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January, February, March... March... March...The roll-on strikes for pay are costing us dearly. The City of Cape Town, after allowing a peaceful march in its streets by members of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), was insulted by trashing, vandalism and looting that led to an interdict preventing them from further marching demonstrations.
That we need a stable, satisfied workforce in every level of service is undeniable. That the workforce receives fair pay for the competence it delivers is vital.
More importantly, the need for more jobs, more opportunities for jobs, more qualified people for jobs, and a greater participation of youth entering the job market are essential for the well-being of the country. The alternative of mindless rebels without a cause, echoing the British summer of discontent and its mass looting and lawlessness, is something we all must view as a potential threat to civil society.
Is it so difficult to find a mechanism whereby workers’ pay is related to attainable budgets and growth in take-home packages that look to their spending power, inflation and basic costs of food and transport? That needs to be a long-term answer thrashed out between the government, labour and business, so that lost days of strikes for pay become unnecessary.
Or am I missing something here? Is the continual rollout of crowds vital to the culture of being visible as political activists? It makes good seven o’clock television and it feeds the egos, awareness and a sense of achievement vital for political careers.
Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies cites the number of days lost to strikes (along with the high value of the rand and the rising costs of electricity) as a major problem in the manufacturing sector.
Too much protection of workers’ rights inhibits business competitiveness. A high wage demand for all creates a barrier of entry to the workplace for many.
It would be particularly helpful for school-leavers if employment – even of a temporary level, at greatly reduced wage expectations – were accessible without hindrance, or even with government assistance, so that youths could appreciably be inculcated into the ethic of work for pay. They would have gainful benefits, develop skills and find mentorship programmes to guide them from academia to the real world.
The lack of such attention could, as National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel said, find South Africa sitting on our own version of an Arab Spring.
ROYSTON LAMOND
Publisher
