THE FREIGHT industry is not taking an employment equity at all costs course, according to Charles Dey, executive director of the Forwarding & Clearing Chamber, but is tending towards a more evolutionary approach.
This because upskilling of the appropriate staff members has to take place first, to guarantee the success of any affirmative action, he told FTW.
We cannot say at this stage that there has been a noticeable change in numbers in the industry, said Dey. But the upskilling will mean that numbers will change in future years when the designated groups have sufficient skills to handle the jobs.
It has to be recognised that if any company is to survive, the bottom line must still dictate how fast it can change its structure. At the same time, Dey added, companies should not see this upskilling as a cost but rather as an investment for the future.
In practical terms, the bulk of the upskilling is likely to come from the big companies in the SA forwarding and clearing (f&c) sectors, according to the chamber's analysis of the industry.
There are about 2 000 f&c companies in this country, said Dey. Of this number, about 130 control about 80% of SA f&c trade. And, of those, the top 20-to-30 companies are the ones who are really compelled by the legislation to take employment equity very seriously indeed.
And these players, he added, are now employing specialists whose task is to ensure that the designated groups are being targeted for promotion - and for the skills development that is a necessary precursor to this employment equity.
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