Labour bills stop short of banning brokers

Cape Town - Cabinet has approved the basic conditions of employment amendment bill and the labour relations amendment bill that deal with the controversial issue of labour-broking, without heeding Cosatu's call to ban the practice.

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant told a post-cabinet briefing on Thursday that the government had implemented the ANC's resolutions on the issue, and not those of its trade union federation ally the Congress of SA Trade Unions.

Oliphant said the legislation, therefore, rather sought to prevent the abuses that had been associated with labour-broking and did so in part by limiting temporary employment to a period of six months.

"We are saying temporary work will be limited to six months."

The two bills, long debated in the National Economic Development and Labour Council, will now be submitted to parliament.

The legislature will then hold public hearings on the bills.