... and to the many who find themselves unemployed and whose situation is unlikely to change without support from government and other social formations.
Over the past three months we have been engaging in structured interaction with organised labour and business to look at concrete, short-term responses that can help us to lessen the impact of the negative economic conditions that we face, but also to find ways to strengthen our economy and position it to take full advantage of the upturn in economic activity when this comes.
As the joint statement by the social partner states, and I quote:
We need social solidarity between all South Africans to ensure that the crisis does not damage the fabric of our society. Those with greater means have a responsibility to those without such means. Our collective responsibility is to work together to withstand the crisis and ensure that the poor and most vulnerable are protected as far as possible from its impact. We must also ensure that the economy is ready to take advantage of the next upturn and that the benefits of such growth are shared by all our people.
In this regard, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, CCMA, has been working very hard in dealing with retrenchments and helping parties to find alternatives to retrenchments. Using section 189 and 189A of the Labour Relations Act, CCMA commissioners facilitated consultation between employers and workers in larger companies that were considering retrenchments due to operational reasons.
Between January and March 2009, commissioners of the CCMA were involved in approximately 124 consultation processes that saved over 4 000 jobs - saved because workers and employers were able to agree to alternatives to retrenchments. Productivity South Africa will also be instructed to expand on its social plan programme for the economic crisis and to use its 10 years' experience that saved more than 96 000 jobs in agriculture, steel and metal, and clothing and textiles. I know that they have done a sterling job and I know they can also help other sectors in distress.
Our employment services have been facing increased demands over the past few months from companies in distress and retrenched workers. Demand for counselling has increased in some areas and there has been an increased need for assistance in accessing unemployment benefits. We expect this to continue and the department's employment services will need to cope with the demand as well as provide skills development and job placement services.
Hon Papi Kganare, when we say we need to cope, we don't need Cope! [Laughter.]
The training lay-off that was referred to in the President's state of the nation address is an initiative that we are also closely involved in. Discussions are being held with the CCMA, the Setas, IDC, NSF, UIF and social partners to find ways of making available training opportunities to workers under threat of retrenchment.
The aim would be to retain the workers under a modified contract of employment, whilst they are being trained and being paid an allowance. We are also exploring the possibility of providing benefits from the credits that workers have in the UIF to those who are willing to participate. In order for this to succeed we will have to secure an agreement with trade unions and employer organisations.
In pursuit of decent work, our first priority is the need for jobs. I believe we must strive for a mutually inseparable approach of ensuring that job creation and enterprise development are viewed in an integrated manner, that the workers enjoy social protection and that standards and rights at work are respected.
There are many more hills to climb and we intend to make this new journey with greater conviction and determination.
One of those hills is the strengthening and roll-out of an employment service system to all our labour centres. Indeed, to do this we need to climb hills, and cross rivers and dongas, be it in the form of IT systems, computers, offices and additional staff members. Because as all hon members know, it is not easy to provide these IT services in our rural areas. That is why I am terming it "hills and dongas". I am a rural boy ...
... yakuQoboqobo kuZingcuka. [... from a village known as Zingcuka in Keiskammahoek.]
I believe that the people in Keiskammahoek also have a right to have access to IT, but I will start in Limpopo.
We will continue to provide information and referrals to training for unemployed persons, including equipping them with the necessary skills in various skills development learning programmes.
We have committed ourselves to registering a minimum of 6 500 work seekers on our database and to placing 50% of them; to ensuring that a minimum of 12 000 persons participate in artisan trade testing and at least 12 500 new trainee artisans register; that at least 52 000 employed and unemployed learners are supported in scarce skills programmes; at least 90 000 unemployed people participate in skills programmes; at least 2 000 young people are assisted to enter the new venture creation programme; and 63 000 successfully complete these programmes by the end of March 2010. This is indeed a hill, but it is a hill that we are committed to climbing.
Of course, we may have to transfer some of these services to the new Department of Higher Education and Training, as hon members might be aware. The new Department of Higher Education and Training is part of the government's attempt to integrate education and training and further the drive to consolidate and do more in serving our people.
We are involved in discussions that are aimed at ensuring a smooth transition to avoid possible loss of momentum and see how best we can safeguard the future of working places as learning sites. There are some legal aspects that we may bring to Parliament for hon members to assist by amending certain sections of the existing Skills Development Act. We have also concluded discussions with the Minister in The Presidency with regard to the transfer of the Umsobomvu Youth Fund to the National Youth Development Agency.
The work that flows from the transfer process of functions to the new department will not, however, interrupt some of the processes currently under way that the law requires us to comply with. These include the reconstitution of the National Skills Authority, the review of the Seta landscape and the development of the National Skills Development Strategy, amongst other things. We need to establish a task team, led by the respective departments acting directors-general, and I will keep the portfolio committee updated on these developments.
We will review our labour laws. I am keeping quiet as I was hoping the DA would clap! [Interjections.] I have never said this in any year before.