Implications of the Employment Equity Act for the higher education sector

Abstract

This article discusses the impact of the 1998 Employment Equity Act on the higher education sector of South Africa. An introduction to the background and development of affirmative action and employment equity is provided. The author then discusses the specialized constraints and challenges faced by higher education employers, separating them from traditional business employers, such as companies and factories. It is argued that these crucial challenges B specialized higher education legislation and policy developments, the "pool" issue, funding and rationalization, universities as a unique workplace, and the individual legacies of universities B define the space in which the Employment Equity Act may be interpreted in the higher education sector.


South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.17(2) 2003: 79-86