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28 August, 2000
South Africa is facing hard times. Developing the country after decades of terrible racist repression and economic exploitation is not an easy task.
When the African National Congress (ANC) came to power under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, after the first democratic elections in 1994, the economic and social situation was catastrophic. It was imperative to take a strategic decision and choose which way to go.
There were not many alternatives, and the government did the only thing which was possible at that time. It began to restructure the entire country, starting with the education, social and economic system.
The South African economy depends very much on international trade. Minerals, agricultural products and cheap energy are the main resources of the country, in addition to the skills of the people. Also, the economic development of South Africa is vital for the rest of the Southern and Central African continent. Therefore, the key decision made by the government to develop an open economic system based on a market economy was the only realistic alternative.
But this has brought with it a price, a price which many workers - especially metalworkers who are members of Numsa - are having to pay. Many of them are now out of work, and many more job losses are expected.
Thus, it is not surprising that there is increasing disappointment among metalworkers with the ANC government. We could see and hear it at the Numsa Congress in Mafeking on August 21-24, 2000.
The debate opened with a two-hour-long speech by the ANC's general secretary, followed by an extremely well-balanced and courageous contribution by the minister of trade and industry, Alec Erwin, who is one of the founders of Numsa and its former education officer.
The final decision was to continue support for the ANC government but to put much more pressure on it.
The relationship between the trade unions and political parties has always been a matter for debate for many IMF affiliates, and the issue has also been raised at several IMF Central Committee meetings. It must always be very clear to all of us that a party governs the politics and sometimes it has the power to make decisions, but its mandate is not the same as that of the trade union.
Our mandate is to defend our members. If we fail in that, we are not doing our job.
It is inevitable that sometimes conflicts arise, but a political party cannot expect the union to give up its own right to fight for its members.
Numsa is now at a critical stage and needs support more than ever before. Many of its leaders have left the union to take up national or local government positions. They are squeezed between high expectations and crude economic realities. Their positions are sensitive and difficult. They need support to continue performing their jobs, in the interest of the entire South African population.
Numsa must strengthen its training and education programmes to be able to replace those who have left.
The IMF will continue to support Numsa by all means, as Numsa is vital to the whole international trade union movement.
When the African National Congress (ANC) came to power under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, after the first democratic elections in 1994, the economic and social situation was catastrophic. It was imperative to take a strategic decision and choose which way to go.
There were not many alternatives, and the government did the only thing which was possible at that time. It began to restructure the entire country, starting with the education, social and economic system.
The South African economy depends very much on international trade. Minerals, agricultural products and cheap energy are the main resources of the country, in addition to the skills of the people. Also, the economic development of South Africa is vital for the rest of the Southern and Central African continent. Therefore, the key decision made by the government to develop an open economic system based on a market economy was the only realistic alternative.
But this has brought with it a price, a price which many workers - especially metalworkers who are members of Numsa - are having to pay. Many of them are now out of work, and many more job losses are expected.
Thus, it is not surprising that there is increasing disappointment among metalworkers with the ANC government. We could see and hear it at the Numsa Congress in Mafeking on August 21-24, 2000.
The debate opened with a two-hour-long speech by the ANC's general secretary, followed by an extremely well-balanced and courageous contribution by the minister of trade and industry, Alec Erwin, who is one of the founders of Numsa and its former education officer.
The final decision was to continue support for the ANC government but to put much more pressure on it.
The relationship between the trade unions and political parties has always been a matter for debate for many IMF affiliates, and the issue has also been raised at several IMF Central Committee meetings. It must always be very clear to all of us that a party governs the politics and sometimes it has the power to make decisions, but its mandate is not the same as that of the trade union.
Our mandate is to defend our members. If we fail in that, we are not doing our job.
It is inevitable that sometimes conflicts arise, but a political party cannot expect the union to give up its own right to fight for its members.
Numsa is now at a critical stage and needs support more than ever before. Many of its leaders have left the union to take up national or local government positions. They are squeezed between high expectations and crude economic realities. Their positions are sensitive and difficult. They need support to continue performing their jobs, in the interest of the entire South African population.
Numsa must strengthen its training and education programmes to be able to replace those who have left.
The IMF will continue to support Numsa by all means, as Numsa is vital to the whole international trade union movement.