The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) notes that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has raised several concerns over the continuation of the Motor Industry Development Programmed (MIDP) after 2012. 

NUMSA also notes that the organization has severely criticized South Africa’s Industrial Policy as apartheid style protectionism and called on the country to implement policies that favour competitiveness and further liberalization of the market. 

While the union stands vehemently opposed to all forms of neo-liberalism, including attempts by organizations like the OECD to rubber stamp its policies on developing nations, metalworkers belonging to the automobile and associated industries have borne the brunt of reduced tariffs, organizational restructuring and rationalization of the industry.

In this context NUMSA believes that the continuation of the MIDP is necessary so long as “a revised and worker-orientated MIDP can ensure the future of the auto industry and secure the best interests of our members and the broader society”.

NUMSA is in the process of consolidating its own position on the MIDP Review proposals and will make its submission to the DTI once our constituencies have had an opportunity to make further inputs on the revised programme.

NUMSA also believes that our industrial strategies have to be more people focused – this can only be driven by a strong developmental agenda with emphasis on equity, poverty elimination and employment creation.

We have also noted that the OECD report criticized what it referred as in-flexible South African Labour Market. We want to argue as we have done before that our Labour Market is not a prohibition to job creation.

Whilst the OECD countries have Labour Markets better than we have, they want to impose in developing standards that they would suggest with the Labour movement in their respective countries.

This is hypocrisy that smacks of undermining the advances that we have in reforming our Labour Market.

We will not be compelled by the OECD to effect changes to our Labour Market to the detriment of our members and society at large.

We will resist these attempts, whether from the International Monetary Fund or the OECD with all the might that we have as organized labour.

For further information contact:-

Silumko Nondwangu, Numsa general secretary and

Mziwakhe Hlangani, Numsa national spokesperson

Cell phone: 082 9407116

E-mail

Source

Numsa News