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Governance
The Committee is constituted as a committee of the board of directors of Edcon Holdings. The purpose of the Committee is to guide, monitor, review and evaluate the Group's progress on transformation, with specific reference to the seven major elements of transformation, being ownership, management control, employment equity, skills development, preferential procurement, enterprise development and socio-economic development initiatives. The Committee shall meet formally at least twice a year and at such other times as the Committee Chairman shall require. The Committee chair is appointed by the Board.
Edcon is a company that serves many diverse markets and the workforce represents the demographics of all these communities it serves. Edcon employees nominate diverse candidates of staff at all levels for the committee, who then meet twice a year and encourages open debates. Committee members see their responsibility as to ratify targets set so as to ensure adequate representation of previously marginalised groups at management level as well as positively affecting the lives of Edcon employees.
The committee is responsible for:
- Responding to employee needs more effectively
- Establish better relationships with suppliers, employees and customers
- Solve problems in innovative and creative ways
- Promote the principals of the Employment Equity Act
- Empower employees in the workplace by bridging gaps and maximising potential.
Some of the achievements of the Employment Equity Committee to date include:
- The Edcon Mobile Clinic for staff
- An increase in the employment of disabled staff
- Study Bursaries for employees and their children
- A gym and Montessori crèche for employees and their children
- The introduction of the staff empowerment trust
Edcon is committed to making an important contribution towards the achievement of gender equity in South Africa and within the broader corporate context. The introduction and formulation of a gender equity policy is an indication of Edcon's commitment to this process. The objective of the Edcon Gender Equity Policy is to promote a general understanding of the principles around gender equality within Edcon and provide guidelines for the implementation of programmes that will enhance gender equality and equity at Edcon. The increased participation of women in the labour market and the economy is widely supported. The challenge is to ensure that this leads to women's economic empowerment whilst not further increasing inequities between women and men in the workplace.
The sub committee looks at the needs of employees with disabilities in respect to reasonable accommodation, employment opportunities, sensitisation, and advocacy and ensures that measures are implemented to make all facilities disabled-person friendly.
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