TRADE UNIONS in this country have criticized the government for failing to solve the problem of foreigners in the country illegally.
In a press conference at the National Economic Development and Labor Council (NEDLAC), the unions Cosatu, Fedusa, Saftu and Nactu said the problems facing the country were not caused by immigrants.
They said that they can hear the complaints of people complaining about the influx of immigrants in the country, but the existing problems are not caused by them.
“Foreigners should not be made scapegoats for problems that the government has failed to fix. Kicking them out of companies will not make the government open factories, fix infrastructure in municipalities, create job opportunities or fix the sluggish economy. We are worried about the marches that appear to be in line with political agenda,” said the unions in a statement.
They deny that the people of this country have hatred towards foreigners.
“Efforts to create division between people and workers must be dismissed. We do not agree with cases of taking the law into one’s own hands when there are law enforcement agencies that must do this work. No one has the right to stop someone on the street and ask for documents, this is the work of the law. No one has the right to close businesses that deny people entry.”
They said that in 2008, the same thing happened and the immigrants were attacked.
“We do not agree with the employment of people who have left the country. Employers hire them to exploit them by paying them peanuts. These employers are creating division among the workers and they need to be investigated, and strict measures should be taken for doing something that is against the law.”
They said rampant corruption in the Ministry of Home Affairs, border leaks and disrespect for the law are some of the things that anger people.
“We support the efforts to strengthen borders and bring back those who have defected. The government should fix the situation by dealing with the issue of unemployment, hunger and the economy. African countries must also fix similar things so that their people do not migrate to this country.”
The unions have called on their counterparts in the African continent to investigate the corruption in the governments of these countries so that their people do not migrate to this country in search of job opportunities.
“We want to warn the workers who will strike at home and not go to work on June 30, that they will not be protected under the law because this strike is not legally protected. We urge them to go to work on this day so that they are not at risk of being taken action by the employers,” the unions emphasized.
June 30, a controversial day in this country as a deadline for the marchers, must strike when there are no more people from other countries who have left.