The recent protracted strikes in South Africa are of concern to government. Their length and violent nature do not in anyway assist the economy and address the very same concerns of workers.
South Africans are known to solve their problems through robust discussion and engagement. It is a characteristic that has long distinguished us as a nation. We have on many occasions proved that we can find one another even when the odds seem insurmountable.
Our remarkable successes have been achieved through dialogue and reaching out to each other. Our history tells us that no challenge is too great to overcome especially when we start talking with the ultimate aim of finding a solution.
Our new beginning in 1994 was in part a result of intense debates at the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA). It played a pivotal role in the birth of the new South Africa.
While these interactions were not easy and at times tenuous, it enabled people on opposite ends of the spectrum to work together and reach consensus on the future of our country. This led to our peaceful transition which stunned the world when some had predicted that the country would be divided by a civil war.
It is in this spirit of seeking a workable solution that we call upon all role players involved in the current strike action to seek an amicable solution. Robust engagement between employers and labour around the negotiation table offers a workable catalyst for balanced, fair and socially responsible solutions.
Our laws provide space for protected peaceful strikes; however such action should only be the last resort once all other avenues have been completely exhausted.
The Constitution guarantees workers the right to assemble, demonstrate, picket and present petitions as long as they conduct themselves in a peaceful manner and are unarmed.
The Labour Relations Act provides a framework for collective bargaining and regulates the relationship between employers and employees. It affords employees an opportunity to strike and employers to use the lock-out clause as a last resort.
The right to strike nevertheless comes with responsibility and employees need to abide by the rules. The state does not take sides in labour disputes; however, it has a responsibility to prevent and combat lawlessness during protests.
Importantly, the general ethos of our labour legislation is to encourage the resolution of disputes through dialogue and discussion.
There is no winner in prolonged industrial action. Businesses and their supporting industries loose revenue while families and communities are left devastated in its wake.
The local economy bears most of the brunt as growth and development prospects are hampered.
Addressing the 2014 KPMG Executive Forum on Africa last month, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene, said: “On the home front, economic activity contracted in the first quarter of 2014, mainly driven by production losses in the mining and manufacturing sectors.”
The minister noted: “unlike in preceding years, the slowdown in domestic economic activity has been largely driven by local developments.”
South Africa has only just emerged from a crippling five-month strike in the platinum sector that significantly curtailed economic growth. The strike in the metal and engineering sector is estimated to cost the economy over R100 million a day.
The strike could also negatively affect the motor manufacturing industry which is an important earner of export revenue.
The success of our social and development programmes depend on a stable and thriving economy.
We therefore need to work together to resolve the current strike action quickly to prevent further damage to our economy. Now is not the time for rhetoric or grandstanding as this is a luxury our economy can ill afford.
We must be ever mindful of how our actions affect those around us, and how they are interpreted by investors or investment analysts sitting in major investment capitals. Investment analysts are known to look only at the factors that create risks and will seldom give a country the benefit of doubt.
Government’s programme of action is aimed at making South Africa a better place to live and work. For this to happen, the country needs a stable economy. It is therefore a shared responsibility between government, business and citizens to play their parts in strengthening the economy.
Together we must ensure that industrial action is not a stumbling block to economic growth, or could hamper the standard of living of citizens, especially the poor and unemployed.
There is more that brings us together as a nation than divides us. Since the birth of our democracy we have worked together to advance our society and our economy.
Where we have had challenges and disagreements we have always come together to take them on with gusto and vigour.
Government encourages workers and employers to approach the negotiation’s process to deal with the issues in a responsible manner. Let us all work together to move South Africa forward.
Phumla Williams is Acting CEO of the Government Communications and Information System (GCIS)
