Pretoria - Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant and her Chinese counterpart, Yin Weimin, on Monday met to thrash out matters related to improving human resource development in both countries.
The two ministers also signed a memorandum of understanding, which will see parties working together to strengthen employment services, labour inspection services, social security and employment programmes to meet the challenges of the labour market and globalisation.
“During my visit to China in August 2013, we learnt a lot about your labour market and visited institutions of interest to us.
“Key amongst them was the Public Employment Centre in Haidian District, where I was quite impressed with the advanced digital display-wall reflecting by-the-second updates on vacancies. We are still grappling with resources to enable us to reach that level as a country,” Minister Oliphant told Weimin.
Weimin said China was looking forward to deeper cooperation with South Africa.
“The purpose of our visit is to promote our exchanges in the fields of human resources and employment services between South Africa and China,” said Weimin.
Youth unemployment remains a huge challenge globally and domestically. Minister Oliphant said government, however, is mitigating this through active labour market programmes such as learnerships, the Expanded Public Works Programme and other targeted initiatives like the Youth Accord and Youth Incentive.
Minister Oliphant said officials her department will visit China to explore IT systems, their governance service delivery models and business processes.
Minister Oliphant said during the sixth BRICS Summit held in Fortaleza, Brazil, the leaders agreed that a Labour and Employment, Social Security and Social Inclusion Public Policies Forum be explored as a new area of focus.
She said she is aware of informal discussions of officials in Geneva with a view to formalise agreements in this forum.
The Minister said she was keen that this initiative be supported to ensure that labour and employment issues also get the proper recognition within BRICS’ processes.
The Minister’s delegation included her deputy, Inkosi Pathekile Holomisa, acting Director-General Sam Moratoba and acting Deputy Director-General: Labour Policy, Thembinkosi Mkalipi. – SAnews.gov.za
