Just six years ago, workers across the country donated one day’s wages to the Labour Job Creation Trust [LJCT]. Is it time to repeat the exercise? Numsa News spoke to Sharmiela Garnie, of the LJCT.
How much money did the campaign raise?It raised more than R100 million.
How many applications did you get requesting support?We received about 3 400 to the value of R4 billion.
How did you manage all these applications?We made an agreement with the Development Bank of South Africa [DBSA] to provide project management support and secretarial services. DBSA then entered all the applications onto a database. We also developed criteria to guide us with assessment of which projects we should support.
What are these criteria?The project should not in any way replace current workers or in any way assist or be involved with privatising of the public service. Projects must involve the community or be a co-operative. This encourages the community to mobilise and work together and increases the chances of the project being sustainable.
If you know of a project that fulfils the criteria, tell them to write to
LJCT1 Leyds Street Braamfontein 2001PO Box 1019 Johannesburg 2000Tel: 011- 339 1486Fax: 011- 339 2069
Projects should improve social infrastructure and public productive infrastructure to help reduce backlogs left by apartheid. Projects should be labour intensive, viable and sustainable. Projects in provinces with the highest unemployment and greatest poverty should get preference. The LJCT also prioritises projects employing women and the youth and that focus on HIV/Aids.
How many jobs have you created since this money was raised?Almost 30 000 with nearly 20 000 trained in different skills.
Can new projects still apply to the LJCT for funds?Yes we will see how we can assist.
How do they apply?The application must fit the criteria.The application or concept proposal should have the details of the organisation, address, contact details, contact person, what the project will be doing, where the project is located [urban, rural or peri-urban], why the initiative is being undertaken, the number of jobs to be created and by when and the total estimated cost of the project.
Does the LJCT have enough money to support all the projects that it feels warrant support?Yes, but only current projects. To reach more people we would need more funds to be injected in to the trust.
What lessons have you learnt about these projects?Strong local leadership is necessary to keep communities mobilised and united. There are so many skilled people that are overlooked because they do not have diplomas and degrees. People are willing to do things for themselves and not depend on hand outs if they are empowered financially.
The majority of our people who are still living in abject poverty are black, poor and rural, and as a country we are failing them, and children in the rural and deepest of rural areas still go to school hungry and with bare feet.
What do you feel has been the best achievement of the LJCT?Making a real difference to the poorest of the poor, the unemployed and reaching the deepest of rural communities. This has brought dignity and hope back to people that had lost all hope of merely surviving. For every job created more than10 people benefit and are fed from that person’s earnings. Having a sustainable job or income brings dignity and self confidence to our people.
In a number of Numsa meetings, a number of worker leaders have suggested that workers should once again give one day’s pay to the LJCT. Do you think that Numsa should support this proposal?
Yes. But maybe the call should also be directed at the business community of South Africa. They promised to contribute but apart from one or two companies never really did.
The need is so big; it is only when you go into the field at a grassroots level that you realise that you have only scratched the surface. You feel totally helpless, but you know that the little funds you have, have made a difference in a few people’s lives. It is not possible to reach the vast majority of unemployed that live in abject poverty.
ITrasti Yezemisebenzi Yokusungula Imisebenzi
Njengoba sekuyiminyaka eyisithupha abasebenzi benikeza iTrasti Yezemisebenzi Yokusungula Imisebenzi [Labour Job Creation Trust [LJCT]] umholo welanga, seyisungule imisebenzi eyi-30 000 futhi yaqeqesha cishe abantu abayi-20 000 emakhonweni ahlukene.
Kusizakala abantu abangaphezu kwe-10 ngomsebenzi nomsebenzi owenziwe.
Amaprojekthi amaningi athinta izindawo ezimpofu kakhulu ezindaweni zasemakhaya ezweni.
U-Sharmiela Garnie we-LJTC ukholwa ukuthi sekuyisikhathi futhi sokuthi abasebenzi banikele ngomholo welanga kodwa futhi nebhizinisi nalo kufanele lenze kanjalo kulokhu.
“Sikhulu isidingo” kusho u- Sharmiela Garnie we-LJTC, “uzizwa ungenalusizo nhlobo, kodwa uyazi ukuthi izimadlana ezincane onazo zenze umehluko ezimpilweni zabantu abambalwa.”
Labour Job Creation Trust
In die ses jaar sedert werkers “˜n dag se loon aan die Labour Job Creation Trust [LJCT] gegee het, het die trust byna 30 000 werksgeleenthede geskep en nagenoeg 20 000 mense in verskillende vaardighede opgelei.
Meer as 10 mense trek voordeel uit elke werksgeleentheid wat geskep word.
Die meeste van die projekte is in die armste landelike gebiede in die land geleí«.
Sharmiela Garnie van die LJCT glo dat dit weer tyd is vir werkers om een dag se loon op te offer, maar dat die sakesektor hierdie keer ook dieselfde moet doen.
“Die behoefte is so groot,” síª Sharmiela Garnie van die LJCT. “Jy voel heeltemal hulpeloos, maar jy weet dat die bietjie geld wat jy het, “˜n verskil aan “˜n hele paar mense se lewens gemaak het.”
Labour Job Creation Trust [Letlole la ho Qala Mesebetsi ya Matsoho]
Dilemong tse tsheletseng haesale basebetsi ba fana ka moputso wa letsatsi ho Labour Job Creation Trust [LJCT], letlole lena le se le qadile mesebetsi e ka bang 30 000 mme la rupella batho ba ka bang 20 000 mesebetsing e fapafapaneng.
Bakeng sa mosebetsi ka mong o entsweng, batho ba fetang 10 ba kgola molemo.
Bongata ba diporojeke bo thusa dibaka tsa mahaeng tse futsanehileng naheng eo.
Sharmiela Garnie wa LJCT o dumela hore ke nako hape ya hore basebetsi ba etse sehlabelo ka moputso wa letsatsi le le leng empa le kgwebo e lokela ho etsa ka mokgwa o tshwanang le yona kgetlong lena.
“Ho hlokehang ho hoholo”, ho rialo Sharmiela Garnie wa LJCT, “o ikutlwa o hloka thuso ka botlalo, empa wa tseba hore tjhelete e nyenyane eo o nang le yona, e entse phapang maphelong a batho ba mmalwa”.