How to betray an Industry

HOW TO BETRAY AN INDUSTRY
and a country

On 8 August 2017 many things happened. I wish to highlight only three:-

• Statistics SA published the latest unemployment statistics. It does not paint a rosy picture. In commenting thereon, the Head of Statistics SA said that ‘South Africa is in a precarious position and that we cannot solve the unemployment crisis through grants – people must work and be productive’;
• Seifsa expressed concern about retrenchments, business closures and job losses in the Steel sector; and
• ironically, also on this day, Seifsa reported to their members that they are about to reach an agreement with Numsa, not only making the already most expensive Industry even more expensive and unaffordable, but in doing so turning their backs on all the measures which we as employers, including Seifsa, had agreed to introduce to bring about the recovery of the Industry.

Seifsa, more than anybody else, is responsible for the steady demise of the Industry; its signature appears on each unaffordable, unlawful agreement. If you’re ignorant enough to believe Zuma when he claims to be concerned about corruption, then you’ll also believe Seifsa when they say that they are concerned about business closures and job losses in the Industry. Seifsa simply does not have the moral standing to even discuss this.

When someone says he is concerned about something, but his actions are the very cause of the problem, he is either:-

• dishonest;
• weak; or
• both.

Seifsa is both!

Seifsa has all the virtues I dislike and
none of the vices I admire.
(Winston Churchill – he was referring to another weakling though)