During the workers day debate in the National assembly the deputy president of COPE (The congress of the people), Willie Madisha said with regards the ‘restoration of workers rights to dignity through the national minimum wage.
“Speaker, with respect to the question of a Minimum Wage, COPE’s is clear, given decade of poor and corrupt governance, of the reckless management and rampant organized looting of our fiscus, of a failing education system, of the wanton mismanagement of our economy for ideological and narrow ends and of the destruction of conditions conducive for investor confidence, we are in a cycle of economic stagnation that breeds unemployment, poverty and inequality.”
“Speaker, according to the World Bank 62% of South Africans are either chronically or transiently poor.
If we were to have made a significant impact on unemployment, we should have created 1 million new jobs per annum. Sadly, only 3 million new jobs were established over the past 15 years. During the same period some 8 Million 3 Hundred Thousand matriculants’ left school.
In fact, since 1990, employment in mining has fallen by almost 30% and in manufacturing by in excess of 25%.
As matters stand the average South African is getting poorer whilst our political elite eats caviar and shushi.
COPE is merely the messenger of this sad reality.
It is the ruling party that is the creator of this unnecessary catastrophic state of affairs. The real and lasting solution lies in creating the right conditions for economic growth and job creation.
Speaker, in respect of the proposed minimum wage COPE acknowledges that R20 per hour is not a living wage.
But compare this to the President’s R1732 per hour.
Speaker, apart from the matter of a minimum wage, COPE calls for the consideration of the inclusion of the RIGHT TO DECENT WORK within our Bill of Rights. Such an inclusion would, as with other rights, require government to adopt a more responsible and progressive approach in respecting, protecting, promoting and fulfilling the Right to Decent work for all.”
Read the original article on COPE
South Africa Today – South Africa News
