The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is discussing radical policies that will significantly curtail the employment of foreign nationals in the country by compelling companies to limit the employment of foreign nationals to 20% to 30%.
The emotive immigration issue is shaping up to be one of the divisive issues dominating public discourse as the governing ANC gears up for the crucial December national conference and the 2024 elections.
Cosatu’s policy position is being sponsored by one of its most influential affiliates, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which wants a new law promulgated to introduce a quota on employment of foreign nationals.
Other radical changes the union is pushing for include imposing hefty fines on companies that hire immigrants who do not have scarce skills.
“The rate of unemployment in the country is escalating in a worrisome manner and is currently sitting at 44%. Observations are also being made that most companies, especially in the tourism, retail, manufacturing, farming and transport industries, are employing mostly foreign nationals, and pay them low salaries,” a NUM-sponsored resolution reads.
This resolution on the employment of foreign nationals is one of the key policy changes that the federation wants to realise as it gears up for its 14th conference to be held at the Gallagher Estate in Midrand from September 26 to 29.
The proposal comes as tensions between locals and foreign nationals over jobs and healthcare have reached boiling point.
On Thursday, police had to use a stun grenade to separate members of the Economic Freedom Fighters and Operation Dudula, who clashed outside the Kalafong Provincial Tertiary Hospital in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, attacking one
another over differences on illegal foreign immigration.
For the past two weeks Dudula members have been camping at the hospital, blocking foreign nationals from accessing the facility. This came hot on the heels of a video that went viral in which Limpopo MEC for health Phophi Ramathuba was captured berating a suspected illegal Zimbabwean national for seeking medical treatment at a local Bela-Bela medical facility.
Ramathuba’s rant divided opinion, with some South Africans supporting her, while others said she was xenophobic.
Cosatu is also proposing that the department of labour ensure that the labour inspectorate unit is efficient enough to curb the “exploitation” of desperate Zimbabwean workers “by ruthless companies and as a consequence distorting the labour market”.
“The government should amend the law and impose heavy fines and or a term of imprisonment for employment of foreign workers that are not categorised as special/scarce skills,” the trade federation said.
In February, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi gazetted a list of categories of special skills, which are mostly in areas such as engineering, information communication technology (ICT), auditing and air traffic control, among others.
On Friday, Motsoaledi extended the visa exemptions that were granted in 2009 to Zimbabweans nationals following the unstable political and economic situation in that country. The exemption was due to expire in December.
NUM has produced leaders including President Cyril Ramaphosa, former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe and ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe.
NUM recommends that the discussion over the hiring of foreign nationals should be conducted by Cosatu through the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac).
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