Coloured workers face the axe - report
2011-02-20 16:23
Johannesburg - Nearly a million of all economically active coloured South Africans in the Western Cape will have to earn a living in another province if proposed amendments to the Employment Equity Act are implemented, the trade union Solidarity claimed on Sunday.
Solidarity's deputy general secretary Dirk Hermann said the amendments could amount to "a massive and unfeasible social engineering programme".
"In terms of the amendment, the act would no longer recognise the economically active population (EAP) of a region, but only the national demographics the economically active population," Hermann said.
According to the Western Cape's current demographics approximately 29.1% of the EAP is black, 54.8% coloured, 0.5% Indian and 15.6% white.
"It would require massive shifts in the population to reflect the national demography," Hermann said.
'Absurd'
"It would mean that the current coloured and white EAP would have to decrease by 80% and 22% respectively, while the black and Indian EAP would have to increase by 154% and 538% to reflect the national EAP demographic profile.
"In Limpopo, an increase of at least 10 000 in economically active coloured persons would be needed, while more than 268 600 economically active black persons would have to move from that province.
Hermann said the "absurd figures" show that in its current form the amendment bill is "unfeasible" and "imposes unrealistic demands".
The findings formed part of a report by the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) on the proposed amendments to labour legislation.
The report indicated what population moves would be required between provinces in order to reflect the national EAP demographic profile in each province.
Hermann said the amendments to the act implied that only the national EAP demographic profile would be used as benchmark for demographic representation to the exclusion of other benchmarks previously in use.
Written out
Current benchmarks include whether a person from the designated groups is available for appointment or promotion, and also take into account current and expected future economical and financial factors for the specific sector.
"What it means in essence is that irrespective of factors such as local demography and skilled employee shortages, an employer will have to comply with the national EAP profile and will not be able to make any appointment that falls outside this," Hermann said.
"The proposals also invalidate the concept of 'black' as defined in the Employment Equity Act. In reality, coloured and Indian South Africans are thus, as it were, written out of the designated group."
Solidarity's legal team had begun to draw up documentation to institute court action should the amendments be passed.
"The principle of representation as it is currently reflected in the proposed amendment bill is not in accordance with the constitution of South Africa and, therefore, it cannot be accepted," Hermann said.