Share

Protests highlight youth employment

Johannesburg - Recent global economic protests underline why youth employment should be a primary development goal, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant said on Tuesday.

"We forewarn that recovery cannot be sufficient until there is employment recovery," she said in notes prepared for delivery in Johannesburg.

"Financial and social stability must come together... otherwise not only the global economy, but also social cohesion will be at risk."

Oliphant was talking at the 12th International Labour Organisation Africa's regional conference.

She said most of South Africa's unemployed were between the ages of 15 and 34.

"Supporting this position, our own national planning commission diagnostic report argues that if a young person does not get a job by the age 24, they are unlikely to get a job," she said.

"Even though a recovery seems under way, it remains uneven and fragile and not likely to absorb the multitudes of the unemployed in the short term."

She said 400 million new jobs were needed between now and 2020 in order to absorb newcomers to the global job market.

"This renders vulnerable populations, and particularly young men and women, highly exposed to social inequalities and poverty."

She said progress had been made with respect to domestic workers in the country.

"It was important that we bring them (domestic workers) to the mainstream and through this standard, we have ensured that domestic workers around the world must have the same basic labour rights as those available to other workers."

The rights included a weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours.

They should also be given clear information on terms and conditions of employment.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.02
-0.6%
Rand - Pound
24.01
-0.5%
Rand - Euro
20.52
-0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.35
+0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.6%
Platinum
900.40
+0.4%
Palladium
998.40
-0.3%
Gold
2,211.77
+0.8%
Silver
24.64
-0.0%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,114
+0.6%
All Share
74,310
+0.5%
Resource 10
56,946
+2.3%
Industrial 25
103,653
+0.4%
Financial 15
16,467
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders