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The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the escalation of the ongoing industrial action across an increasing number of sectors. The DA fully supports the right of these workers to strike and to bargain collectively, but it is however vitally important that these strikes be resolved as quickly as possible in order to minimise economic damage. The facts indicate that these strikes cost jobs, and the longer they continue the more jobs are lost. We therefore call on all negotiating parties to approach the situation in a mature and realistic fashion that will allow for a speedy conclusion.
It is clearly in the best interests of all concerned that these strikes are resolved as quickly as possible. Workers cannot afford to go without pay for long, business needs to regain productivity and the knock-on effects of strikes in key industrial sectors can cause serious economic disruptions and job losses in other sectors. It is equally important that the strikes be conducted in an orderly fashion. Unions cannot and should not allow their members to intimidate non-striking workers or damage private property. In October 2010, the DA submitted a private members bill, which would hold unions liable for damages caused by their members during strike action. There have been alarming reports of striking workers bearing firearms in recent days. This private members bill would, for example, seek to ensure that more responsibility is placed on unions to have these weapons removed by marshals before any march or picket takes place.
Stalling the South African economy through prolonged and unproductive strike action could also stifle many job-creating initiatives in South Africa, thereby denying millions of unemployed citizens the opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty. This needs to be considered in light of recent figures released by the Adcorp Employment Index which indicate an alarming 8.3% decrease in employment during June 2011, which equates to over 120,000 job losses.
The underlying truth is that these strikes affect all sectors of the economy and will affect the lives of millions of South Africans. The parties involved in the negotiations, in particular the union bosses, need to recognise that their actions have a significant impact on the broader community. It is not acceptable for unions to hold the entire economy ransom in order to serve their own narrow interests.
The DA also believes that more decisive action is needed by the Zuma administration on this issue. Although this is not a public sector strike, the Zuma administration should show leadership by supporting the DA’s private members’ bill. This is only the beginning of this year’s strike season and an early, decisive intervention by the Zuma administration could help to stave off prolonged stand-offs that will hit ordinary South Africans the hardest.