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Cosatu General Secretary Solly Phetoe writes that when unemployment is at its highest, government needs to ramp up not cut back on public employment and employment programmes.
He says that Cosatu, alongside the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), was deeply distraught by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ (Cogta’s) December announcement that 67,000 Community Works Programme (CWP) workers above the age of 55 years would be dismissed due to budget constraints. This was a devastating blow to these workers and their 450,000 dependants as they will not find work in an economy with a 41.9% unemployment rate. Moreover, a majority of these workers are under 60 years and thus not eligible to receive the Old Age Grant. “We have been distressed by massive cuts to the Presidential Employment Programme over the past two years from a peak of R36 billion to a meagre R3.5 billion,” Phetoe added. He reports that Cosatu and Samwu met with the Minister and Deputy Minister for Cogta and their management team last week to find solutions for the 67,000 CWP employees above 55 years and are optimistic that solutions can and will be found for them. But, “once this matter is resolved, a broader discussion is needed about the overhaul of the various public employment programmes.” About job cuts, Phetoe proposes as follows: “Where positions must be cut, let it be among public representatives and Members of the National, Provincial and Municipal Cabinet and Executive Councils. Where positions need to be frozen, let it be amongst Directors-General and the plethora of executive management.” He says SA’s 41.9% general and 70% youth unemployment are the nation’s single greatest threat. “It is a ticking time bomb none of us can afford to ignore. 2025 needs to be the year when government and all social partners declare war on it and as we did with Covid-19, unleash a radical well-resourced Marshall Plan to defeat it.”
- Read Solly Phetoe’s article in full at Business Report
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page