Cape Town - White people are alienated from the public service due to
the government's policy of absolute representation on the basis of race,
said the trade union Solidarity.

This hampers the appointment and promotion possibilities for whites in the public service.

The
Union's comments follows Nkosinathi Nhleko, the director general of the
Department of Labour, call on young white people to pursue a career in
the public service.

According to Dirk Groenewald, Head of
Solidarity's Department of Labour Court Law, this invitation shows that
the government's stance on affirmative action differs from day to day.

"The
trade union's more than 25 affirmative action cases against
institutions such as the South African Police Service and the Department
of Corrective Services show that the government's invitation to white
youth to work in the Public Service contradicts what happens at state
and semi-state institutions in practice," he said.

The
government's previous statements on affirmative action have already
alienated white people and offer a strong contrast with Nhleko's
statements, said Groenewald. "The state has lost its credibility as an
employer where a white person can build a career," he said.

Groenewald
said that if the government wants to draw young white people to the
Public Service, they will have to do more than merely extend an
invitation. "The government should rather start revising its irrational
affirmative action goals as well as its application."

http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Whites-not-truly-welcome-20120713