EMPLOYMENT SERVICES AMENDMENT BILL: MISLEADING MEDIA STATEMENT UNPACKED

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES AMENDMENT BILL: MISLEADING MEDIA STATEMENT UNPACKED

• 24 January 2024
• Labour Law
• SA Legal Academy

The Department of Employment & Labour has issued a media statement among other things claiming that ‘the National Labour Migration Policy and Employment Services Bill are currently in Parliament before the legislators’. If that is indeed the case, there is no official record of either document ever having been tabled.

On 24 May 2023, the National Assembly’s Employment & Labour Committee was briefed on progress with a draft Employment Services Amendment Bill and draft National Labour Migration Policy, both of which were gazetted in February 2022 for public comment.

During a meeting on 6 September 2023, the department’s 2022/23 Quarters 2 and 3 performance report included a section on the development of a broader national employment policy encompassing employment services and labour migration. However, as far as can be ascertained neither the draft Employment Services Amendment Bill nor the draft National Labour Migration Policy was ever circulated to committee members.

The broader national employment policy itself is apparently ready to be presented to Cabinet in anticipation of being released for public comment. This is according to the department’s most recent statement on the matter. Unfortunately, given the statement’s somewhat misleading claims about the status of the National Labour Migration Policy and Employment Services Amendment Bill, one cannot help but question the accuracy of its information on broader policy issues. A more thoroughly researched and accurate press release would therefore be welcome. 

• media statement
• draft National Labour Migration Policy and Employment Services Amendment Bill  
• May 2023 presentation
• September 2023 report (see slides 54-58)

Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch

0 COMMENTS

LEAVE A COMMENT