Johannesburg - There need to be drastic changes to improve employment equality in the work place and a change of mind set, Labour Minister
Membathisi Mdladlana said on Wednesday.
At a relaxed briefing, at Mdladlana's home at the presidential guesthouse, he said the employment equality report which would be released on Thursday, "really does not look good."
He said the way in which employers sought to address equality in the workplace and how government ensured that need to be tweaked.
"We need do to something dramatic and drastic. If we see people are dragging their feet then we need to give them wheels."
He said it was not only a question of a racial equality but that of empowering the disabled and women.
Referring to his home, he said he was embarrassed that one of the commissioners who was on a wheel chair, had to be carried up from the steps.
"You could not enter this house, we have to lift you," he said to the commissioner.
Mdladlana said the idea of bringing into law, self regulation, in order to implement equality left him dumb founded.
He said ten year since the report had been released, government could not continued to hope that things will simple change without transforming the way it approach equality.
Some of the things he was hoping to change was to increase the fine decrease, the time given to company to comply and put the blame surely on the employer to prove innocence.
"The battle is on the president [who] want us to do things differently, quick and fast.
"If you think that it will be marchers then you are living in fools paradise. It makes one angry because it is almost like we are begging for people to see equality," said Mdladlana.
Commission chair
Mpho Nkeli, said while the release of the 10th report could be considered at "marking a big day", it needed to be seen in the context of the commission been established 12 years ago, when the country was already into its 16 years of democracy.
She said that it was understandable that considering righting the wrongs of the apartheid era and its impact on equality in the workplace, it was expected that there should be good news.
- Sapa