Global Advocacy

Work has changed, and continuously changes in response to the drivers of the 4th Industrial Revolution and events such as the global C19 pandemic which has seen a dramatic shift in the way we work. Labour markets are shifting daily with job redundancy, skills revolutions, and a shift to diverse forms of employment. Labour legislation needs to adapt, balancing the rights of individuals (especially vulnerable workers) and the operational requirements of organisations which need to be agile to meet the needs of a globally competitive marketplace.

Private Employment Agencies (PEA), including Temporary Employment Services (TES), are responsive to these changes in the labour market and are in fact enablers – providing solutions, not only to the organisations that require flexibility, but to the individual workers and new entrants, who need to navigate multi-contracts and regular career transitions.

Contrary to popular perception, TES has not caused casualization, but rather provides an opportunity to manage these labour market changes, providing solutions for all stakeholders.

The 2021 International Labour Conference conclusion recognised the positive role that private employment services plays in labour market transitions, including that agency work only gives rise to decent work deficits where there is lack of compliance or inadequate regulation.

CAPES continues to advocate for effective labour market enablement, including the ability for South African PEA and TES businesses to offer globally-aligned, professional, and compliant services to both organisations and individuals, within a fair and effectively enforced local labour legislative environment.

CAPES, through APSO, enjoys representation at a global level via the World Employment Confederation (WEC). CAPES representatives have, for the past twenty years, been actively involved in various global initiatives including with International Labour Organisation (ILO) on Decent Work, Fair Recruitment, Future of Work, etc.