Put a unionist, an
economist and a
politician in the same
room and, besides the
start of a joke, what do you get?
Hopefully, a better understanding
of why there are so many strikes
and solutions for addressing this.
A Gordon Institute of Business
Science (Gibs) Forum, led by
a panel representing business,
government and labour, debated
this issue in Gauteng last month.
What are the issues leading
to strike action?
Lebogang Maile, Gauteng MEC
for Economic Development:
• Poverty, inequality and
unemployment will always give
rise to labour issues. And in
Gauteng, of the population of
12.3 million people, 70% live in
townships.
• The wage gap – chief executive
officers in Gauteng are among
the top five highest paid
globally. Workers are sometimes
the sole breadwinner in a family.
Dr Thabi Leoka, economist at
Renaissance Capital:
• The South African labour force
does not have the right skills.
• Wages cannot be increased
if companies are struggling
financially and productivity is
low.
Vuyo Bikitsha, National Union
of Metalworkers of South Africa:
• Workers often work under
difficult and dangerous
conditions and are vulnerable
to serious injury, which could
impact their earning power.
• There is little commitment
from employers for additional
training and skills development
• There is little room for career
advancement.
How can these challenges be
addressed?
Vuyo Bikitsha, National Union
of Metalworkers of South Africa:
• Longer (three to five-year) and
more sustainable agreements
should be signed with workers
to prevent strikes.
• Training and skills
development for career
advancement should be written
into the contracts.
• Workers should have
representation on company
boards.
Lebogang Maile, Gauteng
MEC for Economic Development:
• There should be policies to help
workers achieve ownership.
Dr Thabi Leoka, economist at
Renaissance Capital:
• Government needs to create
an enabling environment for
entrepreneurship.
• The education standards
in South Africa need to be
drastically increased and
tertiary education should
become more accessible so the
gaps between educated and
non-educated are smaller.
INSERT & CAPTION
Workers should have
representation on company
boards.
– Vuyo Bikitsha
CAPTION
The Numsa strike in July 2014 focused,
amongst others, on the need for training.
