Solidarity vs. Eskom. Fact guide. Eskom s current employment equity plan

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Solidarity vs. Eskom. Fact guide. Eskom s current employment equity plan"

Drusilla Wilson
5 years ago
Views:

Slidarity vs. Eskm Fact guide Eskm s current emplyment equity plan Eskm has cmpiled and submitted an emplyment equity plan ( the impugned plan ) t the DL.

1 Slidarity vs. Eskm Fact guide Eskm s current emplyment equity plan Eskm has cmpiled and submitted an emplyment equity plan ( the impugned plan ) t the DL. The impugned plan is perative fr the perid 1 April 2015 t 31 March The impugned plan will nw be implemented, and will determine Eskm s recruitment and selectin plicies fr the cming year. Accrding t the plan, black men will be reduced frm t , clured men frm t 2 317, Indian men frm t 935, white men frm t 4 594, Indian wmen frm 611 t 551 and white wmen frm t The nly racial and gender grups that will nt be reduced in terms f the plan are black wmen and clured wmen. The intentin f the plan is t achieve a wrkfrce directly reflecting the racial cmpsitin f the ecnmically active ppulatin and numerical gals were nt based n the needs f the rganisatin and r the availability f skills, but were determined by way f a mathematical calculatin. Eskm s implementatin f emplyment equity The Breakwater Mnitr, an initiative f the University f Cape Twn s Business Schl, did regular surveys f cmpanies affirmative actin plans. Frm 1992 t 1995 this mnitr ranked Eskm amng the tp three affirmative actin cmpanies. Many cmpanies have started t fllw the utility s lead and t implement its affirmative actin methdlgy. In 1997 Eskm s acting chief executive testified befre the Truth and Recnciliatin Cmmissin that Eskm undertk t fill 5 f all prfessinal, supervisry and managerial levels with black peple by the year Frm 1994 t 2002 at least white staff members, cnstituting mre than half f the utility s white emplyees, left its emply. Accrding t research dne in 2011 by Dr Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive f Slidarity, white peple felt alienated by Eskm s affirmative actin plicy.

2 Meanwhile, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphsa in March this year said in Parliament that Eskm shuld give preference t merit ver skin clur. Eskm is in a state f crisis, yet still persists in affirmative actin measures that will nt benefit the rganisatin and r the cuntry as a whle. In a pll cnducted amng Slidarity s members at Eskm, critical levels f staff dissatisfactin and a majr risk f further skills lsses were revealed. Slidarity s survey shwed: A ttal f 81% f the respndents were f the pinin that plicies n racial representatin impeded their career prspects. Of the respndents, 75% were f the pinin that prmtins did nt take place in a fair way. A high percentage, 71%, felt uncertain abut their psitins. In ttal, 55% were f the pinin that they wuld accept anther jb with the same benefits. The regulatin f emplyment equity plans The cde f gd practice fr emplyment equity plans, GN R1394 f 1999, regulates the preparatin, implementatin and evaluatin f emplyment equity plans. The cde inter alia prvides fr a number f factrs t be taken int cnsideratin when an emplyer negtiates and implements numerical gals. This includes the fllwing: the extent f under-representatin f persns in the designated grup; the available pl f persns with apprpriate qualificatins; ecnmic and financial factrs; the sectr in which the emplyer cnducts business; the availability f vacancies; and the staff turnver. Sectin 20 f the Emplyment Equity Act cnfirms that emplyment equity plans are intended t facilitate reasnable prgress in regard t equitable representatin. Sectin 2 as well as sectin 15 f the Act stipulates that the bjective f emplyment equity is t ensure equitable representatin, and hence nt representatin in line with any specific racial demgraphy. Sectin 3 stipulates that die Act must be interpreted in line with any cde f gd practice. Sectin 17 f the Act stipulates that emplyers must engage in cnsultatin n the wrkplace analysis that they cnducted, the preparatin and implementatin f their emplyment equity plan and their reprting t the Directr-General f Labur. Sectin 42(4) f the Act cnfirms that an emplyer can raise any justifiable grunds fr its failure t cmply. Hence, Eskm wuld be mre than justified t indicate that due t the current crisis, merit and service delivery is a bigger pririty than achieving

3 a wrkfrce reflective f the racial cmpsitin f the natinal ecnmically active ppulatin. Racial distributin f ptentially relevant qualificatins Eskm permanent wrkers in % 18.1% 8.6% 3.9% 0.6%

4 Eskm prfessinally qualified wrkers in % 2 7.5% 10.1% 27.4% 1.7% Eskm skilled wrkers in % 3.8% %

5 Eskm's target fr permanent wrkers (all levels the same) in % % 3.1% 10.8% 0. Diplmas and degrees in bradly engineering-related disciplines in % 4.1% 6.5% Black African Clured Indian/Asian 43.5% White

10 Degrees in engineering-related disciplines in 2011 2

6 10 Degrees in engineering-related disciplines in % 3.7% 7. Black African Clured Indian/Asian 50.1% White

UCEA/ECU Age Discrimination Working Group Guidance. Age Discrimination Legislation Guidance Note 1: Pay and Benefits A UCEA Publication

UCEA/ECU Age Discrimination Working Group Guidance. Age Discrimination Legislation Guidance Note 1: Pay and Benefits A UCEA Publication UCEA/ECU Age Discriminatin Wrking Grup Guidance Age Discriminatin Legislatin 2006 Guidance Nte 1: Pay and Benefits A UCEA Publicatin Scpe f guidance This guidance nte addresses the implicatins f the Emplyment