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28 Feb 2012

The Department of Labour’s (DoL) Public Employment Services (PES) in partnership with the City of Ekurhuleni held a Breakfast session with organised labour and business at the Southern Sun Hotel in Ekurhuleni today (28 February).

The Breakfast Session came about as an effort to alleviate poverty and to reduce unemployment as well as strengthening relations between business, Labour and government. The aim of the session was to unite all involved to fight the common enemy being unemployment and poverty.

“The City of Ekurhuleni has a population of R2.9 million and at present unemployment rate stands at 27% which is way too much. This is a worrying factor and it is critical that all stakeholders join hands to fight unemployment and reduce poverty in the city,” said Bennet Nikani the City of Ekurhuleni Municipal’s Councillor.

DoL’s Provincial Chief Director Kenny Fick said, “The Department of Labour is very much involved in contributing towards the big task of facilitating the entry of the unemployed into the world of work as well as alleviating poverty. These tasks are not only limited to the Department of Labour, but are in fact government’s priority”.

Fick said that the department has already saved companies that were in distress and wanted to retrench more than 17 000 people due to economic low-down.

He told the gathering that in 2010 the Department of Labour through Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) made an investment of R2 billion for use towards job creation projects.

“Just over R1 billion of these investments has so far been utilised towards job creation projects and it is expected that the remainder of the money will be allocated during 2012,” Fick continued.

“A few weeks ago, UIF made a second low interest investment of R2 billion to ensure that these projects continue. It is also very pleasing to report that the Compensation Fund will also be making similar investments to assist workers who became disabled as a result of workplace accidents to re-enter the labour market,” Fick concluded.

The breakfast session marks the beginning of a series of partnerships between the department of labour and other departments, Provincial and Local Governments as well as organised labour in working together by developing and implementing programmes to create employment and reduce poverty.

Government has put more emphasis in economic growth and development as well as job creation through projects particularly in the city of Ekurhuleni. While many of these projects are driven by government, it will not succeed without the full cooperation and involvement of the private sector.

These economic growth and job creation projects include huge infrastructure development programmes in the energy, transport and water sectors. It is also envisaged that this projects will greatly enhance the ability of business to improve productivity and utilise their own capital investments more efficiently to improve the success of their businesses.

Enquiries:
Sekhothali Lerotholi
Tel: 011 853 0500
Cell: 083 678 7558
E-mail: Sekhothali.lerotholi@labour.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Labour
28 Feb 2012

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