COSATU welcomes the out of court settlement between the Department of Employment and Labour and Solidarity and Solidarity’s withdrawal of its Constitutional Court challenge to the Employment Equity Act.

28 June 2023

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the out of court settlement between the Department of Employment and Labour and Solidarity and Solidarity’s withdrawal of its Constitutional Court challenge to the Employment Equity Act and it’s Regulations.

The Federation appreciates the positive spirit in which the settlement was negotiated.

South Africa’s workplace remains scarred by the legacies of apartheid and discrimination.

Employment equity remains a critical tool to ensure that all workplaces reflect South Africa’s diversity and that all workers are afforded the opportunity to meet their full potential.

Employment equity accommodates all races, genders and disabilities.

The latest Employment Equity Report’s findings that 29 years into democracy that 62% of senior management posts are held by white employees is yet another reminder of how far we still have to go to overcome the legacies of apartheid.

Employers need to treat employment equity with the seriousness it deserves and ensure their workplaces reflect South Africa’s full diversity.

We should not condone certain positions still being determined on the basis of an employee’s race or gender.

The pains Zimbabwe has experienced are a reminder of the fallacy of not addressing society’s inequalities and frustrations.

The attacks on the Employment Equity Amendment Act are based on fear mongering not fact and serve only to divide society on a very sensitive matter. No worker will lose their job as a result of this progressive common sense law.

Issued by Matthew Parks, Parliamentary Coordinator, COSATU, 28 June 2023