Pretoria – The Department of Labour and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) will on Friday hold a road show to educate stakeholders on the implications of the new amended labour laws that are now in force.
The road show will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
The road show is part of a national series targeted at employer organisations, trade unions, academics, human resource practitioners and the public at large.
Key labour laws that were reviewed in 2010 and are now in force include the Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Act (BCEA); Employment Equity Amendment Act (no 47 of 2013) assented and gazetted on 16 January 2014 and promulgated on 1 August 2014; Labour Relations Amendment Act (no 6 of 2014) assented and gazetted on 18 August 2014 (promulgation to follow) and the Employment Services Act (no 4 of 2014) assented and gazetted on 7 April 2014 (promulgation to follow).
During the road shows, presentations focus on:
- broad changes to the protection of employees earning up to the BCEA threshold of R205 433.30;
- regulation of temporary employment, which is now limited to a period not exceeding three months;
- unionisation in vulnerable sectors;
- improving the functioning of labour market institutions such as the CCMA, bargaining and statutory councils;
- addressing current problems in industrial disputes and dispute resolution enforcement and enhancing compliance and
- disputes concerning discrimination and issues of pay for work of equal value.
The national labour law amendments road shows began on 16 February 2015 in Cape Town at Fountains Hotel. Road shows were also held this week in Kimberley and Bloemfontein.
The review of the labour laws was initiated in 2010. This was subsequently followed by an impact assessment study.
The aim is to ensure vulnerable categories of workers receive adequate protection and are employed in conditions of decent work; enhance the effectiveness of primary labour market institutions such as the Labour Court, CCMA, Essential Services Committee and labour inspectorate; strengthen the implementation of Employment Equity and enhance equal treatment in the workplace and reposition the public employment service.
A series of road shows will be held in the next two weeks on:
23 February at the ICC, 45 Bram Fischer Road in Durban;
25 February at Sun Meropa Casino, Plot 59 Roodepoort Road, Polokwane;
26 February at Umbali Lodge, Portion 44 of Cromdale farm, Nelspruit (Mbombela);
2 March at Kat Leisure Osner Hotel Office Suites, Kennaway Hotel, Esplanade, East London;
5 March at ETC Conference Centre Spondo Street at Struandale in Port Elizabeth;
5 March at Safari Lodge Hotel & Convention Centre, 1 Donkerhoek Road, Rustenburg;
6 March at the CSIR Conference Centre in Meiring Naude Road, Pretoria. – SAnews.gov.za
