Durban- Government is committed to finding more and better quality jobs for South Africans said President Jacob Zuma.
Speaking at a Workers Day Rally attended by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) in Durban on Saturday, Zuma said decent work will help in the fight against poverty and inequality in society.
"We will continue to strengthen the manufacturing, mining and other vulnerable sectors and tide them through the period of the global economic crisis.
"This will enable us to save and grow jobs in the clothing and textile sector, strengthen the automobile and components sector and expand the food industry and other sectors," he said.
He added that government was also committed to creating a large number of green jobs, especially in industries and facilities that are designed to mitigate the effects of climate change.
"Through a massive public investment programme for growth and employment creation, government has already embarked on expanding infrastructure," he added.
Both the SACP and Cosatu highlighted the need for skills development and training.
"The focus has to be on the work place. We must be at the forefront of the fight for skills development and training. We can't have decent work if it is not accompanied by skills development," said SACP General-Secretary Blade Nzimande.
Zuma reiterated that there was a renewed focus on higher education and training to ensure that skills development and equity was promoted in the work place.
He added that government was also working on ensuring that provisions are introduced to facilitate the unionization of workers and the conclusion of sectoral collective agreements to cover vulnerable workers.
He said: "Government is also implementing policies that create an environment for more labour-intensive production methods and procurement policies that support local jobs and building public-private partnerships."
