The Dept of Labour released this report which is of general interest.
“The National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) social partners are “wrapping up” their negotiations on the draft Labour Relations Amendment Bill and draft Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill.
Proposed changes to the draft bills are being prepared for submission to cabinet by mid-December 2011.
Once approved, the amendment bills will be tabled in Parliament.
This was confirmed by department of labour deputy director general Les Kettledas during a presentation to members of the parliamentary portfolio committee on labour.
According to Kettledas, negotiations on the draft Employment Equity Amendment Bill are likely to continue into 2012.
Negotiations on the draft Employment Services Bill have yet to begin.
The deputy director general said that NEDLAC negotiations on the four draft bills were theme-based rather than line-by-line, noting that areas of possible amendment to the principal statutes had been identified through discussions in NEDLAC during 2010. These discussions had in turn informed the content of the draft bills.
The policy themes identified for discussion by the NEDLAC labour law amendment task team are:
• atypical employment relationships;
• dispute resolution;
• compliance and enforcement;
• access to employment;
• equity; and
• collective bargaining.
Discussions on the themes of atypical employment relationships, dispute resolution and collective bargaining are expected to have been concluded by the end of November 2011.
The theme of atypical employment relationships was unpacked to address:
• their scope;
• how to address problem areas in a way that is “conducive to job creation and decent work”;
• prohibiting abusive practices, including child labour; and
• protecting employees working on fixed term contract, in temporary employment and part-time.
The accreditation of private dispute resolution agencies was included among the issues discussed under the theme of dispute resolution.
The issue of private employment agencies falls under the theme of access to employment, on which discussions have yet to begin.
Once the NEDLAC negotiations process is complete, a report will be prepared for Parliament setting out areas of agreement and disagreement. According to Kettledas, areas of disagreement may not be re-opened during the parliamentary process.
In a presentation to the same parliamentary portfolio committee, recently appointed NEDLAC executive director Alistair Smith updated members on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) decent work country programme for South Africa.
Confirming that government had placed ‘decent work’ at the centre of its labour policy, Smith said that the programme was a “rights-based approach” towards access to employment and protection from workplace-related vulnerability for all South Africans, regardless of socio-economic status.”
The Dept of Labour released this report which is of general interest.
“The National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) social partners are “wrapping up” their negotiations on the draft Labour Relations Amendment Bill and draft Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill.
Proposed changes to the draft bills are being prepared for submission to cabinet by mid-December 2011.
Once approved, the amendment bills will be tabled in Parliament.
This was confirmed by department of labour deputy director general Les Kettledas during a presentation to members of the parliamentary portfolio committee on labour.
According to Kettledas, negotiations on the draft Employment Equity Amendment Bill are likely to continue into 2012.
Negotiations on the draft Employment Services Bill have yet to begin.
The deputy director general said that NEDLAC negotiations on the four draft bills were theme-based rather than line-by-line, noting that areas of possible amendment to the principal statutes had been identified through discussions in NEDLAC during 2010. These discussions had in turn informed the content of the draft bills.
The policy themes identified for discussion by the NEDLAC labour law amendment task team are:
• atypical employment relationships;
• dispute resolution;
• compliance and enforcement;
• access to employment;
• equity; and
• collective bargaining.
Discussions on the themes of atypical employment relationships, dispute resolution and collective bargaining are expected to have been concluded by the end of November 2011.
The theme of atypical employment relationships was unpacked to address:
• their scope;
• how to address problem areas in a way that is “conducive to job creation and decent work”;
• prohibiting abusive practices, including child labour; and
• protecting employees working on fixed term contract, in temporary employment and part-time.
The accreditation of private dispute resolution agencies was included among the issues discussed under the theme of dispute resolution.
The issue of private employment agencies falls under the theme of access to employment, on which discussions have yet to begin.
Once the NEDLAC negotiations process is complete, a report will be prepared for Parliament setting out areas of agreement and disagreement. According to Kettledas, areas of disagreement may not be re-opened during the parliamentary process.
In a presentation to the same parliamentary portfolio committee, recently appointed NEDLAC executive director Alistair Smith updated members on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) decent work country programme for South Africa.
Confirming that government had placed ‘decent work’ at the centre of its labour policy, Smith said that the programme was a “rights-based approach” towards access to employment and protection from workplace-related vulnerability for all South Africans, regardless of socio-economic status.”