The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) has called on President Jacob Zuma to use his 2017 State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Thursday to underscore the need for stronger collaboration between government, business and labour.
The organisation feels that more inclusive economic growth should be highlighted, as it will create thousands of jobs for the unemployed, especially the youth.
“It is the collective responsibility of these leaders to implement shared economic growth strategies that have been agreed between them at the National Economic Development and Labour Council,” Fedusa said in a statement on Tuesday.
It added that government needed to ensure policy certainty and clarity, and a regulatory environment that does not make it cumbersome for companies to make profits, create jobs and hire new people.
“Business should work tirelessly to raise capital for investments from domestic markets, to drive higher inclusive growth and employment creation.”
The organisation noted that labour leaders need to understand the importance of creating a stable and harmonious industrial relations environment by embracing the balloting of members before embarking on strikes, ensure that their members adhere to picketing rules and do not resort to violence and damage of property during strikes.
Fedusa, meanwhile, welcomed the National Minimum Wage (NWM) that is expected to be announced by Zuma in his Sona.
“However, if there are no proper and clear enforcement measures in place, disreputable employers could simply ignore it, inadvertently denying millions of workers the opportunity to earn decent wages and undermining confidence in the NMW itself at the same time.”
An effective monitoring and enforcement system is, therefore, vital for the success of the proposed NMW in South Africa, it said.