Mr Speaker, it is clear that labour unrest is a major cause of the breakdown in investor confidence in our economy and our poor GDP growth performance, which collapsed to 0,9% last month.
Because of lost productivity and continuing unrest, companies have been forced to shed thousands and thousands of jobs. Yesterday economists at Japan's Nomura Bank warned that up to 145 000 jobs and 60% of South Africa's platinum output could be at risk in the coming years amid labour unrest in the sector.
Our country needs decisive leadership at this time of economic hardship. We are in desperate need of policy stability and immediate reform in order to stimulate growth. Democratising the labour relations framework and, in particular, the requirement of balloting before a strike could go a long way towards solving the underlying causes of the labour crisis.
Mr Speaker, is the hon President aware that his own party in Parliament is working against his government's efforts to help resolve the labour crisis by rejecting the Department of Labour's proposal to conduct a ballot among workers before a strike? Does the hon President support the principle of the workers' right to take part in a ballot before a strike? Thank you.