Jobless to build roads, dams

2003-06-07 16:50

Midrand - South Africa's jobless will be given temporary work with more state programmes to build roads, dams and railways in terms of an agreement signed by the government, labour and business on Saturday.

Other projects envisaged in the plan are the construction of schools, clinics, prisons, harbours and the renovation and maintenance of public buildings.

The agreement was endorsed at the Growth and Development Summit at Midrand.

It is the product of behind-the-scenes talks in the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), negotiating chamber of labour, business and government.

The three partners agreed on a range of measures to create jobs, to promote investment, and advance equity and economic opportunities for all.

A major element of the plan is to expand public investment initiatives to develop and maintain economic and social infrastructure.

"Many of these initiatives will be mainstream infrastructure projects with a very strong construction and labour component," according to the document outlining the agreement.

Examples of projects with the greatest potential for job creation include the building of roads, dams and railways.

The three partners agreed to address bottlenecks in infrastructure planning and project management.

They will also seek to promote labour-based construction methods and to deliberately opt for this type of building method where feasible.

The document says: "Business commits to mobilising and making available its skills and expertise...with a view to enhancing the proper project design and management of these projects."

Another agreed-on way to provide new jobs related to activities such as the fencing of national roads, cleaning of schools, working in community gardens, controlling erosion and rehabilitating land. Public works programmes in this regard are to be extended, says the document.

"These programmes will be designed to equip participants with modicum of training and work experience, which should enhance their ability to earn a living in the future."

Projects will also be launched to provide some social services.

Examples include community home-based care for people living with HIV/Aids, care for the children of working mothers, care for the aged, and feeding programmes.

"Such programmes must be large enough to have a substantial impact on employment and social cohesion, especially for young people, women and the rural poor," the document says.

"Training will be a central component to ensure that workers attain relevant and marketable skills, and those who never worked gain valuable exposure to the world of work."

The accord also provides for partnerships between various sectors of the economy to steer their activities towards job-creating growth.

Such sectors include the automotive, mining, agriculture, and clothing industries.

Another objective of the agreement is procurement policies that will give preference to local business. Small business and black economic empowerment will also be promoted in the process.

To promote literacy and skills among the unemployed, the government and business have agreed to register at least 72 000 jobless people in learnerships by May next year.

"Achieving these targets is dependent on funding, which should come in the first place from the relevant Sectoral Education and Training Authority and the National Skills Fund," says the document.

It has been agreed that 85% of learners should be black, 54% should be women, and four percent should comprise people with disabilities.

On the promotion of investment, the partners agreed to encourage investors, retirement funds, the life assurance industry, government, labour and community bodies to put five percent of their income in "appropriate financial instruments".

Such instruments should be created where they do not exist.

Issues on which the partners failed to reach agreement will be followed up after the summit, the document says.

- SAPA