Ramaphosa's job creation target 'a drop in the ocean'

Ramaphosa's job creation target 'a drop in the ocean'

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) says it's concerned about the number of job opportunities the reconstruction and recovery plan aims to create.

unemployed graduates

President Cyril Ramaphosa shared the interventions in Parliament on Thursday afternoon, saying jobs were at the centre of the plan.


The president says the plan aims to achieve 800 000 job opportunities in the immediate term. 


Cosatu’s KwaZulu-Natal secretary Edwin Mkhize says this is not enough. 


"Currently people who are unemployed in our country are between 12 and 14 million, so if you create 800 00 jobs, it means it's a drop in the ocean. 


"We are happy that there is a commitment towards the creation of jobs, but we are really not happy with the target as Cosatu.”


General-secretary for the Federation of Unions of South Africa Riefdah Ajam says they also remain concerned about the 800 000 job opportunities.


"Job opportunities do not necessarily translate into permanent jobs even though there were 60 000 jobs that were anticipated from creation, so we want the recovery plan to move with absolute earnest considering that two million jobs were lost as a result of the pandemic." 


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