Declaration of the 5th NEDLAC Annual Summit,
(September 2000)
1. The constituencies of NEDLAC: government, business, labour
and the community, reaffirm a commitment to social dialogue and
working together.
2. The NEDLAC constituencies declare that in the coming year
social dialogue will focus on developing a common vision and
program for promoting and ensuring investment, job creation and
people centred development.
3. In so doing the NEDLAC constituencies seek over the medium to
long term to make South Africa:
3.1 The leading emerging market and destination of first choice
for investors whilst retaining and expanding social equity and fair
labour standards,
3.2 A productive economy with high levels of service, a highly
skilled workforce and modern systems of work organisation and
management,
3.3 A society in which there are economic opportunities for all,
poverty is eradicated, income equalities are reduced and basic
services are available to all,
3.4 A society in which our people, our most precious resource,
are given the opportunity and support to develop to their fullest
potential,
3.5 A society that can promote the values of social equity,
fairness and human dignity in the global economy.
4. NEDLAC has identified the following national priorities:
4.1 Promoting and mobilising investment and creating decent work
for all
4.2 Ensuring economic empowerment for all especially for Black
people, workers, people with disabilities, women and youth
4.3 Eradicating poverty and addressing the legacy of
under-development
4.4 Strategically engaging globalisation to the best advantage
of the country.
5. To address these national priorities the constituencies are
committed to forging a shared vision and set of objectives that
will inc a mutually acceptable framework for analysing the nature
of these challenges and a common program of action to address
them.
6. NEDLAC will continue to strive to manage and promote the
expanding social dialogue that is an important feature of our
democratic dispensation. This dialogue presents an opportunity for
the constituencies to develop a dynamic partnership that will
facilitate the successful and mutually beneficial socio-economic
transformation of our country.
7. The constituencies recognise the need to commit to
negotiating a common understanding of shared growth and social
equity that will provide the basis for all to benefit from the
collective effort of the constituencies.
8. Constituencies will detail what each will contribute to
meeting the objectives of shared growth and social equity
through:
8.1. Promoting and mobilising investment
8.2. Creating decent work for all and promoting economic
empowerment
8.3. Managing growth so that it is sustainable
8.4. Defining how the benefits of growth are shared.
9. This vision will enable all to commit to work towards
developing our country through the common knowledge that they have
everything to gain by playing an active role as citizens.
10. NEDLAC will continue to ensure:
10.1. The ongoing efforts of the constituencies to make the
chambers of NEDLAC key sites for interaction and detailed
negotiation on priority policy issues of the day
10.2. The monitoring of agreements reached and programs
implemented by the constituencies, in particular the Presidential
Job Summit Agreements of 1998
10.3 The participation of the constituencies in increasing
international and regional process of social dialogue.
THE WAY FORWARD
A four-a-side meeting of each of the social partners will be
held to ensure that Nedlac's work programme focuses on the
objectives identified in the declaration. In part, much of the work
of the Nedlac Chambers contributes to the attainment of these
objectives. However, some aspects may require further refinement or
re-organising with other processes in order to maximise their
impact. In some instances new areas of work will be developed to
address the identified priorities.