NEDLAC MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
MEETING
20 September 2002
Nedlac's management committee meeting today discussed the issue
of Cosatu's section 77 notice on privatisation. The committee
agreed that in terms of Cosatu's demand for a moratorium on all
restructuring initiatives, and the fact that Government had
indicated that it was unable to accede to this demand, the matter
could be deemed to have been considered by Nedlac. However, in
terms of whether the law allowed for repeat action on the same
issue, Business argued that legal opinion on this matter had not
been conclusive.
The committee further discussed the issue of food price
increases, and the impact that this was having on the poor, and
children in particular. The meeting agreed that feeding schemes in
schools was one of the best ways to tackle this problem in the
short term, and urged Government to ensure that these were
operational. It was agreed that a meeting of the food price task
team would be convened next week.
On the issue of HIV/AIDS, and in particular the proposal tabled
by Cosatu and the Treatment Action campaign on a national treatment
plan for HIV/AIDS, the committee agreed to set up a high level task
team to work towards an agreement on this issue. The target date
for concluding these discussions is World Aids Day, 1 December.
The meeting approved in principle that Nedlac should move
forward on proposals for various partnerships: with the
International Labour Organisation; another with the Socio-Economic
Council of Flanders, and a third one with the Tanzanian National
Business Council.
Other issues discussed by the meeting included how to best input
on the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, the forthcoming
discussions on the Taylor Report on Social Security, the National
Skills Development conference to be held on 26-27 September by the
Department of Labour and the Growth and Development Strategy.
The meeting welcomed a new overall convenor for the Community
Constituency, Fadila Lagadien, from Disabled People of South
Africa.
Contact: Jennifer Wilson
011 328 4200
083 652 8524
Issued in Jhb