COSATU says COGTA's plans to lay off 67,000 temp workers against ANC's job promise
While delivering the ANC’s January 8 statement in Khayelitsha on Saturday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said government would not only focus on creating employment for young people, but also those who are above 35.
Unemployment jobs unemployed
JOHANNESBURG – The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) says the lay-off of 67,000 temporary workers is against the African National Congress (ANC)’s January 8 statement.
The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Department recently announced that due to budget cuts, the contracts of beneficiaries from the Community Work Programme who are aged 55 and older will be terminated.
The CWP is a government initiative that provides temporary employment to people of working age, while they search for permanent jobs.
While delivering the ANC’s January 8 statement in Khayelitsha on Saturday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government would not only focus on creating employment for young people.
“As we focus on youth unemployment, we must say here categorically, we will also focus on creating jobs for those who are above 35, we must not leave them behind.”
COSATU says there is a disconnect between the president’s remarks and what COGTA is doing by laying off workers.
READ: Nearly half of 67,000 participants to be cut from CWP don't qualify for old age pension
COSATU's spokesperson, Matthew Parks, said the government cannot afford to cut back on public employment programmes when unemployment and poverty are so high.
He said the trade union federation has engaged COGTA on other measures it can take rather than laying off people.