‘We need urgent action to get unemployed South Africans into the job market.’ – Eustace Davie, Director at the Free Market Foundation
Blaai af vir Afrikaanse weergawe.
The findings from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey revealed today that the official unemployment rate has decreased marginally by 0.7%, from 32.6% in the second quarter, to 31.9% in the third quarter of 2023.
Although these numbers show a slight improvement, the change is not convincing, as millions of South Africans are still shut out of the job market.
‘The Free Market Foundation (FMF) therefore calls on government to implement a Job Seekers Exemption Certificate (JSEC), to allow unemployed South Africans the chance to find work and enable them to feed their families,’ says Eustace Davie, Director at the FMF.
The FMF proposes that people who have been unemployed for six months or longer should be entitled to a JSEC, which would a) grant them exemption from all labour legislation for a period of at least two years and b) protect any employer who hires them from prosecution under the labour laws.
Labour legislation in South Africa is the root cause of the high rates of unemployment and a complete overhaul of the legislative framework will be an essential step toward meaningful change for the better. In the short term, the JSEC provides access to jobs that are currently off the table due to onerous legislation, within the existing framework.
Although South Africa’s labour laws are intended to protect employees by providing a high level of job security to those in employment, employers who fall short of the stringent statutory requirements are liable to face harsh penalties. In practice, unemployed South Africans are prevented from selling their services to employers that do not necessarily meet the legal requirements but that are acceptable to the job-seekers themselves.
This means that we have a situation where job-seekers are deprived of their only means of climbing the first rung of the employment ladder.
The result is the high rate of unemployment in South Africa, that has become the hallmark of this generation. It is the highest in the world for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
‘Serious action is needed to turn things around as the usual mitigating steps like social grants and make-work jobs will not fix the jobs crisis’, Davie said.
‘We need to get people working, earning, learning skills, and supporting their families. The steps taken must offer hope of economic betterment to the millions of South Africans who are jobless and unskilled’, he continued.
The FMF proposes the implementation of the JSEC as it would be effective, easy to implement and politically ‘saleable’. It would help those who need help – the unemployed – without affecting the currently employed. And it would result in increased economic growth that would benefit all South Africans.
Ends.
Find the full JSEC proposal here.
Press enquiries
Anneke Burns
FMF Publicist
0714230079 | press@fmfsa.org
***
Arbeidsstatistieke: ‘Implementeer ‘n Werksoekers Vrystellingsertifikaat nou’ – FMF
‘Ons het dringende optrede nodig om werklose Suid-Afrikaners by die arbeidsmark in te skakel.’ – Eustace Davie, Direkteur by die Vryemarkstigting
Scroll up for English version.
Die bevindinge van die Kwartaallikse Arbeidsmagopname wat vandag bekend gemaak is, toon dat die amptelike werkloosheidskoers marginaal met 0.7% afgeneem het, van 32.6% in die tweede kwartaal tot 31.9% in die derde kwartaal van 2023.
Alhoewel hierdie syfers ‘n geringe verbetering toon, is die verandering nie oortuigend nie, aangesien miljoene Suid-Afrikaners steeds buite die arbeidsmark gesluit is.
‘Die Vryemarkstigting (FMF) roep derhalwe die regering op om ‘n Werksoekers Vrystellingsertifikaat (JSEC) te implementeer, om werklose Suid-Afrikaners die geleentheid te gee om werk te vind en hulle in staat te stel om vir hul gesinne te sorg,’ sê Eustace Davie, Direkteur by die FMF.
Die FMF stel voor dat persone wat ses maande of langer werkloos is, geregtig moet wees op ‘n JSEC, wat a) hulle vrystelling van alle arbeidswetgewing vir ‘n tydperk van ten minste twee jaar sal verleen en b) enige werkgewer wat hulle aanstel teen vervolging onder die arbeidswette sal beskerm.
Arbeidswetgewing in Suid-Afrika is die hoofrede vir die hoë werkloosheidsyfer, en ‘n totale hervorming van die wetgewende raamwerk sal ‘n noodsaaklike stap wees na betekenisvolle, positiewe verandering. Op kort termyn bied die JSEC toegang tot werksgeleenthede wat tans as gevolg van omslagtige wetgewing nie op die tafel is nie.
Alhoewel Suid-Afrika se arbeidswette bedoel is om werknemers te beskerm deur ‘n hoë vlak van werksekuriteit aan dié wat reeds in die arbeidsmark is te bied, loop werkgewers wat nie aan die streng statutêre vereistes voldoen nie die gevaar om hewige strafmaatreëls tee te kom. In die praktyk word werklose Suid-Afrikaners verhoed om hul dienste aan werkgewers te verkoop wat nie noodwendig aan die wettige vereistes voldoen nie, maar aanvaarbaar is vir die werksoekers self.
Dit beteken dat ons ‘n situasie het waar werksoekers beroof word van hul enigste manier om die eerste tree van die werksgeleding te klim.
Die resultaat is die hoë werkloosheidskoers in Suid-Afrika, wat die kenmerk van hierdie generasie geword het. Dit is die hoogste ter wêreld vir jong mense tussen die ouderdomme van 15 en 24 jaar, volgens die Internasionale Arbeidsorganisasie (IAO).
‘Ernstige aksie is nodig om dinge om te keer, aangesien die gewone verligtingstappe soos sosiale toelaes en maak-werk nie die werkloosheidskrisis sal oplos nie,’ het Davie gesê.
‘Ons moet mense aan die werk kry, hulle moet inkomste verdien, vaardighede leer en hul gesinne ondersteun. Die stappe wat geneem word, moet hoop van ekonomiese verbetering bied aan die miljoene Suid-Afrikaners wat werkloos en ongeskool is’, het Davie voortgegaan.
Die FMF stel die implementering van die JSEC voor omdat dit doeltreffend, maklik om te implementeer en polities ‘verkoopbaar’ is. Dit sal diegene wat hulp nodig het – die werkloses – help, sonder om die tans-in-diens-genome persone te affekteer. En dit sal lei tot ‘n toename in ekonomiese groei wat alle Suid-Afrikaners sal bevoordeel.
Einde.
Vind die volledige JSEC-voorstel hier.
Persnavrae
Anneke Burns
FMF Publisiteitsbeampte
071 423 0079 | press@fmfsa.org
