A bleak Christmas lies in wait for many South Africans this year in light of the growing job losses, retrenchments, repossessions and moves to short work time, according to divisional manager of the trade union UASA, Andre Venter.

"After listening to the government, you might think it is business as usual, but we are seeing a lot of job losses and retrenchments," said Venter.

He noted, for example, that these losses were being seen at the moment in the mining, metals and engineering sectors, but that the "writing is on the wall" for other sectors too.

Venter also notes that some of their members are reporting moves to short time, for example in the vehicle sector in Durban, which was done on a no work, no pay basis and effectively shut out Fridays. Of course, this meant less take-home pay, which places major stress on workers and families.

Venter says government needs to step in with decisive plans to help alleviate the jobs threat, as the country may well also be heading for a recession despite the positive spin being put out by government.

He says UASA is calling for 11 points of action to save jobs.

They, firstly, want the central bank to cut interest rates by 200 basis points before the end of November this year.

They also want tax cuts for individual workers and companies so as to free up spending to stimulate the economy.

The other points mentioned are:

- Lengthen the UIF payment period from nine months to 15 months now as the UIF has billions in reserve funds and the declining economy means families need to survive.

- Increase maximum UIF payouts to 60 percent of final pay to ensure that people can afford the basics and pay off debts.

- Increase infrastructure projects to create jobs as well as to relieve bottlenecks in the transport infrastructure, housing, education.

- Increase company commitments to two weeks per year worked as a minimum requirement when laying off workers if absolutely necessary.

- Help South African companies keep jobs by offering to buy South African products for these infrastructure projects.

- Increase surveillance at borders to stop illegal goods coming into SA.

- Stop parastatals from retrenching or restructuring. Get parastatals to increase spending on local good and services.

- Stop the huge electricity price hikes, which will hurt employees next year again, so that families can afford electricity.

- Government subsidies to marginal mines for e.g. pumping costs.

"These action plans are practical things," concluded Venter.

UASA has 75 000 members.

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