Att: the Editor – The Cape Times
eMail: ‘ctletters@inl.co.za’

It is good news to read that enterprising small businesses are being supported.  It’s also good to hear that monies have been ring fenced for a programme to help women builders.  However, once the small businesses are in full swing they need to face labour legislation and administrative problems which are similar to the massive building companies.  The Minister of Labour ought to have a very careful look as to how to exempt small businesses from many of the provisions of the labour law.  In essence it would be very easy by a mere stroke of the pen for the Minister of Labour to empower women contractors who have businesses less than five years old employing less than a hundred people to exempt them from some of the more onerous provisions contained in the Labour Relations Act.  A true act of upliftment for the previously disadvantaged community would be to allow these businesses to hire and fire at will.  It is trite to say that most of these small businesses get bogged down in hearings at the building industry bargaining council when they should be out there earning a living and growing their businesses.

I speak regularly to business owners in the small business category, the majority being from the previously disadvantaged communities, who tell me that they are hamstrung in facing the numerous pieces of legislation including the most time consuming labour disputes.

Michael Bagraim