COSATU PRESS CONFERENCE 25 OCT. 1995
COSATU Central Executive Committee held a strategy workshop on the 23 - 24 Oct. 1995 to deal with critical issues relating to the political, social and economic transformation of our country.
The workshop took place against the background of continued job losses, very little prospect of finding jobs by the unemployed, lack of social security for the working class and the need to consolidate democracy in our country.
Various inputs were made in the workshop. The workshop focused among others issues:
- The government's viewpoint and approach to transformation - The same opportunity was granted to business. This was to ensure a greater understanding of the agenda and approach on issues being debated inside and outside of Nedlac. - International experience on social partnership, the sort of issues often discussed and its impact on society and the labour movement. - Deepening democracy in the movement and in the country as a whole and how we as workers can ensure effective delivery of the RDP. - Assessment of Nedlac. - Key challenges facing the country in general and labour in particular.
During the discussions and debate the following key themes emerged:
1. Transformation
We are convinced that if we are to succeed in the transformation process, we have to tackle issues of hunger, poverty, joblessness and homelessness. While these are important they do not not undermine the need for delivery on other issues. In this regard, the agenda for transformation must embrace jobs, growth and redistribution of resources and services. This will bring about real transformation rather than tinkering at the edges of the inherited system.
2. Political
The present dispensation that came through struggle by the working class needs defending and consolidation. We agree to engage in processes of deepening democracy through ensuring effective participation in decision making and broad policy formulations by masses. In the same way that we expect the government in particular the ANC to be accountable, the same should apply to all parties and social movements.
One of the ways in which we hope to engage our people is together with the alliance, bring on board the entire spectrum of the mass democratic movement on board our agenda through campaigns such as Masakhane, exposing the DP, IFP, NATS and PAC agenda to block change in Education Delivery etc.
The same would apply to the constitution making process. There is a range of forces who are opposed to the narrow view held by the DP and NATS on socio-economic rights. For the DP and the NATS what is important is to entrench white ownership and control of the means of production, while blocking access by those who in the past were denied access to basic need and resources. These we can not allow.
Economic
While business shout about the need for investment, what they are putting into the economy is a drop in the ocean. They are not investing in the new jobs, but in machines and the JSE. They are not building new factories, but putting profits in speculative investments. We are also opposed dogmatic adherence to trade liberalisation where we are moving years ahead of the GATT agreed years. The result is not liberalisation, but closure of factories and retrenchments. We are not calling for a pull out from the GATT arrangement but for a negotiated approach which will safeguard jobs and thereby bring about social stability.
While the government has indicated the need for consensus on restructuring of state assets, some Boards and Management of parastatals are in hurry to sell off the family silver. This they do under the pretext of enhancing efficiency, out sourcing, delivery etc. In the end what they hope to achieve is to present us with a fait compli. This we reject in toto.
Public Sector Restructuring
We remain convinced that the public sector must be restructured to reflect the South African Community in terms of gender, race and must accommodate sections of societies that were previously marginalised by the apartheid government.
Rationalisation of the Public Service
Rationalisation of the public Service must happen must take into account the auditing process of the public service and the integration of the homeland administration.
The CEC is concerned that the integration of former homeland government is not complete in fact only one has been integrated. And while this is the case the rationalisation process has begun and the audits not done. This will constrain the public service and result in a restructured but inefficient public service. The minister of public service must correct this. This in fact is indicative of the deviation by government from the principle of no unilateral restructuring.
Rationalisation through Attrition
The calculated 8% exodus in a yearly basis in the civil service is cause for concern. These positions remain unfilled. While it may create space for restructuring in the short term, in the long run it creates a serious crisis because key and strategic post may be left vacant at the time when they are needed most (e.g. the police).
Priority Areas
We are of the view that all stakeholders challenges and choices facing us.
To this end, we intend to table in Nedlac a new approach to how we negotiate key areas. From our side we believe that the key priority areas are:
JOBS FOR ALL
COSATU welcomes the fact that our economy is growing at a rate of 3%. But this is not sufficient to redress unemployment anc create more jobs for the unemployed. The economic growth is dependent among other things on job creation focusing on the development of the bulk infrastructure, e.g. housing, creation of clinics, schools and roads. If money has to be borrowed for this purpose concern should not be on the size of the foreign debt but rather on whether or not we are able to pay back. The 8% threshold set by the IMF should not necessarily be the determinant of how much you borrow or not.
The bosses must invest in job