The unemployed are “organised as never before” and are mobilising‚ spurred on by SA’s stubbornly high jobless rate of 25% – among the highest in the world.The dire employment situation has given rise to lobbying by the unemployed‚ whose effect is yet to be felt where it matters most – influencing government policy to ameliorate joblessness.
Plaatjie Mashego‚ director of the Unemployment Secretariat – which unites a number of lobby groups – says the unemployed are “organised as never before” but still fail to receive media attention or concerted national focus.
The Unemployment Secretariat was established in 2010 to co-ordinate groups including the Unemployed Peoples’ Movement‚ the Malamulele social movement of the unemployed and the Unemployed Peoples’ Party.
However‚ the lobby groups’ main action to date appears to have been an appeal to the United Nations to implement a “day for the unemployed”.
But this failed to elicit a response‚ says Mashego.
Mashego himself has a job as a consultant advising small business on employment. He also participates in steering committees including Unite Against Corruption‚ the lobby group spearheaded by former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
He says he has been working with the unemployed since 2000‚ with concerted efforts to get such groups off the ground‚ having started in 1996.
But the terrain is rocky and he has faced difficulty keeping the secretariat going since 2010.
While all political parties profess to speak to the interests of the unemployed‚ Mashego is dismissive.
The secretariat is looking to work with anyone who will make a difference‚ he says.
Political analyst Steven Friedman says the difficulty for the unemployed is that they have no bargaining power‚ unlike workers‚ who could withdraw their labour.
This is similar to the experience of other social movements‚ which require numbers and structure to be taken seriously‚ especially by political parties.
“It is a difficult thing to sustain … but not impossible. There is an Unemployed Women’s Union in India that has been successful‚” says Friedman.
In SA‚ the unemployed’s lobby has run campaigns for the creation of a ministry of the unemployed – or at least a formal structure to coordinate between departments on jobs creation‚ says Mashego.
Ideally‚ the group would like those without jobs to give input on policies‚ rather than the views of organised labour‚ which is seen as representing the interests of both workers and the unemployed.
Mashego received brief media attention in 2007 when an affiliate‚ the Malamulele social movement of the unemployed‚ claimed responsibility for a series of ATM bombings.
The move was a bid to bring attention to issues of the unemployed including how lack of job opportunities was fuelling crime.
Political economy analyst Zamikhaya Maseti said unemployment was likely to gain prominence on the political radar in SA in the coming months – as in 2009 – as it was expected that fourth-quarter growth rates would see SA formally in recession. — BDLive
Lobby groups waging war on unemployment
The dire employment situation has given rise to lobbying by the unemployed‚ whose effect is yet to be felt where it matters most – influencing government policy to ameliorate joblessness.
Plaatjie Mashego‚ director of the Unemployment Secretariat – which unites a number of lobby groups – says the unemployed are “organised as never before” but still fail to receive media attention or concerted national focus.
The Unemployment Secretariat was established in 2010 to co-ordinate groups including the Unemployed Peoples’ Movement‚ the Malamulele social movement of the unemployed and the Unemployed Peoples’ Party.
However‚ the lobby groups’ main action to date appears to have been an appeal to the United Nations to implement a “day for the unemployed”.
But this failed to elicit a response‚ says Mashego.
Mashego himself has a job as a consultant advising small business on employment. He also participates in steering committees including Unite Against Corruption‚ the lobby group spearheaded by former Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
He says he has been working with the unemployed since 2000‚ with concerted efforts to get such groups off the ground‚ having started in 1996.
But the terrain is rocky and he has faced difficulty keeping the secretariat going since 2010.
While all political parties profess to speak to the interests of the unemployed‚ Mashego is dismissive.
The secretariat is looking to work with anyone who will make a difference‚ he says.
Political analyst Steven Friedman says the difficulty for the unemployed is that they have no bargaining power‚ unlike workers‚ who could withdraw their labour.
This is similar to the experience of other social movements‚ which require numbers and structure to be taken seriously‚ especially by political parties.
“It is a difficult thing to sustain … but not impossible. There is an Unemployed Women’s Union in India that has been successful‚” says Friedman.
In SA‚ the unemployed’s lobby has run campaigns for the creation of a ministry of the unemployed – or at least a formal structure to coordinate between departments on jobs creation‚ says Mashego.
Ideally‚ the group would like those without jobs to give input on policies‚ rather than the views of organised labour‚ which is seen as representing the interests of both workers and the unemployed.
Mashego received brief media attention in 2007 when an affiliate‚ the Malamulele social movement of the unemployed‚ claimed responsibility for a series of ATM bombings.
The move was a bid to bring attention to issues of the unemployed including how lack of job opportunities was fuelling crime.
Political economy analyst Zamikhaya Maseti said unemployment was likely to gain prominence on the political radar in SA in the coming months – as in 2009 – as it was expected that fourth-quarter growth rates would see SA formally in recession. — BDLive
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