The government is hopeful that this year will see improved labour relations and more stability and industrial peace, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant said on Tuesday.

Speaking during debate on her budget vote in the National Assembly, she said on the one hand South Africa had experienced a significant increase in industrial action through strikes in 2010.

As a result, a lot of workdays were lost to industrial action in 74 cases.

These industrial actions were about improved wages and working conditions and took place when the world was hit by economic meltdown, she said.

It would be important to study and derive lessons from these industrial actions with a view to confronting and improving on the labour relations systems.

It should also be remembered that labour relations in itself required ongoing engagement and refinement from time to time.

"Once an analysis has been conducted, one could hope that 2011 will see much more improved labour relations in the respective workplaces with a focus on bringing about stability and industrial peace," Oliphant said.

The South African economy in 2010 began to show signs of recovery from the recession experienced in 2009.

"In the fourth quarter of the same year we also saw a small gain in employment with growth projected to be positive during year 2011."

As part of the government's commitment and effort to bring about a society based on justice and equality for all, the department had identified policy gaps in various legislation.

These would be addressed through the Labour Relations Amendment Bill, Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill, Employment Equity Amendment Bill, and the new Employment Services Bill.

"Further, we are also addressing policy gaps in sheltered employment factories with the specific emphasis on accommodating the needs of people with disabilities and gender equality," she said.

In recent times, labour broking had attracted a huge policy debate in South Africa, mainly because of abuses that had commonly been associated with the practice.

It was for this reason that one of the key aims in amending labour legislation was to address the phenomenon of labour broking and its "associated abusive tendencies".

"We do this well aware that amending this legislation will have important consequences for the operation of the labour market system," Oliphant said.

The debates on these bills had attracted a variety of responses which clearly illustrated the articulation of different interests that could be affected by the proposed amendments.

"As government, through the department of labour, we will continue to work constructively with our social partners and will further endeavour to find appropriate labour framework that gives sufficient protection to workers that have been rendered vulnerable through certain abuses.

"We will do so, mindful that our policies should not have negative consequences for employment."

South Africa at the end of 2010 was characterised by over 4,2-million unemployed people.

Of these, 2,8-million were long-term unemployed, while of all the unemployed, most were young people between 25 and 34 years old with low levels of skill and work experience.

"These are not just numbers, but individual persons whose lives are severely affected by a lack of income, lack of security and a lack of dignity.

"These are the people who require assistance to find work or to re-enter the labour market," Oliphant said.