Hon Minister and hon House Chair, as we remember those who have perished during the recent labour-related violence, the DA would like to start by pleading for a strike and violence-free environment during the coming wage negotiations period in the mining and other sectors of the economy. We must also ensure that this period does not result in any further job losses similar to those announced by Anglo American Platinum, Amplats, last week. The Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, warned yesterday that rising tensions in the platinum belt require leadership and urgent attention.
Noting what the Minister had just said this morning, we would like him to inform us as to what exact plans government has to create a calm environment in which peaceful negotiations will take place this year. The DA believes that no worker should die for belonging to a labour union or for taking part in legitimate collective bargaining processes.
Moments are very rare, and few and far between, when South Africans across the political spectrum seem to agree on anything. Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment and its debilitating impacts on the economy of the country, is one such issue. From President Jacob Zuma to the National Planning Commission, NPC, there is absolute agreement that unemployment is the greatest challenge threatening the stability of our young democracy.
In its 2012-17 strategic plan, the Department of Labour declared, and I quote: "The first challenge facing us is unemployment and underemployment." The statement remains valid today. In his state of the nation address on 14 February, President Jacob Zuma described youth unemployment as a crisis, and the DA agrees. The NPC's diagnostic report states the problem bluntly, and I quote: "Too few people work in the country."
The DA agrees with the National Development Plan, NDP, that sustainable economic growth is the only answer to tackling and beating unemployment. The commission says that for the NDP to succeed, business and labour need to endorse a shared vision. The DA agrees. We also agree with the NDP that, and I quote: "Difficult choices will have to be made" and that to promote large-scale job creation, the functioning of the labour market will have to improve.
Indeed, while we may argue about the degree of flexibility or rigidity of the South African labour market and the impact on job creation, there can be no argument to the fact that our sluggish job creation and high unemployment rate can be attributed to the consequences of some of the country's labour laws, which generally protect the employed at the expense of the growing number of unemployed citizens.
The DA is thus very disappointed and remains deeply concerned that the Department of Labour has stubbornly refused to heed our appeals to commission an updated Regulatory Impact Assessment, Ria, of the three labour law amendment Bills and the new Public Services Bill currently going through the parliamentary process.
A Regulatory Impact Assessment conducted in 2010 suggested that jobs of 2,13 million temporary employed South Africans would be jeopardised if the Bills would be implemented in their original form. Important changes were made but the current Bills are yet to be subjected to Ria. Without an updated Ria, we have no idea what the potential negative impacts of the amendments, if passed, are likely to have on job creation and unemployment. This is a risk we should not be taking.
Talking about labour laws, during his department's Budget Vote debate, The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Blade Nzimande, made a blatantly untrue statement that the DA opposes Affirmative Action. I challenge the hon Minister to produce a DA policy document stating that the DA opposes affirmative action. For the edification of the hon Minister, the DA supports constitutional provision for affirmation action and the objective of the Employment Equity Act to promote redress in the South African labour market. [Applause.]
In his speech on 11 February 2010, President Zuma told the nation that, and I quote:
The most urgent focus of policy change must be interventions to create jobs for young people. Unemployment rates for young people are substantially higher than the average. Proposals will be tabled to subsidise the cost of hiring younger workers to encourage firms to take on inexperienced staff.
Subsequently, Minister Gordhan informed the nation that government has set aside R50 billion for the implementation of a huge wage subsidy to encourage employers to take on inexperienced first time job seekers aged between 18 and 29. Regrettably implementation has been blocked by the ANC alliance partner, the Congress of South African Trade Unions, Cosatu. The DA calls for the immediate implementation of the youth wage subsidy through the youth employment tax incentives as, once again, announced by the Minister of Finance during his Budget speech earlier this year.
Bana ba rena ba nyaka mesomo; ba nyaka go bereka! [Our children need jobs!]
In this regard, despite our strong reservations, the DA accepts the Social Accord on Youth Employment as a fait accompli and calls on the Minister of Labour and government to ensure that the projects that will be launched are administered fairly and on a nonpartisan basis. Poverty and unemployment do not carry a political party membership card. We have noted the remarks by Minister Patel during a radio talk show on Monday that the thrust of some of the projects will be ... [Interjections.]