Johannesburg - A more flexible labour regime is needed to deal with unemployment, inequality and poverty, the African National Congress Youth League said on Sunday.
“This calls for the ANC government to manage the status quo without seeking to fundamentally alter the structure of the economy,” the ANCYL said in a statement.
“Monopoly capital continues exerting pressure for greater labour market flexibility.”
The League said the government had failed to hold big businesses and the private sector to the commitment of creating jobs.
The ANCYL was responding to the results of the Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2012, published by Stats SA. According to the research, unemployment in the country had increased from 23.9 percent to 25 percent.
The ANCYL said the outcomes were alarming, but it was more concerned about the government's response to the issue of unemployed and unemployable youth.
The League was still waiting for the government and the public sector to respond to its demands communicated during its economic freedom march in October last year.
“For us, this demonstrates a lack of commitment and clear will to deal decisively with redress and the plight of youth,” it said.
The ANCYL said it would continue to reject the proposal for a youth wage subsidy.
“The youth wage subsidy is not intended to serve the interests of young people but instead the interest of capital as a tax incentive.
“Implementing the youth wage subsidy further has the potential to deepen the crisis whereby older, unskilled people are rejected in favour of youth,” it said.
It was necessary to explore alternatives for the challenges facing the employment in the country. This included the recognition of experiential learning.
“We will seek consensus with organised labour to oppose the implementation of interventions that will reverse the gains of the working class,” the ANCYL said. - Sapa