intends exerting more pressure on employers in order to close the wage gap between the highest and lowest paid employees.
The roadshow, held on Thursday, was the penultimate one before tomorrow’s due to be held in Turfontein, Johannesburg.
Thembinkosi Mkalipi, chief director for labour relations in the department, said: “In dealing with the wage gap, we will want to know what your company policy is to address it. This will enable the National Minimum Wage Commission to see which sectors in the economy possess the highest wage gap.’’
“In reporting to the Department’s employment equity directorate, you should give us individual salaries and not aggregate amounts. So doing will enable the system to calculate and indicate which sector has the widest wage differential,’’ Mkalipi said.
According to the EE Amendment Bill and regulations, a designated employer must submit an income differential statement n terms of Section 27 of the Act to the National Minimum Wage Commission by hand delivery or electronically as contemplated by regulation 10.
The Department recently published the Employment Equity Amendment Bill and the Draft Employment Equity Regulations in the Government Gazette in response to the slow pace of transformation in the workplace.
The public hearings were held under the theme: “Real transformation makes business sense.’’
The hearings started on October 02 in East London.
The hearings have been open to employers or heads of organisations, academics, assigned senior managers, consultative EE forum members, human resource practitioners, trade unions and employees.
The sessions are held from 08h30 to 14hrs.
Enquiries:
Teboho Thejane
Cell: 082 697 0694
