Focus on employment equity

© Edhar Yuralaits – 123RF.com

Labour Deputy Minister iNkosi Phathekile Holomisa will deliver a keynote address at the breakfast session on Monday.

The session, which will be held under the theme, 'We strive for transformation', is part of the department’s IES branch advocacy sessions.

The advocacy will enable the department to come up with strategies and interventions that will assist in transforming the workplaces going forward.

The goal of the EE breakfast session is to:

• strengthen EE implementation and compliance mechanisms;
  
• foster redress transformation for economic development of the country; and
  
• provide an outcome on the DG Reviews conducted on the 50 JSE Listed companies.

IES Branch is currently as part of its work plan, conducting Director-General Reviews to designated employers where 72 JSE Listed Companies operating in different sectors were identified as subject of reviews.

Thus far, 50 companies that have been reviewed, none was found to be compliant and as such DG Recommendations were issued with expected time frames of compliance and others were referred directly for prosecution for failure to prepare Employment Equity Plans.

The companies were in Finance and Business sector, Electricity, Gas (Chemical) and Water, Construction, Manufacturing, Retail & Motor Trade, Catering and Accommodation Sector.

During the last financial year, 2016/17, the Branch conducted a similar session in Cape Town where EE Managers were invited to engage on EE issues and the lack of transformation in their respective workplace as they are mandated to transform as per section 24 of the Act.

The IES plans to extend its advocacy nationally.

The breakfast session is targeting heads of Departments, Chief Executives and Managing Directors of Companies; organised business and employers, Human Resources and Practitioners, EE Forum members, assigned senior EE managers and community constituencies, among others.

The EE Act is currently a subject of discussion at Nedlac ahead of amendments to give teeth to legislation to ensure compliance.