Sechaba ka’Nkosi
Labour and business are becoming increasingly impatient with the government’s reluctance to set a date for the long- awaited presidential jobs summit between the government, organised labour and business.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and Business South Africa (BSA) are ready and waiting for the summit, but say they are in the dark about when it will be.
Minister of Labour Tito Mbo-weni is expected to outline the government’s job proposals for the first time at the annual summit of the National Economic Development and Labour Council in Johannesburg next week.
His address at the summit is expected to give an idea of whether the government is ready to have the jobs summit this year, or whether it will be postponed once again.
Cosatu leaders are concerned that chances of the summit being held before the end of the year are remote because of the government’s inability to provide leadership on the issue.
The summit was scheduled for April last year, postponed to October, then mooted for April this year.
BSA this week blamed the government for failing to implement crucial elements in its growth, employment and redistribution strategy and proposed the creation of export processing zones and more spatial development initiatives to create more jobs.