Deregulate small business to stimulate growth and employment

As Labour spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance (DA) and a sitting spokesperson for employment and labour on the government portfolio committee as a member of the Government of National Unity, I have spent 11 years in government looking at ways and means of tackling the unemployment crisis and studying onerous labour laws and regulations.

I have come up with suggestions, ideas, and possible solutions to at least turn around the employment situation in various sectors of our economy.

Unlike the solutions proposed by the African National Congress (ANC), Economic Freedom Fighters, and uMkhonto weSizwe, I believe, in line with the DA’s policy, that we need to deregulate the employment arena to the extent that we encourage and help the small business sector increase employment without costing government anything at all.

One of the most effective solutions has been the uncoupling of small businesses, defined as anyone employing less than 100 people, from bargaining councils. This has been proposed by others, and by a previous minister of labour, Tito Mboweni.

At the time when Mboweni was labour minister, I engaged with him regularly to explore the ways and means of possibly convincing the tripartite alliance made up of the ANC, Congress of South African Trade Unions, and the Communist Party.

I have spent much of my time in the portfolio committee outlining how certain regulations in various industries have hampered the need to grow employment.

Finally, I have spent a lot of time engaging with the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) and in particular, the business community within Nedlac as to how to restructure our employment laws to encourage easier means for employment.

These means and structures have now found their way into the latest agreements that have found favour between the negotiating parties at Nedlac. These proposals have been published, and are about to be debated in the labour portfolio.

The beauty of the deregulation is that it costs the fiscus nothing, and it can be implemented on an urgent basis.

Greater employment means less crime, less hunger, and more money for the fiscus.

• Michael Bagraim is a member of Parliament and spokesperson for employment and labour.