NEDLAC-NPI PRODUCTIVITY WORKSHOP PROGRAMME LAUNCHED IN MPUMALANGA

17 October 1996

The first step in the Nedlac and National Productivity Institute (NPI) programme to raise competitiveness and productivity in the South African workplace was launched in Mpumalanga today.

The workshop, held at Badplaas and attended by representatives of business, labour and government, was the first in a programme aimed at encouraging stakeholders to participate in consultative dialogue to consider and potentially to reach agreement on a set of measures to contribute to the promotion of improved performance, growth and higher levels of national employment across all levels of the economy.

Nedlac Executive Director Jayendra Naidoo, who opened the conference, emphasised that economic development required two complementary processes: firstly, the provision of a supportive policy and regulatory environment and, secondly, to ensure that practical measures for transformation of productive performance were implemented at the workplace.

"The relative social stability in Mpumalanga, compared with other regions, means that there is perhaps greater capacity for the social partners to make a success of this initiative."

In the keynote address., Mpumalanga MEC for economic affairs and tourism Jacob Mabena said six key economic sectors had been identified as offering enormous potential to create higher value-added and employment opportunities in the province. These sectors were stainless steel, petrochemicals, agro-processing, mining, wool and tourism.

He said the Mpumalanga government was close to completing its policy for industry and development, and that already special assistance measures had been put in place for small and medium enterprises, as well as financial incentives for firms investing in the province.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) representative David Walwyn outlined a comprehensive plan for the promotion of industrial competitiveness, commenting that this strategy was underpinned by a set of supply-side measures and industry cluster studies such as the Maputo Development Corridor, which would promote South African industries.

Business speaker Daan Botha emphasised the need for industry to develop products for a world market, which meant that labour and business must adopt a new approach to productivity which was consistent with the country's trading partners.

Cosatu's Khotso Tsotetsi was strongly critical of national government economic policy as an instrument for the delivery of jobs and benefits to the broader community.

He emphasised that improved productivity performance depended on workers becoming directly involved in decision-making processes at the workplace and obtaining a greater share of the gains.