EMPLOYMENT EQUITY POLICY AND PLAN (REVIEW)

  1. STATEMENT OF INTENT

Ga- Segonyana Local Municipality is committed to creating and maintaining an environment which provides equal opportunities to all its employees, with special consideration for historically disadvantaged groups. It will take steps to promote equal opportunity in the workplace by eliminating unfair discrimination in any employment

The objective of the policy is to state the broad principles of employment policy or practice.

  1. OBJECTIVES OF POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to state the broad principles of employment equity to which the Ga- Segonyana Local Municipality is committed and to describe in general how the municipality seeks to realize these principles.

This policy document sets out the framework and guiding philosophy that will govern our Employment Equity Plan.

  1. SCOPE AND APPLICATION

The policy shall apply to all candidates who apply to the Municipality for employment and all permanent employees, including designated as well as non-designated groups.

  1. LEGAL FRAMEWORK
  • Employment Equity Act, No. 55 of 1998
  1. WORDS, EXPRESSIONS AND DEFINITIONS

Words, phrases and expressions used in this plan will have the same meanings as defined in the Employment Equity Act, No. 55 of 1998 ( hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) unless the context otherwise determines.

  1. GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality is committed to ensure that its Employment Equity Objectives are achieved in a manner which conforms fully to the following guiding principles:

6.1.A need exists to ensure that Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality does a competency skills audit that seeks to redress historical imbalances to achieve broad representation.

6.2.Identify and develop strategies for the elimination of employment barriers in the Recruitment Policies and Practices of the municipality.

6.3.Employment Equity initiatives should be integrated with Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality’s operational and business strategy.

6.4. Developing business- orientated strategies for the achievement of numerical goals and timetables for the implementation of affirmative action measures, taking into account the mission of the municipality.

6.5.Establish procedures for the monitoring and enforcement of the implementation process.

6.6.Developing business-orientated strategies for the achievement of numerical goals and timetables for the implementation of affirmative action measures, in line with the mission of the municipality.

6.7.The Employment Equity Forum will promote the internal development of designated employees, in line with the municipality’s Skills Development Policy rather than recruit designated people from external sources.

  1. EMPLOYMENT EQUITY ADVISORY FORUM

The Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality facilitated the establishment of an Equity Advisory Forum representing any representative union, employees from all occupational categories, and employees from designated and not non designated groups.

The forum is a body corporate established with terms as set out in its constitution, a copy of which is annexed hereto marked “Annexure A.”

The Forum was engaged in consultation with management and proposed this Equity plan which the Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality adopted without any amendments as its Employment Equity Plan subject to annual review as provided for herein.

  1. POLICY CONTENT

The responsibility for implementing and ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Employment Equity Act, 55 of 1998, rests with the Municipal Manger or his /her delegated assignee(s) in terms of section 24 of the Act.

The following measures have been identified and developed to address the employment barriers and under-representation identified during the Competency Skills Audit.

8.1.RECRUITMENT

Recruitment and selection will be based on fairness, objectivity, having regard for competency and seeking to redress historical imbalances to achieve broader representation, taking into consideration the municipality’s Recruitment Policy.

Our recruitment policy provides for the internal and external recruitment of suitable candidates from designated groups.

8.1.1.Retention of people from designated groups

The municipality must adopt a critical skills retention policy that will enable it to develop strategies regarding the retention of people with critical skills from designated groups. This will also enable the municipality to successfully compete with other employers in an effort to obtain and retain the services of people from designated groups.

8.2.AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Policies regarding selection criteria and selection panels will ensure fair and non-discriminatory selection procedures are implemented, to increase the possibility of appointing candidates from designated groups in employment categories and levels where there is under representation.

8.3.TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

The Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality recognizes the obligations placed on it by the Skills Development Act, of 1998 to train and develop employees.

To that regard the Municipality is committed to the development of employees on an accelerated basis, through:

  • Career planning and development;
  • Effective training and skills development;
  • Job related training;
  • Skills programmes;and
  • Learnerships.

8.4.MEDICAL TESTING

Ga- Segonyana Local Municipality will not allow any medical testing unless:

  • It is permitted by legislation
  • It is an inherent requirement of the job

8.5.PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING AND OTHER ASSESSMENTS

Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality will not permit any psychometric testing or any other similar assessment of an employee unless the test or assessment:

  • Has been scientifically shown to be valid and reliable;
  • Can be applied fairly to all employees; and
  • Is not biased against any employee or group.
  1. MONITORING AND ASSESSSMENT

The Employment Equity Advisory Forum will monitor the implementation of the plan and all policies, practices, procedures and programmes in the organization and assess their effectiveness in the light of fairness, transparency and equity to strive for diversity in the organization and an organization culture supportive of this.

Monitoring and assessment will be carried out in a transparent and participative manner. The Forum will meet at least once every twelve months in order to assist Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality to report to the Director –General of the Department of Labour on its progress.

  1. COMMUNICATION

The principles of this policy and plan will be relayed by means of written communications, the induction programme, accessibility of the policy to employees and training programmes. A summary of this policy and plan will be published in Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality’s annual financial report.

Every workplace will have a copy of its Equity Plan and the most recent report to the Director-General.

  1. COMPLAINTS

Any employee or a representative of a trade union who are dissatisfied with any matter relating to Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality’s obligations regarding employment equity, this plan and policy, the interpretation and implementation of it or any of the reports submitted to the Director-General should direct the complaint for consideration in terms of the Municipality’s grievance procedure.

An employee or applicant for employment, who believes that he/she is the subject of discrimination, harassment or victimization in areasidentified by this policy, should direct the complaint for determination in terms of the Municipality’s grievance procedure.

A grievant who believes he/she is a victim of harassment, will be entitled to a confidential grievance procedure and will be supported by a person of his/her choice employed by the Municipality. In such circumstances the employee concerned will not be obliged to approach his/her superior first with the grievance if the grievance relates to conduct of such superior.

Grievant are assured of the freedom to raise a complaint, without fear of reprisal, based on the reasonable belief that the policy has been contravened.

  1. NON-CONFORMANCE

In the interest of achieving the objectives of this policy and plan, non-conformance with this policy or plan constitutes misconduct. Non-conforming employees will be counseled and disciplined in terms of the Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality’s disciplinary code and procedure.

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY PLAN

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