Numsa, under the Cosatu banner, participated in the march against e-tolling and labour brokers on March 7 2012.
I waited with eagerness for the government’s reply to the demands after the march.
The response on e-tolling was deplorable. I, like anybody was shocked to hear government through its spokesperson saying “e-tolling is a fact of life” and “people must get used to it” “…we will not tolerate disobedience”.
"This is a legal matter. It must be clear that if anyone is not obeying the law, then the law will take its course.”
Isn’t it amazing that a law-abiding citizen can instantly become a criminal for not paying the toll fees.
If you have no surplus money to pay the toll fees you are automatically branded as a criminal. Isn’t money magical? A criminal becomes innocent, instantly when parting with his or her hard-earned money.
The government has not learned from history – when you oppress people with draconian laws you will cause them to revolt as has been experienced by many proud, arrogant and oppressive empires in the past. “Pride comes before the fall.”
The same conceit has been displayed on the labour broker issue.
Cabinet approved amendments to the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act that seek to “address what is now commonly referred to as the phenomenon of labour broking” by proposing a regulatory framework for temporary employment.
The Labour Relations Amendment Bill also stipulates that temporary work be limited to a period not exceeding six months. Some of the conditions are:
• Companies would also be required to provide compelling reasons for employing people on fixed-term contracts.
•The bill also stipulates that additional protection be extended to temporary workers earning less than R172 000 per annum.
•The bill also bars high-income earners from seeking the intervention of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration in cases of unfair dismissal. The government is believed to be targeting those earning more than R1m a year.
•The Basic Conditions of Employment Bill also proposes that the labour minister should be given powers to set minimum wages for temporary workers and extend the imprisonment sentence for using child labour from three to six years.
All of these got me thinking. So unsurprisingly, I’ve dealt with the recession the way I deal with most unpleasant things… I simply try to ignore.
But I can’t ignore e-tolling can I? Even with my head stuck firmly in the sand, I’ve noticed a few very distressing things before e-tolling and other stuff.
I can’t remember the last time I walked out of a shop with two bags of groceries (and now I’m not even talking about luxuries, just veg, milk, washing powder etc) that came to less than R300.
Even one pair of jeans mysteriously breaks the bank. And I have a steady job and one dependant! How on earth do other people survive?
Love and empty pockets
Sandra
Source
Numsa News No 1, April 2012