1. BUSA: Business Unity South Africa
Presentation to the Portfolio
Committee on Labour
1 June 2005

2. INTRODUCTION Salutation to the Chair, committee members & media
Greetings from the President and CEO of BUSA
BUSA is committed to transformation
Transformation an imperative for SA’s success
More still to be done….Train is in motion
Pace to be picked up
Employer education

3. INTRODUCTION Welcome the DTI Codes of Good Practice
Bring about necessary harmonisation
EE Act should lead all EE matters in the DTI codes
Charters taking momentum
Note with concern the declining numbers of middle black management as per the EEC report last year
Encouraged by the increase in number of companies that have reported to the DOL, joint marketing efforts
Welcome the dialogue with yourselves.

4. EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
WITHIN A BROAD CONTEXT

5. EMPLOYMENT EQUITY CONSTITUTIONAL IMPERATIVE SECTION 9(2):
“Equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms. To promote the achievement of equality, legislative and other measures designed to protect or advance persons, or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination may be taken.”

6. EMPLOYMENT EQUITY Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE)
In order to ensure that South Africa thrives, we must endeavor to facilitate and succeed in achieving employment equity
Holistic approach should be adopted to achieve BBBEE, with a key focus on EMPLOYMENT EQUITY and SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
BUSA supports the draft BBBEE Codes that emphasise that empowerment, employment equity/transformation and economic growth are intertwined and interdependent
BUSA welcomes a move away from viewing BEE as amounting only to equity ownership and control.

7. EMPLOYMENT EQUITY Alignment of BBBEE Requirements Outstanding Codes
Employment Equity and Skills Development
BUSA is concerned that the Codes are not being released collectively, even though they will have a cumulative effect
The methodological approach of the Employment Equity Act and Skills Development Act and the Codes should be aligned
The reporting requirements for these Employment Equity Act and Skills Development Act and the Codes should be similar, if not the same

8. BUSA INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROMOTION OF EMPLOYMENT EQUITY

9. BUSA INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROMOTION OF EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
Involvement in the Growth and Development Summit Employment Equity Task Team
Short-term objectives
Communications
Roadshows
Long-term objectives
Training course
Booklets
Educational Guide

10. BUSA INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROMOTION OF EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
Commission for Employment Equity
HIV / AIDS Code of Good Practice & Technical Assistance Guideline
Code of Good Practice on Persons with Disabilities & Technical Assistance Guideline
Code of Good Practice on Human Resources Practices
Up-dating of Code of Good Practice on Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

11. BUSA INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROMOTION OF EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
Promotion of Employment Equity by Employers
- Up-dating of internal policies, for e.g. interviews, sexual harassment, promotions, employment equity targets

12. CASE STUDY

13. CASE STUDY WOOLWORTHS - HEARING IMPAIRED AND DEAF EMPLOYEES
We are on a journey – challenges and opportunities
Project started in 2003
101 Hearing Impaired and Deaf employees in 16 stores
Till operators, stock room assistants, packers, cleaners, cash office, operations assistant and End of Day Manager
Not part of social responsibility – adding real value to the business

14. CHALLENGES AND LEARNINGS
Different language
Communication vital in day-to-day business
- Induction
- Training e.g. job skills, peer education, first aid
- Daily briefings and instructions and talking
- Goal sets, Interviews, hearings
- Safety, phoning in sick
Not a formal intervention to start with – big learning and cost
- Sign language training (employees paid to attend, mobility of employees)
- Interpretation (SA languages, competent, consistent)

15. OPPORTUNITIES AND WAY FORWARD
Good, dedicated employees
Scope for more employment – colleges and schools
Challenging employee, customer and social perceptions (retail visibility)
Hearing impaired and deaf can perform a meaningful role in society

16. GOVERNMENT’S ROLE Access to best practice Support, advice and guidance
Fund job related training and learnerships for disabled
Employment centers for disabled with job related skills
Fund support services e.g.
Deafsa - recruitment
SASLINK – interpreters
SLED – signing courses and awareness
Be vocal on the success stories
All on journey – learning as we go…

17. CONCLUSION Our members actively participating in the industry charters
Appeal for coherence in Government departments e.g. DTI codes set EE targets, DOL accepts self imposed targets
Welcome the government position that small business voluntarily submit EE plans
BUSA encourages small business to be part of SA transformation process and have a workforce that reflects SA demographics
EE is one of seven BEE components, all elements are to be implemented for a sustainable transformation