‘Nationalise steel industry’

[caption id="attachment_100675" align="alignright" width="125"] Andrew Chirwa[/caption]

State needs to step in to save jobs, says Numsa leader

FOR South Africa to save the steel industry from total collapse, the government must nationalise it to keep at least 200 000 workers employed, Numsa president Andrew Chirwa said yesterday.

He also laid the blame for job losses in the industry at the government’s door, saying under the ANC the state had failed to protect key sectors as the apartheid regime had done.

In an interview yesterday following the union’s Ford Indaba in Pretoria at the weekend, Chirwa said they had resolved to continue fighting for the nationalisation of the steel sector.

“If we are to protect the steel industry, the government has to nationalise it because the collapse of the industry will lead to the loss of 200 000 jobs,” he said.

“The industry, even though it might not use the word nationalisation, agrees that the government must protect the industry.

“We are forging ahead to fight for nationalisation.” Government had destroyed the textile industry which thrived under apartheid, Chirwa said.

“Our economy still needs to be protected but the government rushed to please the whole world . . .” he said.

“Even the apartheid government did better then the ANC government in protecting key and strategic industries. It protected the textile industry.

“What did the ANC government do? It collapsed the textile industry. Until the government changes its direction, it will cost us all. It will cost the future generations.”

-Mkhululi Ndamase