NEDLAC MOVES FORWARD ON SOCIAL PARTNERSHIP
18 July 1995
In addition to the detailed report on the draft Labour Relations
Bill provided to the media at yesterday's briefing, the following
key matters were dealt with by the third meeting of the Executive
Council on 17 July 1995:
1. Nedlac strategy workshop
The Executive Council decided to hold a two-day workshop of
senior constituency leaders to develop a comprehensive strategy for
Nedlac, which would promote agreements to trigger growth and equity
in the South African economy, and which would, in addition, draw on
the resources of the social partners in Nedlac to achieve this.
Inputs from each constituency will be developed, and these will
form the basis for the workshop.
2. The chambers' work programmes
2.1. Public Finance and Monetary Policy Chamber
2.1.1. The Budget
A process has been endorsed which will enable the social
partners in Nedlac to contribute to the formulation of the Budget.
The Nedlac deliberations are aimed at reaching consensus on, for
example, the approach to and framework of drafting the Budget.
2.1.2. Reorganisation of state assets
Negotiation on this item will commence with Government tabling a
document at the next Nedlac Management Committee meeting on 1
August 1995.
2.1.3. Other matters already resolved
This chamber has also considered the draft bill on tax amnesty,
and has facilitated nominations from business and labour to the
Committee of Investigation Into Civil Pension Arrangements, which
is being established by the Minister of Finance.
2.2. Development Chamber
This chamber, which began its work later than the other
chambers, yesterday had its work programme endorsed by the
Executive Council. 2.2.1. Task groups
The chamber has established four task groups to look at:
- Social development issues.
- Development at local-government level.
- Capacity building and organisational development.
- Infrastructure development.
The Executive Council agreed that two of the immediate
priorities of the chamber should be the reconstruction and
development programme's municipal infrastructure programme, and the
Masakhane Campaign.
2.3. Trade and Industry Chamber
The proposal for the establishment of a national
investment-promotion agency was referred to Nedlac's Management
Committee meeting on 1 August for finalisation.
3. Community delegations to Nedlac
The Executive Council has ratified the inclusion of the
following community sectors and organisations in Nedlac:
Women: Women's National CoalitionYouth: National Youth
Development ForumCivics: South African National Civics Organisation
Rural: National Rural Development Forum Disabled: South African
Federal Council on Disability
In addition, it has been agreed that two categories of
development organisations will be able to input into task groups of
the Development Chamber. They are: development funders, and
sectoral, coordinating and service-providing non-governmental
organisations.
4. Job-creation and small business development programmes
Two amounts - R254 million and R30 million - were allocated to
the National Economic Forum's job-creation and small business
development programmes. An evaluation of these programmes is about
to commence, and will concentrate on lessons learned from the
implementation of the two programmes. These lessons will be fed
into future public-works and infrastructural-development
programmes.
5. Communication and transparency
A strategy document on communication and transparency was
considered by the Executive Council. It has, among others, decided
to adopt a proactive approach by opening future Executive Council
sessions to the media.
6. National summit
The Executive Council resolved that Nedlac's annual national
summit will take place in November.
- Please refer all enquiries to Lomin Saayman on (011)
482-2511