Department of Employment and Labour’s Public Employment Services branch and Employment Services board hosts public hearings on labour migration and employment services bill

Following the release of the draft National Labour Migration Policy and the Employment Services Bill, the Department of Employment and Labour’s Public Employment Services (PES) branch in partnership with the Employment Services (ES) board is to host a stakeholder workshop in Mpumalanga to provide them with an opportunity to make inputs.

The workshop is part of national consultations/public hearings to ensure that the public or stakeholders are sufficiently consulted and provided an opportunity to make inputs on the draft bill and policy as well as seek clarity where necessary. The national consultative series is intended to improve the Governance and Management of Labour Migration in South Africa.

Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi on 28 February 2022 published the National Labour Migration Policy and draft Employment Services Bill in which the public was given 90 days to submit written submissions or inputs.

The public hearings are targeted at various stakeholders including: Government Departments (National and Provincial); State Owned Companies; Municipalities; (District/Local); Employers, Social Partners (Business, community and Organised Labour), Religious Sector/leaders, Parliament, Traditional leaders, Research and Academic Institutions, International Organisations, Non-Government Organisations, and Constitutional institutions to participate.

The NLMP has been designed to achieve the following:

·         Document current challenges on the basis of evidence;

·         Adopt guiding principles rooted in South Africa’s core values and international commitments;

·         Identify national strategic priorities at the intersection of national interests and guiding principles;

·         Propose sustainable intervention methods; monitoring and implementation mechanisms.

The rationale of the consultation process is also to conduct advocacy sessions on the draft Employment Services Amendment Bill and National Labour Migration Policy, so as to ensure that the public is sufficiently consulted and to enable the Employment Services Board to adequately advise the Minister.

The Employment Services Board exists to advocate for the Employment Services Act – a legislation that provide for public employment services through the establishment of schemes to promote the employment of young work seekers and other vulnerable persons; provide for schemes to assist employees in distressed companies to retain employment; facilitate the employment of foreign nationals in a manner that is consistent with the objects of this Act and the Immigration Act;  provide for the registration and regulation of private employment agencies; provide for the establishment of Productivity South Africa; to provide for the establishment of Supported Employment Enterprises; to provide for transitional provisions; and to provide for matters connected therewith.

Documents on the call for inputs are available on the website at www.labour.gov.za and the inputs to the policy documents can be sent to: NLMP@labour.gov.za

Media is invited to the public consultations:

Venue: Pine Lake Inn (White River)

Date: 11 May 2022

Time: 09:00 for 10:00-12:00

For media enquiries contact:

Teboho Thejane

Departmental Spokesperson

082 697 0694/ teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za

5thchildlabourconf.org

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Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour