Chairperson, on behalf of the DA, I hereby give notice that I will move the following motion at the next meeting of the House:
That the Council -
1) notes with concern the closure of 85 factories that employ approximately 8 000 people who in turn sustain about 40 000 people and were established by Chinese investors mainly in the globally competitive textile industry, which has largely collapsed in South Africa as a result of strong foreign competition;
2) also notes that these closures are a direct result of the imposition of minimum wage rates imposed against the wishes of many of the affected employees;
3) further notes the devastating impact upon thousands of the most vulnerable people in the Newcastle district that the permanent closures of these factories will have; and
4) therefore calls on the Minister of Labour to intervene without further delay to ensure that a solution is found whereby the thousands of jobs under threat will be saved and the people of Newcastle will be saved any further suffering as a result of the loss of their jobs.