Wage versus machines

Parliament’s portfolio committee on labour is taking submissions on the National Minimum Wage Bill, many of which have been interesting.

Most of the institutions that have commented have put an enormous amount of time and effort into their submissions. Most were also destructive to the proposed national minimum wage, indicating that the economy would shed jobs almost immediately upon its introduction.

For instance, Forestry SA said if the wage was too high it would make sense financially for its members to mechanise completely, which could mean an end to employment in an industry that now employs thousands of blue-collar workers.

We need to protect jobs; every industry should be urged to expand job-creation efforts. Many could easily mechanise or computerise and do away with a number of posts. The minimum wage issue is making the business community aware of the alternatives that exist, which could lead us more quickly into the fourth industrial revolution.

Michael Bagraim, MP

DA labour spokesman