By Inside Biz
Business Eswatini (BE) has announced that they will be hosting another instalment of their Annual Labour Law Seminar.
The seminar is an annual event which usually features pre-eminent experts in the field of industrial relations who address the most topical issues in the labour relations space.
The 2023 edition of the seminar has been dubbed “The Workplace Paradigm Shift” and will be delivered by notable and experienced speakers who are regarded as thought leaders in the industrial relations field.
BE Chief Executive Officer, Nathie Dlamini notes that the labour space has dramatically changed in keeping with the rapid changes that have taken place, particularly in the industry and society generally.
“It is due to the constant developments in the labour space that BE is creating a space where social partners can come together and share wisdom on how to tackle the ever-changing work environment in a way that is mutually beneficial.”
BE further discloses that the ILO, as with recent events, will be providing technical support for the seminar in order for the local labour relations environment to benefit from the rich resources at the disposal of the organization.
In recent years, the annual labour seminar as popularly known, has received positive reviews with most attendees ecstatic about the impact in their workplaces.
Some of the topics to be deliberated on include the Eswatini National Provident Fund conversion by taking a deep dive into the financing models for social security holistically including the Unemployment Benefit Fund and an evaluation of the sustainability thereof.
The seminar will also interrogate the shift in collective bargaining and what it means for the labour movement in terms of the shifts in bargaining priorities and centres of power.
Other developments that will be covered by the seminar include unpacking the Employment Bill no. 7 of 2023, what are the amendments and their implications on employment relationships, employment contracts, terms and conditions of service including operations.
The presentation will also feature labour law updates through a scan of recent court decisions to give practical insights into workplace issues.
A key feature of the seminar is going to be a high-level panel discussion on how to handle violence and sexual harassment in the world of work, looking at the employers’ obligation in handling complaints in terms of C190 and Recommendation 206 on Violence and Harassment from the ILO and discussing best practices to prevent and respond to workplace violence from the Convention, Employers’ and workers experiences.
The speakers who will be delivering the topics include Nerine Kahn, who is currently the CEO at Employment Relations Exchange (South Africa) and is highly experienced in industrial relations, with a 20 year pedigree. Nerine is the former Director of the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) In South Africa.
Other speakers include Legal eagles in Mr. Zweli Jele who is Senior Partner at Robinson & Bertram and Zweli Shabangu a Partner at Magagula & Hlophe Attorneys Law Firm.
Also featuring will be Ms. Thembayena Dlamini of REDI and Ms. Ntombikayise Nyoni from Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) who will be tackling issues on Violence and Harassment and Victim Support and the Burden of proof in sexual harassment cases respectively.
The BE CEO notes that the Seminar has attracted a lot of interest from stakeholders in the labour market where employers, trade unions, lawyers, HR practitioners and social justice activists among others and would like to encourage early bookings to avoid disappointment as spaces are already limited.