Date: 18/04/2005
Source: Department of Labour
Title: Mdladlana: 3rd African Union Labour Conference
Speech by the Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana, at the 3rd African Union Labour Commission in Caesars, Johannesburg
Commissioner of Social Affairs, Advocate Bience Gawanas
Representatives from various Governments
Representatives of Organised Labour
Representatives of Organised Business
Representatives from Non-Governmental Organisations
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Programme Director
It is and honour and a privilege to welcome you to this very important Third Ordinary Session of the African Union Labour and Social Affairs Commission. I welcome you all on behalf of the government and the people of South Africa.
This is a gathering of the people of Africa, represented by various governments, trade unions, business and non-governmental organisations, to engage in discussions that will seek ways of ensuring lasting social and economic growth for our people in the diaspora.
Central to this meeting is the common understanding by African leaders that poverty alleviation; employment creation and addressing the social ills in our societies require co-operation and a common dedication from all of us meeting here today. No individual country can single-handedly overcome these challenges – our collective wisdom and effort is essential!
Programme Director, the development of the continent is close to our hearts and our commitment is best captured by my President, his Excellency President Thabo Mbeki, in his State of the Nation address on 11 February 2005, when he said, “… we shall continue to strengthen our contribution to the efforts of humanity to build a world in which each can feel a sense of belonging enjoying an improving quality of life”.
The deliberations in this meeting will attempt to reconnect with the Plan of Action we committed ourselves to in September 2004, when we met during the Heads of States and Governments Extra-ordinary Session on Employment and Poverty Alleviation held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The Plan of Action articulates the commitments made in the Declaration on Employment Promotion and Poverty Alleviation. Member States were called upon to utilise the Plan of Action to develop and implement their own short, medium and long-term National Action Plans to create jobs and eradicate poverty in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
The Plan of Action was aimed to also serve as a vehicle for implementing various Declarations and commitments made by Heads of State and government. It provides guidelines and key objectives for Member States to formulate their own mechanisms based on their national needs.
Programme Director, in line with the theme of this conference that says “Employment Creation for Poverty Alleviation”, it is our firm and unquestionable belief that poverty, unemployment and inequality pose the biggest challenges facing our continent today.
In his speech to the International Labour Conference (ILC) on 11 June 2003, his Excellency President Mbeki quoting from the report of the Director-General of the ILO, Juan Somavia said; “poverty is a nightmare. It is a vicious cycle of poor health, reduced working capacity, low productivity and shortened life expectancy. For (their) families, poverty is a trap. It leads to inadequate schooling, low skills, insecure income, early parenthood, ill health and early death. For (their) societies, poverty is curse”.
Ladies and gentlemen, we agree and strongly believe that employment generation is central in poverty alleviation. South Africa has also put more emphasis on the importance of skills development in poverty alleviation. We argue that by imparting skills to the employed it would increase their mobility in organisations and thus their income levels. Simultaneously, we have committed ourselves to developing the skills of the unemployed through training and learnerships programmes. We believe that these programmes will enhance and sharpen the skills of the unemployed and make them employable.
Programme Director, we need to develop strategies and measures to address the inequities and in the long-term poverty alleviation. I believe that this meeting and the delegates gathered here this week will help us in this mammoth task.
I would like to conclude by saying “Together we can conquer the challenge of unemployment and poverty – but it will take hard work and sacrifices from all of us. Let’s get down to work, together”
I thank you.
Enquiries:
Page Boikanyo
Cell: 082 809 3905
Email: page.boikanyo@labour.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Labour
18 April 2005
Source: Department of Labour (http://www.labour.gov.za)
Source: Department of Labour
Title: Mdladlana: 3rd African Union Labour Conference
Speech by the Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana, at the 3rd African Union Labour Commission in Caesars, Johannesburg
Commissioner of Social Affairs, Advocate Bience Gawanas
Representatives from various Governments
Representatives of Organised Labour
Representatives of Organised Business
Representatives from Non-Governmental Organisations
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Programme Director
It is and honour and a privilege to welcome you to this very important Third Ordinary Session of the African Union Labour and Social Affairs Commission. I welcome you all on behalf of the government and the people of South Africa.
This is a gathering of the people of Africa, represented by various governments, trade unions, business and non-governmental organisations, to engage in discussions that will seek ways of ensuring lasting social and economic growth for our people in the diaspora.
Central to this meeting is the common understanding by African leaders that poverty alleviation; employment creation and addressing the social ills in our societies require co-operation and a common dedication from all of us meeting here today. No individual country can single-handedly overcome these challenges – our collective wisdom and effort is essential!
Programme Director, the development of the continent is close to our hearts and our commitment is best captured by my President, his Excellency President Thabo Mbeki, in his State of the Nation address on 11 February 2005, when he said, “… we shall continue to strengthen our contribution to the efforts of humanity to build a world in which each can feel a sense of belonging enjoying an improving quality of life”.
The deliberations in this meeting will attempt to reconnect with the Plan of Action we committed ourselves to in September 2004, when we met during the Heads of States and Governments Extra-ordinary Session on Employment and Poverty Alleviation held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The Plan of Action articulates the commitments made in the Declaration on Employment Promotion and Poverty Alleviation. Member States were called upon to utilise the Plan of Action to develop and implement their own short, medium and long-term National Action Plans to create jobs and eradicate poverty in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
The Plan of Action was aimed to also serve as a vehicle for implementing various Declarations and commitments made by Heads of State and government. It provides guidelines and key objectives for Member States to formulate their own mechanisms based on their national needs.
Programme Director, in line with the theme of this conference that says “Employment Creation for Poverty Alleviation”, it is our firm and unquestionable belief that poverty, unemployment and inequality pose the biggest challenges facing our continent today.
In his speech to the International Labour Conference (ILC) on 11 June 2003, his Excellency President Mbeki quoting from the report of the Director-General of the ILO, Juan Somavia said; “poverty is a nightmare. It is a vicious cycle of poor health, reduced working capacity, low productivity and shortened life expectancy. For (their) families, poverty is a trap. It leads to inadequate schooling, low skills, insecure income, early parenthood, ill health and early death. For (their) societies, poverty is curse”.
Ladies and gentlemen, we agree and strongly believe that employment generation is central in poverty alleviation. South Africa has also put more emphasis on the importance of skills development in poverty alleviation. We argue that by imparting skills to the employed it would increase their mobility in organisations and thus their income levels. Simultaneously, we have committed ourselves to developing the skills of the unemployed through training and learnerships programmes. We believe that these programmes will enhance and sharpen the skills of the unemployed and make them employable.
Programme Director, we need to develop strategies and measures to address the inequities and in the long-term poverty alleviation. I believe that this meeting and the delegates gathered here this week will help us in this mammoth task.
I would like to conclude by saying “Together we can conquer the challenge of unemployment and poverty – but it will take hard work and sacrifices from all of us. Let’s get down to work, together”
I thank you.
Enquiries:
Page Boikanyo
Cell: 082 809 3905
Email: page.boikanyo@labour.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Labour
18 April 2005
Source: Department of Labour (http://www.labour.gov.za)
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