Policy execution lamented

Labour Q&A with Terry Bell

Fin24 user MM Masemola is concerned about existing labour policies being difficult if not impossible to implement.  

Hi Terry,

My concern is about the existing policies that seems only good on paper, but seem difficult if not impossible to implement. If corporates are all about profit but does not want to account for society, who should or who will?

The fact that the government encourages labour broking, means RSA our democratic

country is no longer democratic but just a word. It is turning into if not already into a banana republic that dictates to its people.

Slowly SA is adopting China and India labour practices, which are known to be exploitation of workers without better benefit.

Terry Bell responds:

Hi MM,

The thing about policies, as with constitutions, is that they are only pieces of paper unless the principles they contain are acted on. Corporates must - and will - always look after their own interests. These are not, generally, to overall benefit, so it is ultimately up to the majority of citizens to organise themselves and to insist and ensure that the policies they want are implemented.

Like you, I am concerned at the move toward casualisation and the lower pay and worsening conditions this implies. Unfortunately, the dominant idea at the moment seems to be that we must compete on grossly uneven playing fields with both cut-price labour and subsidised dumping.

Regards,

Terry

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