The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) will be holding a Press Conference tomorrow 25 February 2014, starting at 12h00, at Harry Gwala House (Numsa Offices), 61-65 Voortrekker Road, Bellville, Cape Town, Western Cape province.

The purpose of the Press Conference will be to announce details of the planned mass demonstrations to coincide with the Budget Speech on Wednesday 26 February 2014, as part of our objection to the Employment Tax Incentive Bill / Youth Wage Subsidy.

Since the publication of the proposed legislation, Numsa has been against the tax incentive scheme arguing that the scheme was a false solution to the burning crisis of youth unemployment. Through the scheme, government will simply hand over billions of Rands to employers, in the form of a tax rebates, while making no dent on high levels of youth unemployment. The union consistently argued that the tax incentive scheme will lead to the following negative consequences;

a) Subsidisation of employers for taking on workers whom they would have employed anyway;

b) Displacement of older and unsubsidised workers;

c) Creation of a multi-tiered labour market where workers in the same establishment and who are doing the same job will have different wages, benefits and overall employment conditions; AND

d) Widening of inequality.

The Press Conference will be addressed by NUMSA leadership, and they will joined by a number of progressive social and youth movements leadership who are going to be part of the mass demonstration outside parliament on Wednesday 26 February 2014.

The details of the Press Conference are as follows:

Date: Tuesday 25 February 2014

Time: 12H00

Venue: 61-65 Harry Gwala House (Numsa Offices), Voortrekker Road, Bellville, Cape Town

Members of the media are hereby invited to attend and report.

Contact:

Vuyo Lufele

Regional Secretary

Numsa Western Cape

Mobile: 072 389 0408/ 078 511 3043/ 072 485 0950