By Johnathan Paoli
The SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has expressed outrage at the government’s recent decision to end the Community Work Programme (CWP) contracts for workers 55 and older.
Saftu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said that the proposed changes would further entrench poverty and unemployment in the country, by targeting some of the most vulnerable members of South Africa’s society.
“Saftu will not sit idly by while workers are discarded like convenience tools. The working class cannot continue to bear the brunt of government indifference and neoliberal policies,” Vavi said.
He said this decision was in line with the government’s broader neoliberal agenda, which prioritised austerity and fiscal consolidation targets over the well-being of workers and the majority Black working class.
He said in light of the country’s unemployment crisis, with12.2 million or 42% of the population being unemployed, this would be disastrous for a section of society unable to find alternative employment.
“This decision effectively condemns them to years of poverty, as they are too young to access government pensions but too old to compete in a saturated job market,” Vavi said.
Saftu, along with the Municipal and Allied Trade Union of South Africa and the National Union of Public Servants and Allied Workers, demands that all workers over 55 must be reinstated immediately and all extended public works and community health workers be transitioned to permanent employment.
Additionally, the federation called for an end to discriminatory practices such as ageism and consultation in order to develop equitable and sustainable solutions.
Vavi said many of the affected workers have been in the programme since 2010 and that workers who have given years of service deserve recognition, not abandonment.
“Should the government fail to reverse this unjust decision, we will escalate our resistance through mass protests, strikes, and legal challenges,” he threatened.
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party similarly condemned the decision as both a betrayal of the people and indication of the insidious nature of the Government of National Unity.
MK spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the decision to target a group often excluded from mainstream job opportunities was particularly heartless and highlighted the GNU’s anti-worker and anti-African agenda.
“This betrayal by the African National Congress and its partners is a stark reminder of how these parties view South Africans, as expendable pawns for their political survival,” Ndhlela said.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa announced on 24 December that the contracts of the CWP participants would finish at the end the month.
Hlabisa said his department had no choice but to terminate the contracts in light of a R400 million budget cut, which has impacted its ability to sustain the programme.
He said without this decision, the department would not be able to pay stipends for February and March, and said the focus inevitably would be shifted to the youth.
“This significant budget reduction severely impacts the department’s ability to sustain the current payment of stipends, training, tools and materials, as well as personal protective clothing for over 255,000 participants,” he said.
Meanwhile the ANC said that it recognised the potential socio-economic impact of the decision for the affected workers.
Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri called for further consultation with stakeholders in order to find solutions to challenges caused by the termination.
“We urge the government to explore reskilling and upskilling opportunities for affected participants, providing them with access to alternative avenues for economic inclusion,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.
She said that despite the need for difficult decisions, the government must find alternatives for shielding the affected workers from poverty entrenchment.
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