business
11 July 2007
The Department of Labour has today, Wednesday, urged hundreds of businessmen
in Witbank, Mpumalanga to submit their Employment Equity Reports online from 1
September 2007.
This is part of the employment equity road-shows currently being conducted
countrywide encouraging large employers to file their reports ahead of the 1
October 2007 deadline.
Lucia Rayner, Employment Equity Manager, said, "it helps to start reporting
from 1 September 1 and avoid the last-minute rush that is so often the
case."
"Reporting at the eleventh hour often doesn't allow you enough time to
correct whatever mistakes that could be in your report."
She said it was in the companies' interest to submit employment equity
reports. The Minister of Labour would like to see all companies, especially
those listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE), appear in the
public register.
This is a list of all employers who have submitted their EE reports to the
Minister. It is published in the government gazette.
"If you tender for government contract, you want to show your competitors
that your company is EE compliant."
"In your annual reports, you also want to mention the fact that the Minister
included the name of your company in the public register. Anything that talks
about diversity means more clients. People want to use your services. It is
good for business," Rayner said.
She said employment equity should not be a stand-alone business.
"It should be part of everyday business, especially because there is a legal
obligation to abide by it. Reporting about employment equity is not an end in
itself, but the culmination of a journey," Rayner said.
She said, "in our campaign and interaction with employers, we would like
them to ensure that their reports to the department address concerns like
whether they have assigned a senior manager to implement employment equity in
their workplaces; whether they have consulted employees or representative trade
unions; whether they have employment equity plans in place and if they are
ready to submit their reports for scrutiny by the Directorate for Employment
Equity."
The campaign covers all provinces and provides training to departmental
staff in the regions to enable them to assist employers to do their online
reporting.
Enquiries:
Zolisa Sigabi
Cell: 082 906 3878
E-mail: Zolisa.sigabi@labour.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Labour
11 July 2007
