NEDLAC
Presentation to Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry
14 March 2001


1. The Case for Social Dialogue
· Good governance
· Increasing global importance attached to social dialogue
· Impottance of institutionalising social dialogue


2. The background to social dialogue in SA
· Success of negotiated political transition to democracy
· The role of business, labour and government in laying the foundation for meaningful social dialogue
· The inclusion of other civil society formations in social dialogue processes
· The current expanding social dialogue

3. Political Economy of SA
· Race, class and gender inequalities: the colonial, apartheid and capitalist legacy Income inequalities and the Gini coefficient
Social deficit:
- capital, human resources, infrastructure, backlog, opportunities
4. The socio – economic situation since 1994
· Performance of the economy
· Delivery achievements
· The legitimate aspirations of people
· The perceptions of SA

5. Nedlac’s formation
· Previous dispensation-racism and the labour market
· National manpower Commission representation
· National Economic Forum formation
6. Nedlac structure:
National Summit -> Executive Council -> Management Committee ->Chambers (4)

7. Constituencies
· BUSINESS: BSA and NAFCOC

· COMMUNITY: SANCO, WNC, SAYC and DPSA
· GOVERNMENT: Departments of Labour, Trade & Industry, Public Works, Finance and others when necessary
· LABOUR: COSATU, FEDUSA, NACTU

8. Secretariat
· EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
· 4 CHAMBER COORDINATORS
· 2 RESEARCHERS
· INFORMATION, FINANCE AND MEDIA OFFICERS
· 3 ADMINISTRATORS
· GENERAL ASSISTANT

9. NEDLAC’S ROLE TO DATE – Achievements and Challenges
· Labour relations dispensation
· Expanding social dialogue system
· Key campaigns and initiatives
· Presidential Jobs Summit Agreements
· Addressing public and constituency perceptions in 1998/9
· Repositioned institution

10. NEDLAC’S 2000 SUMMIT DECLARATION
The NEDLAC constituencies seek over the medium to long term to make South Africa:
· The leading emerging market and destination of first choice for investors whilst retaining and expanding social equity and fair labour standards;
· A productive economy with high levels of service, a highly skilled workforce and modern systems of work organisation and management;
· A society which there are economic opportunities for all, poverty is eradicated, income equalities are reduced and basic services are available to all;
· A society in which our people, our most precious resource, are given the opportunity and support to develop to their fullest potential;
· A society that can promote the values of social equity, fairness and human dignity in the global economy.

Nedlac has identified the following national priorities:
· Promoting and mobilising investment and creating decent work for all;
· Ensuring economic empowerment for all especially for Black people, workers, people with disabilities, women and youth;
· Eradicating poverty and addressing the legacy of under – development;
· Strategically engaging globalisation to the best advantage of the country

11. POST SUMMIT CHALLENGES:
· Constituencies have yet to agree on a series of key issues for a negotiated socio-economic transformation of our society.
· This requires a series of strategic agreements that address the national priorities identified and result in shared growth and social equity.
· Constituencies need to make a visible and credible commitment by identifying what they will contribute to this effort and what trade – offs they are prepared to make

12. CHALLENGES AND CONSTRAINTS
· Legislative process
· Constituency conduct & commitment
· Political environment
· Relationship between secretariat & constituencies
· NEDLAC not functioning optimally
· Coordination between NEDLAC, MLC & Presidential Working Groups
· The pension funds surplus
· The National Framework Agreement (NFA)

13. ROLE OF LEADERSHIP
· Social Dialogue presupposes organised formations that represent key social forces in our society, government, business, labour and community.
· Important is how well organised and representative these are and what capacity they have.
· Acknowledge common interest and common fate.
· Deliver shared growth and social equity.

14. NEDLAC’s CURRENT ACTIVITIES
General
· Taking the Summit declaration forward
· Sector summits
· Monitoring agreements, especially Presidential Jobs Summit Agreements
Section 77 applications
· Taxi recapitalisation
· 4-a-side meeting

· Black Economic Empowerment Commission Report
· Launch of Nedlac bulletin-Importance of research and a common set of data
· Conference on the transformation & diversification of the financial sector
· Globalisation conference
· Parliamentary liaison
· Constituency liaison

16. THE CHAMBER & ITS SUBSTRUCTURES
TRADE & INDUSTRY CHAMBER
STANDING SUB – COMMITTEES
Technical Sectoral Liaison Committee (TESELICO)
Fund for Research into Industrial Development, Growth & Equity (FRIDGE)

AD HOC COMMITTEE / TASK TEAMS
Proudly South African campaign
Plastic bag regulations
Draft Mineral Development Bill

17. TRADE AND INDUSTRY CHAMBER
Key activities during 1999/2000
· SA – EU trade agreement negotiations
· SADC trade negotiations
· WTO – Social Dialogue in Seattle
· Implementation of the Competition Act
· Workplace Challenge
· Monitoring of Jobs Summit Agreement Implementation
· Tourism Collaborative Action Process
· Floriculture cluster study
· Sustainable production study

18. TRADE AND INDUSTRY CHAMBER
Current work: general
· Transforming the Chamber work programme
· Sector Summits
· Proudly South African campaign
· Plastic bag regulations
· Draft Mineral Development Bill
· Assessment of implementation of SA-EU
· Assessment of SADC implementation
· Interaction on SA-Mercosur trade arrangement
· Preparations for next WTO round

19. FRIDGE: Objectives
· Improve competitiveness of SA industry
· Provide implementable research recommendations
· Inject international and local expertise
· Build individual and institutional capacity among key stakeholders
· Contribute to collaboration on policy and development issues.
· Crosscutting investigations
· Sector/cluster investigations
· Initiatives/actions/funding of facilitators
· SQAM infrastructure (Standardisation, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology)
· Proudly South African campaign
· SA Jewellery industry
· Pharmaceutical industry
· Silicon high technology cluster
· Study related to SA-EU TDCA (non - tariff barriers and vulnerable sectors)
· Potential Implications for South Africa of the UN framework Convention on Climate Change

19. FRIDGE: New studies
· Stainless steel industry
- e-commerce
-use of scrap metal in componentry
· Socio-economic impact of the proposed plastic bag regulations.
· Eco-labelling
· Ostrich leather industry
· Industrial policy

20. Work programme for 2001
· Trade policy, especially SA-Mercosur
· Proudly South African campaign
· Sector summits
· CITA (Commission for International Trade Administration)