Comment: Employment Equity Amendment Bill & Employment Services Bill

The Portfolio Committee on Labour invites, interested people and stakeholders to submit written comments on the Employment Equity Amendment Billand theEmployment Services Bill

The Employment Equity Amendment Bill seeks to:
▪ to amend the Employment Equity Act, 1998 (Act No. 55 of 1998), so as to give effect to and regulate the fundamental rights conferred by section 9 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (the Constitution);
▪ to give effect to obligations incurred by the Republic as a member state of the International Labour Organisation; to enhance the effectiveness of primary labour market institutions such as the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (the CCMA) and the labour inspectorate;
▪ to make further provision regarding the evidentiary burden of proof in allegations of unfair discrimination;
▪ to further regulate the Issuing of compliance orders; to extend the Minister's power to Issue a code of good practice and to delegate certain powers; and to rectify anomalies and clarify uncertainties that have arisen from the Interpretation and application of the Employment Equity Act in the past decade.

The Employment Service Bill seeks to:
▪ to repeal all the employment services provisions contained in the Skills Development Act, 1998 (No 97 of 1998), as well as those provisions establishing Productivity South Africa.
▪ to provide for the establishment of schemes to promote the employment of young work seekers and other vulnerable persons; to facilitate the employment of foreign nationals in a manner that gives effect to the right to fair labour practices and does not Impact adversely on existing labour standards or the rights and expectations of South African workers;
▪ to provide for the registration and regulation of private employment agencies; to provide for the establishment of the Employment Services Board; to provide for the establishment of Productivity South Africa;
▪ to provide for the establishment of Protected Employment Enterprises; and to provide for transitional provisions.

All interested individuals and organisations are invited to submit written submissions on or before Friday 14 December 2012 to Mr Zolani Sakasa at [email protected]

For more information, please contact Committee Secretary, Mr Zolani Sakasa at (021) 403 3735 or cell 083 709 8488.

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The bills are also available here: www.pmg.org.za/bill