SA and China to improve employment services

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant will host a Chinese delegation to examine ways to improve South Africa's methods of handling social security and improving conditions of employment. Image: GCIS

Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant and Chinese Human Resources and Social Security Minister Yin Weimin will sign the agreement on behalf of China and South Africa.

The agreement makes provision for parties to work together on strategies and programmes to improve employment services; labour inspection services; social security (Unemployment Insurance and Compensation of Employees), and employment programmes to meet the challenges of the labour market and globalisation.

The Chinese delegation, led by Yin, is expected to arrive in South Africa on Friday (12 September) and will meet with South Africa's Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini.

Next week Yin will meet Oliphant in Cape Town.

They will also sign the cooperation agreement on the exchange of visits at ministerial level; exchange visits by senior officials; study tour groups in specialised fields; exchange of experts, who will do training courses and seminars, and exchange of knowledge on human resource development and employment services.

Reciprocal visit

Yin's visit to South Africa follows a similar visit by Oliphant to China last August, where she went to Beijing's local Labour Inspection Bureau.

Oliphant also visited the Tianjin Social Security Insurance Bureau to get first-hand experience on how the municipality implements best practices in the field of social security benefits.

Oliphant witnessed how the Chinese's Centre was able to manage one social security benefit scheme using a single card for unemployment insurance, old age pensions, workmen's compensation, medical scheme, foster grants and maternity benefits, among other things.

She also visited the Public Employment Centre in Haidian District in Beijing. The centre provides employment services for the unemployed, including rural migrants. The unemployed, youth and people with disabilities are helped to find jobs, given career guidance and training.

China and South Africa are members of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) economic bloc.