Hon Chair, the DA opposes the Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill. [Interjections.] As hon Minister Oliphant has said, South Africa can be proud of many aspects of its labour dispensation. However, we must hang our heads in shame about our incredibly high unemployment rate. We rank in the top 14% of countries in terms of unemployment. Many African countries have done far better in terms of employment than us. This includes countries such as Ghana, Gabon, Zambia, North and South Sudan and Nigeria.
It is unthinkable that we currently have a higher unemployment rate than in 1994, when we were coming out of a long period of labour unrest, trade boycotts and sanctions - a period when foreigners, quite understandably, did not want to invest in our country and when our exporters were struggling to find markets for South African products. What is worse, however, is that that period prohibited some South Africans from using their talents in certain fields, and from working and residing where they wanted.
Today, those aspects have mercifully changed and our products are welcomed all over the world. One would therefore have expected this country to be put on a high growth path, one second to none. Thankfully, the standard of living of employed South Africans has improved significantly. However, the burden of the fast-growing group of unemployed South Africans has worsened. Rising levels of unemployment, a phenomenon which started during the 1970s, has accelerated since 1994. We have a national crisis in terms of unemployment. Our official unemployment rate exceeds 25%. We have all seen the increase in the number of people waiting in vain on street corners for someone to offer them a short-term job, and hundreds of thousands of South Africans have given up all hope of ever finding a job.
The unemployment figure, which is an average figure, masks the real unemployment figures in certain age groups, with more than 50% of our young people not being able to find employment. Any society in which the young are bearing the brunt in terms of unemployment must commit itself to serious introspection and action.
Daar is ook groot verskille in werkloosheid tussen die verskillende bevolkingsgroepe. Werkloosheid het 'n enorme negatiewe invloed op hierdie gemeenskappe, en hou groot risikos vir ons land se toekoms in. Dit het ook 'n negatiewe invloed op belangrike nasionale doelwitte, soos om die gaping in inkomste tussen ryk en arm te verklein, of om 'n sukses van regstellende aksie te maak. Effektiewe regstellende aksie verg dat daar vakatures by werkgewers sal ontstaan wat per voorkeur gevul moet word deur werkers uit die aangewese groepe. Die inkrimping in die arbeidsmark kan dan ook duidelik gesien word in ons land se swakker prestasie op die gebied van regstellende aksie sedert 2008. In plaas daarvan om die eintlike probleem, te wete ekonomiese groei, aan te pak, word werkgewers nou geblameer dat hulle nie erns maak met regstellende aksie nie.
Van die wysigings aan die Wet op Basiese Diensvoorwaardes, wat vandag deur hierdie Huis oorweeg moet word, skep verdere regulering, terwyl die Wreld Ekonomiese Forum se ranglyste wys dat ons arbeidsmark reeds oorgereguleer is. Verskeie bepalinge in hierdie wetsontwerp sal die kostes van indiensneming vir werkgewers verder verhoog.
Dit is duidelik uit 'n antwoord van agb minister Oliphant dat die getal werkers in 'n sektor soos landbou sedert die instelling van minimum lone baie gedaal het. Dit is daarom baie jammer dat agb minister Naidoo, wat so ewe die titel van Minister van Ekonomiese Ontwikkeling dra, vroer vanmiddag so laag gedaal het om politieke punte oor werksverliese in the Wes-Kaap te probeer aanteken. [Tussenwerpsels.] Ek sien hom nie tans in die Huis nie. Dit lyk vir my hy wil nie die waarheid hoor nie, en dit terwyl dit sy regering en sy kabinetskollegas is wat verantwoordelikheid vir die werksverliese in die landbousektor moet aanvaar. [Tussenwerpsels.]
Hierdie wetsontwerp maak dan ook voorsiening dat die Minister van Arbeid minimum lone kan bepaal vir werkers in daardie sektore wat nie tans deur ander sektorale vasstellings gedek word nie. Ons kan maar net hoop dat die Minister deurgaans haar goeie oordeel sal gebruik. Die persepsie bestaan egter dat onrus wat van buite werkplekke gestook word die Minister se onlangse besluite rakende minimum lone benvloed het. Indien dit waar is, voorspel dit 'n slegte toekoms vir goeie arbeidsverhoudinge en die skep van verdere werkgeleenthede.
Die DA plaas dan ook op rekord dat ons nie ten gunste is van die nuwe bepaling wat nou aan die Minister die reg gee om benewens minimum lone ook minimum verhogings in lone te bepaal nie. Werkgewers gaan baie lugtig wees om in goeie jare meer as die minimum lone te betaal, terwyl hulle weet dat die Minister hulle vorentoe gaan verplig om in die maer jare steeds minimum verhogings aan hulle werkers te gee. Dit is 'n voorbeeld van 'n bepaling wat op die oog af na 'n positiewe bepaling lyk, maar wat in effek gaan lei tot werksverliese en 'n toenemende neiging om niks meer as minimum lone te betaal nie, die sogenaamde "race to the bottom" [afwaarts voortsnel].
Aan die positiewe kant steun die DA die uitbreiding in die beskerming van kinderregte wat met di wysigingswetsontwerp verdere steun ontvang. Suid- Afrikaners moet kennis neem dat enige werk deur kinders onder die ouderdom van 15 jaar verbied word, en dat enige werk wat nie by kinders van 15 tot 18 jaar oud pas nie, ook verbied word.
Desperate werksoekers is soms uitgebuit deur agente wat aansoekfooie gevra het in ruil vir bedenklike beloftes van werk. Ons verwelkom daarom die bepaling wat hierdie praktyke verbied. Ons verwelkom ook die bepaling wat werkgewers verbied om werknemers uit te buit deur hulle te verplig om sekere produkte of dienste teen buitensporige pryse aan te koop.
Tog, die vermindering in die regte van werkgewers om appl teen die bevindinge van arbeidsinspekteurs aan te teken, is vir ons 'n bron van groot kommer. Weer eens het 'n parlementre antwoord gewys op die enorme verskille in die standaarde wat deur arbeidsinspekteurs in die verskillende streke van ons land gestel word. Dit is iets wat reggestel kan word deur verbeterde opleiding en die standardisasie van die werk van arbeidsinspekteurs, maar ongelukkig het daar nog min tereg gekom van die jarelange beloftes tot groter professionalisering van die arbeidsinspekteurs se diensbedeling.
Ten spyte van die positiewe aspekte in die wetsontwerp, glo die DA dat die nadele van groter regulering die positiewe aspekte oortref. Ons kan eenvoudig nie groter werkloosheid duld nie. Ons sal dus hierdie wetsontwerp tydens die stemming teenstaan. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[There are also marked differences in unemployment between the various population groups. Unemployment has a hugely negative effect on these population groups, holding big risks for our country's future. It also has a negative effect on important national goals, such as narrowing the gap between rich and poor, or making a success of affirmative action. Effective affirmative action requires the development of vacancies with the employers, which preferably have to be filled by employees from the specified groups. The contraction of the labour market therefore can also be clearly seen in our country's weaker performance in the sphere of affirmative action since 2008. Instead of tackling the real problem, which is economic growth, employers are now being blamed for not being serious about affirmative action.
Some of the amendments to the Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Act under consideration in this House today will create further regulation, while the grading lists of the World Economic Forum indicate that our labour market is already overregulated. Various provisions in this Bill will further increase employment costs for the employers.
It is clear from a reply by hon Minister Oliphant that the number of labourers in a sector such as agriculture has decreased significantly since the introduction of minimum wages. It is therefore such a pity that the hon Minister Naidoo, who jauntily bears the title of Minister of Economic Development, earlier this afternoon sunk so low as to try and score political points from the job losses in the Western Cape. [Interjections.] I don't see him in the House right now. It would seem to me as if he doesn't want to hear the truth, and this while it is his government and his colleagues in Cabinet who should be taking responsibility for the job losses in the agricultural sector. [Interjections.]
This Bill now also provides that the Minister of Labour can stipulate minimum wages for labourers in those sectors that are not currently covered by other sectoral determinations. We can only hope that the Minister will always use her good judgement. However, the perception holds that unrest stirred from outside the workplace did affect the Minister's recent decisions regarding minimum wages. If this is true, it predicts a dim future for good labour relations and the creation of further job opportunities.
The DA therefore puts on record that we are not in favour of the new provision which will now give the Minister the right to determine, apart from minimum wages, also the minimum increase in those wages. Employers will be very loath to pay more than the minimum wage in a good year, knowing that in times to come the Minister will still be compelling them to grant their labourers a minimum increase in the lean years. This is an example of a provision which at first glance would seem to be a positive one, but which in effect will lead to job losses and a growing trend not to pay more than the minimum wage; the so-called race to the bottom.
On the positive side, the DA supports the extension of children's rights, which through this amending Bill will receive further support. South Africans should take note that any labour by children under the age of 15 is prohibited, and that any labour unsuitable for children between the ages of 15 and 18 is also prohibited.
Desperate work-seekers have at times been exploited by agents demanding application fees in exchange for dubious promises of work. We therefore welcome the provision that prohibits such practices. We also welcome the provision that prohibits employers from exploiting their employees by forcing them to buy certain products or services at excessive rates.
Still, the curtailment in the rights of employers to appeal against the findings of labour inspectors is a big cause for concern to us. Once again a parliamentary reply has indicated the enormous differences in standards that are applied by labour inspectors in the various regions of our country. This is something that could be rectified by improved training and the standardisation of the work done by labour inspectors, but unfortunately little has come from years of promises regarding increased professionalisation of the service dispensation of labour inspectors.
Despite the positive aspects of this Bill, the DA believes that the disadvantages of increased regulation overshadow these positive aspects. We simply cannot permit increased unemployment. During the voting we will therefore be opposing this Bill. I thank you. [Applause.]]