Cosatu is concerned about the possibility of xenophobia rising, this after new draft regulations on the employment of foreign nationals was released by the Department of Labour. The new draft, which is now open for public comment, proposes changes that will potentially affect the applications of work visas, corporate visas and the submission of skills transfer plans.
A company would have to ensure that 60% of employees are South African and that the foreign nationals would have to be registered with a professional body before working in SA.
Cosatu’s Parliamentary Coordinator Matthew Parks says it is not the regulations that could cause xenophobia, but the situation on the ground not resolved urgently as there are many South Africans seeking jobs while companies lean more towards foreign nationals.
“Employers hire foreign nationals because migrant labour is cheaper, but also because they won’t complain. South Africans have labour rights or would join a union, as you say strike. A migrant employee will be very reluctant to do that because the employer can either call the police or home affairs or have them deported and this is despite the fact that the Labour Relations Act specifically says that you cannot discriminate against migrant workers even if they undocumented,” says Parks.
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