Speed up renewable energy regulations – Cosatu

THE GOVERNMENT is taking too long to solve regulatory issues in the renewable energy sector and it is time to protest, says organised labour.

Cosatu will call for mass protest action and, in an unusual move, the Regional Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry will support its right to do so.

The two organisations have called on the national government to speed up the regulatory process concerning the energy sector.

The government estimates that the green economy could create more than 460 000 jobs by 2025. Yesterday the Chamber and Cosatu said the government should speed up its work on regulatory issues, as job creation was suffering.

In September both organisations signed a memorandum of understanding at a jobs summit. The two have agreed to work together to find ways of increasing employment in the province. In the Western Cape just under 1.2 million of the five million people resident here are unemployed.

The clothing manufacturing industry, one of the backbones of the Western Cape economy, is seen as a “sunset sector” as thousands have lost their jobs over the past decade.

Cosatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich said yesterday that more needed to be done to unlock employment opportunities.

He said Cosatu wanted to find ways to grow the solar water heating and solar electricity sectors to grow and create jobs.

Cosatu regional organiser Mike Louw said they would protest to force the government’s hand to make the necessary changes in the renewable energy sector.

According to the provincial government’s sector development agency, Green Cape, three companies have already shut down since November. Another three are facing closure due to the unfavourable regulations.

Businesses in the renewable energy sector believe that unless the local content requirement is raised to at least 50 percent from the current 40 percent, the province will see more companies closing and more job losses.

Cosatu said in a press statement the protest would be three-pronged.

The first step was the press conference, the second would be a protest at Parliament to highlight the threat of job losses and the third to request a meeting with the ministers of Energy, Trade and Industry and Economic Development.