NEDLAC EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING
30 November 1995
Nedlac's most important structure - its Executive Council -
today gathered for its fourth and last meeting of 1995. The meeting
was well-attended by Cabinet ministers and government
directors-general, and senior business, trade-union and community
leaders.
Among others, the meeting discussed two important issues
currently on the Nedlac agenda: the restructuring of state assets,
and a Nedlac document called "Discussion document on a framework
for social partnership and agreement-making in Nedlac". This
document serves as an input into the debate in Nedlac about the
core issues on which agreements should be concluded in Nedlac.
The restructuring of state assets
On 26 October, the Minister of Public Enterprises briefed a
Nedlac meeting on government's proposed guidelines and processes
underway with regard to the restructuring of state assets. The
Nedlac Management Committee had previously agreed that, after this
briefing, a task team should be established, under the auspices of
the Management Committee, to consider proposals and report to the
Management Committee.
A number of key issues and concerns were raised by the business
and labour delegations in Nedlac at this briefing. In particular,
labour called for a practical commitment by government to a
moratorium on unilateral restructuring. Labour felt that certain
key issues needed to be addressed before it could meaningfully
participate in the Nedlac task team.
Following a bilateral meeting between labour and government in
Pretoria on 22 November, the labour delegation in Nedlac today
tabled a proposal to the Executive Council which details its
response to government's viewpoints on the restructuring of state
assets.
During discussion by the Executive Council, it became clear that
labour and government are on the brink of finding an amicable
solution to this sensitive issue, and that another bilateral
between the two parties will conclude discussions on labour's
concerns.
This bilateral between labour and government will take place in
the course of next week, after internal government consultation and
feedback on labour's proposals tabled today. Good progress was made
today towards an inclusive process for the restructuring of state
assets.
The task team that will be set up will comprise all social
partners in Nedlac.
A framework for social partnership in Nedlac
The document on a framework for social partnership in Nedlac was
publicly released on 19 October. The Executive Council today
considered three recommendations arising from extensive
consultation on the contents of the document, and agreed the
following:
- That the steering committee should consider the issues raised
in the document and develop a consolidated document by the end of
January 1996. This document should be formulated in such a way that
it would facilitate agreement among the social partners on its
content, and should establish linkages with the priority issues
currently being dealt with in the four Nedlac chambers.
- Concurrent with the above should be an information-gathering
exercise to access local and international expertise for the
process, including an international study tour to not more than two
countries in early 1996.
- A bosberaad of senior constituency delegates in March,
including government and South African Reserve Bank
representatives, will be held to develop consensus proposals.
- These proposals will be presented to the Executive Council
meeting in April 1996 for agreement to be concluded.
- The position formulated by the Executive Council will be tabled
at the annual Nedlac National Summit, which will be held in May
1996.