IMPLEMENTING THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT AGREEMENTS

Nedlac´s Management Committee has agreed on a framework to guide the way in which constituencies report progress in implementing the Growth and Development Summit agreements. Monthly reports will be drawn up showing those areas where there has been progress, but a more comprehensive report will be tabled quarterly at Nedlac´s Executive Council meetings.

Already there has been progress reported on some of the agreements.

For example, there was an agreement that the constituencies would mount a joint campaign to increase public awareness before the submission of Employment Equity Plans in October.

This was done, with the result that the submission of Employment Equity Plans has increased significantly.

On learnerships, the agreement also commits constituencies to a joint marketing campaign on learnerships.

This includes a jointly signed letter to be sent to all employers on the SARS database, to promote business taking on learners. The letter has been prepared, and is in the process of being sent out.

Some issues were already on the table, but have received renewed impetus from being part of the GDSagreements. The Management Committee noted that a joint committee between the Development and Trade and Industry Chambers is in the process of drafting a report on the Co-operatives Develop-ment Policy and Bill. Support for co-operatives is an important element of the GDS agreement.

The agreement to hold Sector Summits was contained in the Presidential Jobs Summit agreement in 1998, and Nedlac has already hosted several. The resolve to strengthen the sector-based approach was confirmed in the GDS, and Nedlac will continue to co-ordinate the sector summits as they come on board. The Management Committee noted that processes arecurrently underway for summits in the Metals and Engineering, Construction and Chemicals sectors, with possible summits in the services and agriculture and agroprocessing sectors. A post-summit process in the Information and Communication Sector is continuing.

The Management Committee noted also that various Provinces, including the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State, are now holding provincial Growth and Development Summits, and that it would be important to ensure that there is liaison between Nedlac and these processes.

Under the GDS Agreement, constituencies committed to strengthening their representation on SETA boards. In view of this commitment, Business tabled a request at the Management Committee meeting that Government look into the issue of personal indemnity for representatives on statutory bodies in terms of liabilities that the Public Finance Management Act places on such board members.

Government undertook to report back on the issue.

On the issue of communication, Cosatu reported that it had distributed the agreement to all delegates at the recent Congress, while Government had distributed it at its Skills Development Summit. A communications task team has been set up to further discuss how the information about what is being achieved, and the impact that it is having, can be disseminated as widely as possible.

Christmas campaign

The GDS agreement commits the constituencies to mounting an extensive campaign over the 2003 Christmas period to encourage consumers to buy local. The Management Committee noted that Proudly South African had tabled a proposal for the roll-out of this campaign, and that certain constituencies had already begun to direct their activities towards it. For example, SACTWU 's Cape Town Fashion Festival from 1-7 December would encourage consumers to buy local for Christmas.