It is not only the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) that is shrinking but trade unions throughout SA. Our economy is shrinking and employers are retrenching on a regular basis. The government has failed us in many respects but, in particular, it is not in any way supporting pro-employment policies and regulations. The minister of labour seems to have a closed mind on trying to restructure the regulatory authority to make it user-friendly. And the trade unions are creating a situation where they are trying to make it better for those who have jobs as opposed to those who are looking for work. The higher the wages, the less the employer wants to employ. Economics 101 tells us that if an employer has a budget for employment, he will inevitably halve the workforce if wages double. We saw this when a minister recklessly raised the minimum wage for farm workers and this led to almost 20% of the workforce being retrenched. Unsustainable wage demands have created a situation where busine...
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