East London to host SADC labour summit

© Kurhan – 123RF.com

The Department of Labour Director General, Thobile Lamati, will host the SADC Employment and Labour Sector’s joint tripartite technical meeting (JTTM) in East London in the Eastern Cape from 16 to 18 October.

The JTTM’s main purpose is to prepare for the SADC Employment and Labour Sector meeting, which will be hosted by Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant in 2018.

Minister Oliphant will host Ministers responsible for Employment and Labour and social partners from the SADC region as the chairperson following South Africa taking over the bloc’s chairmanship from August 2017 to August 2018.

The JTTM, in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) office in Pretoria, will deliberate on issues such as digitalization, global supply chain, small, medium and micro enterprises, apprenticeships and youth employment. This is against the backdrop of heightened concerns that the sustained slow growth is weakening the outlook for jobs, exacerbating unemployment, poverty and inequality.

Next week’s meeting will conclude with the drafting of the Ministerial Declaration for the SADC ELS meeting and will be signed by the President at the end of South Africa’s chairmanship.

The JTTM will convene again in February 2018 to finalise preparations for the ministerial meeting that will follow in March 2018.