Urgent labour solutions needed: Ramaphosa

[MickeyD]

Solutions to income inequality and labour market instability need to be found, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday.

"When we do succeed in finding solutions around these two issues... we will expand our economy and improve the livelihood of millions of South Africans," he told a labour relations indaba on Johannesburg's East Rand.

Collective bargaining in the country was under much stress. Settlement agreements were taking longer to fulfil, confidence in trade unions had been eroded, and confidence in business had weakened, Ramaphosa said.

The indaba was expected to discuss the implementation of a national minimum wage, income inequality, and the causes of the country's prevailing labour relations environment.

Delegates from government, labour, business, and community organisations were attending the event.

Ramaphosa said interventions which would lead to improved labour relations were needed.

"What we do today... will undoubtedly shape our chances of improving long-term growth, and key to our chances of improving growth will be our ability to come to a shared vision.

"We need to find common solutions to common problems that we face," he said.

The key issue was finding how to implement the national minimum wage.

Ramaphosa said he "could smell an agreement" on many of the issues and urged delegates reach such an agreement.

Source : Sapa /gq/jk/th
Date : 04 Nov 2014 10:57

 

[LaraC]

Ramaphosa said he "could smell an agreement" on many of the issues and urged delegates reach such an agreement.

Hopefully it is not the smell of stinky agreement that will see employment figures decrease even further.

 

[Arthur]

The biggest inhibitor to real progress is the paternalistic state. As long as Caesar thinks he's the Big Daddy, citizens will behave like Little Children. Set people free to be responsible for their own lives - it's the only way to develop responsibility, responsiveness, and sustainable self-sufficiency.

 

[silver6933]

We need to educate the public that you cannot sustain 15% increases, when the economy is growing at 2%

 

[atomcrusher]

We need to educate the public that you cannot sustain 15% increases, when the economy is growing at 2%

Sadly that's no easy task given the "we demand" attitude of the majority of SA's population

 

[ToxicBunny]

Sadly that's no easy task given the "we demand" attitude of the majority of SA's population

It is actually a very easy thing to do...

Labour legislation needs to be changed to be less hostile towards employers. Employers should be able to get rid of non-performing employees easier than currently. Also, should employees want a 15% increase, fire 15% of them, and require the remaining workers to maintain current production levels, with penalties if they don't... I would guarantee you that we would have at most 2 more strike seasons after doing something like that, and then our productivity would go through the roof, and employment would start climbing again.

 

[XennoX]

It is actually a very easy thing to do...

Labour legislation needs to be changed to be less hostile towards employers. Employers should be able to get rid of non-performing employees easier than currently. Also, should employees want a 15% increase, fire 15% of them, and require the remaining workers to maintain current production levels, with penalties if they don't... I would guarantee you that we would have at most 2 more strike seasons after doing something like that, and then our productivity would go through the roof, and employment would start climbing again.

Your head is in the clouds if you think that is a good solution. Put it simply, if your manager doesn't like you he can load you with work until you cannot cope. Which means you're under performing which means your ass is out on the streets.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Your head is in the clouds if you think that is a good solution. Put it simply, if your manager doesn't like you he can load you with work until you cannot cope. Which means you're under performing which means your ass is out on the streets.

My explanation is obviously over simplified...

Without checks and balances it can be massively abused, but currently we have legislation that does seem massively biased towards the employee, and it needs to be considerably more neutral... once that happens then we will more than likely see employment start ticking up again (in my opinion).

Also, if you go and look at the manufacturing sector, our productivity per labour unit is massively law from what I've seen....

 

[Hemi300c]

Sorting out the issues in this country will start when we have a government that can do the job and that is there for the country and ALL the people that live there

 

[Mila]

Your head is in the clouds if you think that is a good solution. Put it simply, if your manager doesn't like you he can load you with work until you cannot cope. Which means you're under performing which means your ass is out on the streets.

Not if you can show you have done your part and the boss didn't give you resources to keep up with the increasing demand. Training and everything that goes with it. Firing someone isn't that easy.


The labour problem is the ANC. They are stifling the growth in the private sector.

 

[Seriously]

Ramafoka you were part and parcel in creating the evil now deal with it or employ someone with the caliber of the iron lady that took no schit!

 

[Seriously]

Your head is in the clouds if you think that is a good solution. Put it simply, if your manager doesn't like you he can load you with work until you cannot cope. Which means you're under performing which means your ass is out on the streets.

Currently the reverse is true. Underperforming and lazy BEE candidates cannot be rid of easily with current legislation.

 

[Albereth]

Considering that Ramaphosa's last solution to labour problems ended up in Marikana, I'm pretty sure that he needs something new.