Cosatu outraged by employment equity findings

By Ofentse Mokae
01 September 2009

Congress of South African Trade Unions is angry following the results of the 2008/2009 report of the Commission for Employment Equality or CEE, which showed that white men still occupy 61% of all top management positions.

This is despite the fact that in government the picture is very different.

The 61% in top management are black, 12% coloured, 5% Indian, 21% white and under 1% foreigners.

Cosatu National spokesperson Patrick Craven says the reports show that they need affirmation active to be applied more than ever before, and both with BEE they are relevant.

“The report totally demolishes the argument that black economic empowerment is now redundant because we now live in an equitable non-racial society and that BEE and affirmative action are anti-white,” said Craven.

Craven says on the contrary we still live in a society in which wealth and power remains heavily biased in favour of the white minority.

He says the report powerfully reinforces Cosatu’s view that BEE is as necessary as ever.

He concluded that the federation backs the Department of Labour’s proposed amendment to the Employment Equality Act which would penalise companies not abiding by racial diversification in the workplace.