SA’s labour federations admit they have failed workers by not uniting to confront socioeconomic challenges that have relegated many members into unemployment queues and abject poverty.
Speaking at the National Economic and Labour Council’s (Nedlac’s) annual labour school in Pretoria this week, deputy president Paul Mashatile said the meeting was taking place as the world faced multiple crises “characterised by inequality, high levels of unemployment, climate change, wars, migration, urbanisation, and the growing youth dividend”.
The event, attended by leaders of Cosatu, Fedusa, Nactu and Saftu, effectively is a planning session for the year ahead.
Mashatile urged organised labour to provide innovative solutions on how best to strengthen the economy, build social cohesion and improve governance systems, placing the needs of workers at the forefront.
“While there are changes in our economic patterns, we must admit that the pace of our economic growth and development is protracted and not at its optimum levels,” he said.
“While the country is trying its best to promote economic growth through the promotion of investments and infrastructure development programmes, these efforts have not yet yielded satisfactory results.”
Mashatile notes that mooted closures and scaling down of production in the steel industry and some of the companies in the mining sector have resulted in huge job losses.
Troubled steel producer ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) earlier this month said it would close its long steel operations operations in Newcastle and Vereeniging, affecting at least 3,500 jobs and as many as 16,000.
“Through our collective efforts, we have managed to develop collectively agreed sector plans. However, all stakeholders of Nedlac must bear the responsibility of facilitating the speedy execution of these plans for them to live up to our expected outcomes,” Mashatile said.
“The labour movement is and has always been more than just a defender of workers’ rights, but also a pivotal driver of SA’s economic progress. By advocating for better working conditions, the movement inherently promotes increased productivity and, ultimately, GDP growth. Collaborative efforts between unions and employers have fostered a culture of innovation, resilience, and shared prosperity.”
However, National Council of Trade Unions (Nactu) president Pat Mphela, said workers have “lost hope in organised labour".
“Nactu believes we have failed the workers and communities ... We need to urgently address that and we propose a two-phase approach which is short-term and long-term.”
The short-term phase entailed organised labour working together to address socioeconomic crises in the country and “return all non-specialised work in retail which is occupied by undocumented and document foreigners”.
The long-term planned involved investing in the country’s health and education systems and in infrastructure programmes.
Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi said Nedlac partners need to develop a comprehensive plan to address the socioeconomic challenges that “our members and communities face. We need to come with concrete actions and not simply to lament”.
“Those challenges are numerous and daunting. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality continue to plague our society. The lack of access to quality education, health care, and other essential services exacerbates these problems,” Losi said.
“The continuing cost of living crisis places even further strain on workers who are already battling to make ends meet. We need to acknowledge that these are not just economic issues but also social and moral ones. We have a responsibility to act, and we must do so with urgency and purpose.”
State-owned enterprises (SOEs) including Eskom, Transnet, Metro Rail, the SA Post Office, and Denel are facing significant challenges. “We need to work together to develop solutions that will ensure their sustainability and effectiveness. This includes addressing issues of governance, management, and funding. We cannot afford to allow these critical institutions to fail,” Losi said.
“The difficulties facing these SOEs in many instances are dire. If we do not ensure concrete interventions and turnaround plans are put in place and implemented, then we should not be surprised when they later collapse and are privatised. We need to insert ourselves into the current debates and programmes being driven by government and business — which are restructuring the economy without labour’s participation.”
Local government also needed organised labour’s attention as the lack of effective governance, corruption, and mismanagement have led to the collapse of many municipalities, Losi added. There was a need to develop solutions that will ensure the effective delivery of services to communities, she said.
Fedusa general secretary Riefdah Ajam said government policy on SOEs was increasingly leaning towards privatisation, “framed as a solution to inefficiency and financial mismanagement”.
“However, as labour, we know all too well the consequences of such measures. History has shown that privatisation leads to job losses, reduced public access to essential services, and deteriorating working conditions.”
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