LETTER: Job reservation nightmare

Hajra Omarjee’s article on the tripartite alliance’s discussion of measures to exclude foreign nationals from some markets refers (“Ramaphosa may announce job reservation in new blow for foreigners”, February 7).

Job reservation of this nature can become an absolute nightmare. First, we must understand that certain jobs need certain qualifications. More often than not we don’t have adequately qualified people to take over any of these posts. For every highly qualified foreigner we normally see jobs created for locals in that particular department. Invariably the highly qualified foreigners train locals to take over from them.

The other rather nasty point is that the backlash will be enormous xenophobia. Even if quotas are introduced, that does not mean employed foreigners will be subject to retrenchment.  The Labour Relations Act does not allow for that. However, it will give local rogue organisations licence to start picking on the foreign workers. 

Furthermore, SA is not in a growth phase. The mere introduction of quotas will not create more jobs, as businesses aren’t employing more people. The introduction of these quotas will create a false promise of more local jobs without anyone being able to deliver on these promises.

Michael Bagraim, MP
DA deputy shadow employment & labour minister

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