Cape Town - The Department of Employment and Labour has called on the Mitchells Plain community to attend a ministerial employment equity engagement session and service delivery campaign, wherein Minister Thulas Nxesi is expected to engage with residents over employment equity.
The community outreach session will take place on Friday from 8.30am until 4pm at the Portlands Indoor Centre, corner of Merrydale and Hazeldene streets, Portlands, Mitchells Plain.
The session will focus on the amendments to the Employment Equity Act (EEA).
Topics to be discussed include the recently amended EEA, workplace equity and affirmative action. The Employment Equity Amendments were signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa in April.
Media liaison officer within the ministry Sabelo Mali said the session was part of a national roadshow which commenced about four weeks ago in Chatsworth, Durban, followed by Gqeberha.
The roadshows are held in communities where the legislation is not properly understood, Mali said.
“Every year, when we amend the laws, we do roadshows for businesses, people and the community. The minister felt that we can’t do all roadshows for business people because it is not properly understood, so let’s do some within the communities,” Mali said.
“It was not properly understood because it has been used for political reasons and to threaten people. Because the Constitution (says you) cannot remove a person and employ another on the basis of race. This act gives employers a period of five years to correct their employment equity to reflect the democracy of the country.”
Employment equity refers to the fair representation of minority groups within the workplace. The EEA ensures that this is enacted into law, ensuring protection from unfair labour practices and discrimination.
The department will also render a number of services on the day. These will include: registration of unemployed work seekers under the Public Employment Services (PES); Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) claims and enquiries/complaints; Compensation Fund (CF) claims and enquiries/complaints; and Labour complaints related to the national minimum wage and other basic conditions of employment.