SA+up+in+arms+over+job+losses,+News24,+05-06-22



=SA up in arms over job losses=

News24, Jun 21 2005 03:33:06:937PM
Johannesburg - About 216 000 workers in the steel, automobile and motor industries will join the Congress of SA Trade Unions in its protest action against job losses next week, Numsa said on Tuesday.

The National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) will hand over a separate memorandum to employers' offices across the country in protest against low wage increases in the steel sector, said spokesperson Dumisa Ntuli.

"Employment has dropped by 27% in the mining sector," he said.

"In steel and engineering employment has slipped by over 30% from 460 000 in 1985 to 310 000 in 2005."

According to the Fridge study, conducted among steel and engineering companies, 13 000 workers had lost their jobs.

"This year alone 5 l00 workers lost their jobs due to outsourcing and labour brokering," Ntuli said.

"A major factor for employment decline has been the restructuring of the industry due to increasing international competition."

According to Labour Research Services (LRS) the decline in employment has been continuing unabated. In February 2001, it registered 37% amounting to 6.9 million unemployed people in the country, Ntuli said.

According to official statistics the current rate of unemployment in the country is 40%.

"Labour Research Services further pointed out that of the 43 million South Africans, 10.8 million were living in poverty and this figure is steadily on the rise as more workers are set to lose their jobs."

LRS and other economists predict a further decline in employment in the year 2005 because of government economic policy to prioritise macro-targets, exchange rates controls, liberalisation of trade, labour market flexibility and wage moderation.

"It is important to embark on protest action in the metal industries because many workers have been slaughtered through retrenchments," Ntuli said.

Ntuli said the truth was that little would be gained economically and politically from further relaxing labour protection.

In fact, the Freedom Charter as it will be celebrated on June 26 2005 in the new-look Kliptown is specifically opposed to the two-tier system.

"It calls for the same rights and privileges to be afforded to all South African workers," he said.


 * From: http://www.finance24.com/articles/default/display_article.asp?Nav=ns&ArticleID=1518-1786_1724818