Mdladlana to amend labour laws

Cape Town - Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana told parliament on Friday he intends to amend the labour laws to tighten up on labour broking.

Introducing the debate on his budget, the minister ran out of time before he could give details, but in a circulated version of his speech he promised amendments to the Labour Relations Act to deal with the problems he said temporary employment agencies caused to workers.

Some brokers, he said, go further than South Africa's labour laws require.

"Others flagrantly undermine health and safety regulations and minimum requirements in terms and conditions of employment," he said.

"These are issues we have to deal with in a way that extends protection to temporary workers and ensure that they have the same rights as others in their work situations."

Mdladlana added that amendments to other labour laws may be necessary.

"The implementation of the Employment Equity Act could be improved through further amendments as suggested by the commission for employment equity."

He said that his department will soon be publishing revised regulations dealing with employment equity plan and report.

He said the constitution spoke of the regulation between employer and employee. But with labour brokers the client is the one who fires the workers, and not the broker - but the broker is the employer.

"If we are going to define the employer, we must amend a lot of labour laws," the minister said in answering the debate.

- I-Net Bridge