TalkState of the Nation

Posted by Sankhambi on 4 March 2010, 02:54 PM

Thank you for an enlightning discussion last night.

As a white male that was so unfortunate to lose my job at the end of last year, I am experiencing the reality of EE policy first hand. Also coming from an HR background, I have more or less an idea of what fears live in the agencies hearts that do not even want to accept my CV - not to create any expectation. One agency bluntly and to my face told me that I am a "pale male" and should have no expectations because all their clients are asking for are black candidates, and becasue of the Capt Barnard case.

There seems to be a disconnect between the spirit of the policy where a white candidate can be appointed if no suitable black candidates can be found (as indicated by prof de Vos) and the realty on the ground where recruiters fear both the consequences of not 'meeting EE targets' and the expensive unpleasantness (court cases, CCMA) if a white candidate demands that the expectation created must be fulfilled.

I accepted and advocated fair discrimination as a balanced practice to redress disadvantages of the past. That was at the beginning of last year. At the end of last year I was told: "Only Black/African appointments", and the one white appointmend I made was heavily criticised.

Where the rubber hits the tar the story may be quite ugly. Would it be possible to chat to prof de Vos again plus some experts on labour who knows the actual situation?