The influence of labour brokering practices on employment equity in South Africa: A case of two universities

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the influence of labour brokering on employment practices, particularly those related to the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998. The research reported on in this paper is based on a larger research project that investigated the barriers to and enablers of gender equity within two higher education institutions. Utilising a qualitative case study at the two South African universities, the findings demonstrate the contradictions between the intentions of employment equity policies and practices and the adoption of a labour brokering employment strategy. Employment equity policies and practices did not include employees in the cleaning and gardening job categories recruited through labour brokers. Most importantly, the practice has serious implications for the economic survival and development of the lowest level of employees at the universities. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of the Labour Relations Amendment Act 6 of 2014.