18 February 2025
Blaai af vir Afrikaanse weergawe.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) figures demand an urgent and comprehensive restructuring of labour regulations to halt the continuing social disaster of mass unemployment in South Africa, the Free Market Foundation (FMF) said.
According to the FMF, whilst the overall employment figures show a slight uptick in the number of people who are employed, the overall trend of mass unemployment remains unchanged with many opting out of the labour force entirely.
“In South Africa, we have normalised a condition in which large swathes of people, who could be productive, are simply sitting at home doing nothing. Beyond their own sustenance, as a society, we are missing out on the potential talents and abilities of these millions of people,” said Zakhele Mthembu, Policy Officer at the FMF.
The FMF argued that the Government of National Unity (GNU) has not shown any signs so far that it is willing to take the necessary steps to address this disaster. There has been no reform to the South African labour regulatory regime, which would, the FMF contends, go a long way in addressing the high unemployment rate.
The FMF reiterated its call for the adoption of a Job Seekers’ Exemption Certificate (JSEC), as outlined in the FMF’s recent Liberty First policy agenda, in order to provide much needed structural reform to the South African labour market.
“A JSEC would be an exemption for those who choose it, from the provisions of any onerous labour laws and/or regulations. This would mean that those who have this certificate would not have their potential employment contracts bound by the prescripts of the labour laws they would have exempted themselves from,” argued Mthembu.
This solution, the FMF said, will go a long way in allowing the labour market to absorb the multitudes of the unemployed and economically inactive – almost 80% of which have been unemployed for over a year. It will actualise the right to work, to trade as one sees fit, which is currently inhibited by the labour regulations and laws of the country.
“The unemployment rate in South Africa is a humanitarian crisis which can only be tapered over by grants for so long. Rather than persisting in the propagation of increasingly onerous, damaging and paternalistic labour provisions, the state should try its best to make it as easy as possible for any two citizens who wish to enter an employment contract, to do so” Mthembu concluded.
Ends.
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Voortdurende maatskaplike ramp van werkloosheid vereis dringende, strukturele hervorming – meen FMF
18 Februarie 2025
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Die jongste kwartaallikse arbeidsmagopname-syfers (QLFS) vereis ‘n dringende en omvattende herstrukturering van arbeidsregulering om die voortdurende maatskaplike ramp van massa-werkloosheid in Suid-Afrika te stuit, meen die Vryemarkstigting (FMF).
Volgens die FMF, terwyl die algehele indiensnemingsyfers ‘n effense toename toon in die aantal mense wat in diens is, bly die algehele neiging van massa-werkloosheid onveranderd met baie wat heeltemal uit die arbeidsmag onttrek.
“In Suid-Afrika het ons ‘n toestand genormaliseer waarin groot ‘n gedeelte van die bevolking, wat produktief kan wees, eenvoudig by die huis sit en niks doen nie. Buiten hul eie lewensmiddele, as ‘n samelewing mis ons die potensiële talente en vermoëns van hierdie miljoene mense,” sê Zakhele Mthembu, Beleidsbeampte by die FMF.
Die FMF het aangevoer dat die Regering van Nasionale Eenheid (RNE) tot dusver geen tekens getoon het dat hy bereid is om die nodige stappe te neem om hierdie ramp aan te spreek nie. Daar was geen hervorming aan die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsregulering-regime nie, wat die FMF meen sou help om die hoë werkloosheidsyfer aan te spreek.
Die FMF het sy aandrang herhaal vir die daarstelling van ‘n Werksoekersvrystellingsertifikaat (JSEC), soos uiteengesit in die FMF se onlangse Liberty First-beleidsagenda, ten einde broodnodige strukturele hervorming aan die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark te voorsien.
“’n JSEC sal ‘n vrystelling wees vir diegene wat dit verkies, van die bepalings van enige beswarende arbeidswette of regulasies. Dit sou beteken dat diegene wat hierdie sertifikaat het, nie hul potensiële dienskontrakte gebonde sal hê aan die voorskrifte van die arbeidswette waarvan hulle hulself sou vrygestel het nie,” voer Mthembu aan.
Hierdie oplossing, het die FMF gesê, sal baie help om die arbeidsmark toe te laat om die menigte werkloses en ekonomies-onaktiewes te absorbeer – waarvan byna 80% al meer as ‘n jaar werkloos is. Dit sal die reg om te werk, om handel te dryf soos mens goeddink, te aktualiseer, wat tans deur die arbeidsregulasies en -wette van die land geïnhibeer word.
“Die werkloosheidsyfer in Suid-Afrika is ‘n humanitêre krisis wat net vir so lank deur toelaes versag kan word. Eerder as om te volhard in die verspreiding van toenemend beswarende, skadelike, en paternalistiese arbeidsbepalings, moet die staat sy bes probeer om dit so maklik moontlik te maak vir enige twee burgers wat ‘n dienskontrak wil aangaan, om dit te doen,” het Mthembu afgesluit.
Einde.
