Chairperson, President Zuma declared the year of 2011 the year of job creation. We find ourselves three months into the new financial year and one thing stands out clearly: We have seen no visible attempt but only loud noises in the attempt to improve the operations of the Department of Labour to make sure that it is geared for this goal.
In fact, all government departments are yet to align their respective programmes to the stated national goals of 5 million jobs in 2010, and to those of the International Labour Organisation's Decent Work Campaign for women to obtain opportunities for productive work in conditions of freedom, equality, security and human dignity. Farmworkers continue to be mistreated in the agricultural sector in this country. In fact, as recently as in last month's municipal elections, various farmworkers were prohibited from exercising their constitutional right to go and vote. The department has been quiet since.
Cope calls for legislative changes from commerce and industry to amend a number of prohibitive labour laws that are in the way of new investments ... [Interjections.]