Youth unemployment in South Africa is the third highest in the world, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) said on Monday.<\/p>\n
“About 71% of all unemployed people in South Africa are between the ages of 15 to 29. Most of the them are women, the majority of which have never had a job in their lives,” Numsa general secretary, Irvin Jim said.<\/p>\n
He said South Africa ranked third after Greece and Spain.<\/p>\n
“Half of the people between 15-29 are unemployed in this country.”<\/p>\n
The union would stage a protest march in seven cities on Wednesday to highlight youth unemployment and demand solutions.<\/p>\n
The union wanted the Employment Tax Incentive Act repealed and scrapped.<\/p>\n
Jim said the act stated that no incentive would be paid in respect of employees earning more than R6,000 a month.<\/p>\n
“The bulk of the qualifying employees in term of the act pay no tax as the current tax threshold is R67,111.<\/p>\n
“This means that an employer can withhold the subsidy he is entitled to from the general tax deduction,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We are opposed to the schemes where the working class is forced to subsidise capitalists.”
\nHe said the youth subsidy was an “attack” on workers.<\/p>\n
“We are fighting back the onslaught of the ANC government against the workers.”<\/p>\n
Government was able to create jobs instead of delivering youth to the door of employers to be exploited.<\/p>\n
Numsa’s protest would be joined by various civil organisations.<\/p>\n
The union expected 500,000 people to march in Johannesburg (Gauteng), KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, and Mpumalanga.<\/p>\n
SA unemployment picture improves<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Unemployment not the problem in SA \u2013 employment is<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n