NEDLAC appears to have shelved the proposed amendments to the labour laws and is determining various ‘themes’ in the field of employment and industrial relations.   Here are some suggested themes or issues that need to be addressed in confronting the nine challenges identified by the National Planning Commission (NPC).

  • Risk management and prerogatives.
  • Myth of the ‘wage gap’.
  • Recognition of ‘exchange of values’ between employers and employees.
  • Measurement of income differentials.
  • Productivity bargaining.

Anton Eberhard, a professor at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business and one of 26 members of the N P C, has highlighted the nine challenges faced by the country in his article on National Planning that appeared in Business Day today .   The NPC’s diagnostic overview is available at www.npconline.co.za

Here are some extracts and a list of the nine challenges and it is recommended that the full article be viewed or downloaded by clicking on National Planning.

“Too few South Africans are employed and our educational outcomes are extremely poor.   These are the core challenges in fighting poverty and inequality highlighted by the National Planning Commission (NPC) in its recently published diagnostic report”.

“The NPC thus has a longer time perspective than the day-to-day business of the government.   We are also independent and have been tasked with holding up the mirror to SA so that we confront the underlying causes and seriousness of our economic, social and environmental challenges as a basis for crafting a realistic and sustainable long-term development path”.

“While the commission acknowledges what has been achieved in the past 17 years, the diagnostic overview report, and the more detailed chapters on our website, are frank and direct in describing our condition.   What we see in the mirror is not always attractive; it may not be unfamiliar, but hopefully the image we present is sharper and clearer and will be a spur to action”.

“The commission distilled its diagnosis down to nine main challenges”.

  • #1        SA’s extremely high unemployment and low economic participation contribute to widespread poverty.
  • #2        Numeracy and literacy scores are extremely low compared with most other countries, not only among pupils but, shockingly, also teachers.
  • #3        Inadequate and inefficient infrastructure limits social inclusion and faster economic growth.
  • #4        The spatial legacy of apartheid continues to weigh on the entire country.
  • #5        SA’s growth path is highly resource-intensive and could be unsustainable.
  • #6        The ailing public health system confronts a massive disease burden.
  • #7        The performance of the public service is uneven.
  • #8        Corruption undermines state legitimacy and service delivery.
  • #9        SA remains a divided society in which race, gender, education, skills and income levels define opportunity and world views.

“This is our diagnosis.   It is not new.   But hopefully, in its totality, it is starkly clear.   The focus on our challenges does not negate the great progress we have already made as a country.   In public engagements over the next few months, we look forward to hearing the views of South Africans so we can sharpen the analysis of our key challenges and begin the process of developing a long-term and sustainable development plan”.