FAWU notes the coming pronouncement by the State President on decisions advanced to cap the spread of corona virus of which some of these decisions relate to the alcohol ban. It is already a fourth time without any intervention by the government to address the devastating effect in the industry. The government appears only when banning and opening alcohol as if it is tap water.
The government falsely claim to be
in consultation with all stakeholders while the industry has been adversely
affected and suffering. Our government has been silent and afraid to approach
big players in the industry to support the lowest paid workers and the informal
economy, including the government being involved in the funding as well. It is
reported that over more than 1 900 formal jobs were lost between December 2020
and March 2021 adding to over 11 million of the unemployed. This number is
expected to grow across all sectors of our economy because of the government
who only impose decisions without engaging the very same people it claims to
represent.
All the above happens while over 20
% market share is enjoyed by illicit
traders particularly in the alcohol industry, which leads to the country losing
billions per annum again without any government being directly involved to meet with the
participants in the industry and conclude on clamping down illicit traders.
FAWU has further noted that some
participants in the industry have decided to approach the courts against the
government to declare banning of alcohol as unlawful. FAWU believes that the
absence of the government in discussing mitigating factors and the implications
thereof such as retrenchments, cuts to workers benefits, salary cuts, shutting
down mostly black-owned small businesses, disadvantaging rural communities who
survive through alcohol sales, restaurants that can’t survive without selling
alcohol, means that now it will be the duty of the court to pronounce on the lawfulness
of government’s decisions.
We expect government to apply its
energy to access the larger proportion of the population to be vaccinated as a
solution, rather than offering opportunities for criminals such as illicit
traders to take over the sector.
In the coming pronouncement, we
hope that the government will not only talk of opening and/ closing but commit
to involve all stakeholders of which would provide a platform to discuss
mitigating implications in the sectors.
For more information, please
contact the General Secretary, Mayoyo Mngomezulu on 082 440 4039 or at mngomezulu.mayoyo@fawu.org.za or the Deputy General Secretary,
Vuka Chonco on 082 499 5854 or vuka.chonco@fawu.org.za
