Parliament is set to hold more public hearings on labour broking, but the Department of Labour (DOL) is confident new amendments will be introduced by April 2010.
The DOL is proposing amendments to several Acts, which all fall under the Labour Relations Act. The new amendments would either effectively abolish labour broking, or increase regulation of all temporary employment services.
In September, Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Labour conducted heated two-day public hearings where stakeholders, including trade unions, civil society and labour brokers, presented their views on labour broking.
In October, the committee visited four provinces - Free State, North West, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal - to hold hearings on labour broking. Most recently, hearings were held in the Eastern Cape.
“This is all in line with Parliament's role of facilitating debate on key national issues, and its continuous effort to involve everybody in that process,” says Parliament.
No consensus
While industry organisation, the Information Technology Association, stated the industry should not anticipate a widespread ban, the Congress of South African Trade Unions has threatened a mass strike in 2010 if regulations don't ban labour broking.
The Confederation of Associations in the Private Employment Sector and Business Unity SA have also proposed a co-regulation model for the temporary employment services industry.
While the department's proposed amendments indicate a move towards greater regulation, only the final draft amendments will reveal the fate of temporary employment services. The department has also made a distinction between labour broking and outsourcing - indicating that provisions would be made for outsourcing.
The DOL says its intention is to have the labour brokering Bill approved by Parliament in either January or February 2010.
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