Business leaders say it’s counter-intuitive to protest joblessness by forcing workers not to work.
South African businesses have raised concerns regarding the national shutdown scheduled for next Monday, 20 March, saying the cessation of business activity will do far more harm than good.
Although the organisations involved in the protests have not given the exact locations that the demonstrations will target, they have warned businesses and companies nationwide to shut down for the day. “The impact will be felt in terms of lost time that would normally be used for productive efforts. In other words, contribution towards GDP. And then if there is any violence or damage to infrastructure, this would be an additional cost on top of the lost productivity time,” Blackmore said.
It said that the right to protest is enshrined in the constitution, but it cannot infringe on the rights of others. He added that the organisation received no indication from its members that they would close on Monday. However, some may take extra precautions – such as having additional security. Dr Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive of Solidarity, said that employers have a contractual duty to provide work and cannot send employees on compulsory leave or close their businesses without paying their staff.
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