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Official Welcome and Remarks at the 1st SA LabourGuide Group-

Get Together – Emperors Palace Convention Centre

18 October 2016,

By Magate Phala

1. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. first of all, I would like to extend a

sincere welcome to all of you joining us this evening for the 1st Labour Guide

Linkedin Group Get-together. On behalf of the South African LabourGuide,

the organiser and sponsor of this event, It indeed gives me great pleasure to

welcome you all here this evening

2. This event is first and one perfect opportunity for all members, contributors,

experts and HR/IR Practitioners to share, learn from each other and meeting

in person.

3. Programme Director: one could ask a question, what actually brought us

here? And the best answer in my view is “Workplace Issues”. The custodians

and/or guardians of workplace relations are in the main IR/HR Practitioners,

however, the stakeholders in the whole are Employers and/or Management,

Employees and Trade Unions. Each of these key stakeholders has got a key

role to play for the betterment of smooth working relations.

4. According to the ILO, Trade unions and employers’ organisations;

- must be free to conduct their activities without interference or

harassment;

- Workers must be free to sign up with the union of their choice; and

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- Trade unionists must not fear dismissal, intimidation or persecution by

virtue of their trade union membership or activities.1

5. Section 23 of the 1996 Constitution2 which gave birth to section 8 of the LRA3

also guarantees these rights.

6. In ensuring the sound and smooth workplace relations, the Industrial

Relations (IR) has a key role to play4,

To establish mechanisms for communication, consultation and cooperation in

order to resolve workplace issues at enterprise and industry level, and to

achieve through a tripartite process, consensus on labour policy at national

level.

To provide social protection where needed e.g. in the areas of social security,

safety and health, child labour, etc.

Establishment of stable and harmonious relations between employers and

employees and their organizations, and between them and the State.

The efficient production of goods and services and, at the same time,

determination of adequate terms and conditions of employment, in the

interests of the employer, employees and society as a whole, through a

consensus achieved through negotiation

7. Professor Paul Benjamin held that in the South African labour market, labour

law operates within a context characterised by high levels of unemployment

and inequality, and the fact that many of those who work received inferior

schooling under apartheid’s ‘Bantu education’ system. The difficulties that

have been encountered in turning around the education and training system

1 ILO Convention 87 Freedom of association and protection of the right to organise – 1948

2 The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996

3 Labour Relations Act, 66 of 1995 as amended

4 ILO Human Resource Management, Industrial Relations And Achieving Management Objectives – By S.R de

Silva

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mean that the vast majority of new entrants in the labour market continue to

lack the skills needed for employment. There continues to be an oversupply of

low-skilled workers and a shortage of critical skills5.

8. Programme Director: I have no doubt in my mind that the topics which will be

discussed here tonight will assist and better the way in which issues have

been managed from our respective organisations.

9. In Conclusion, I wish you a successful and fruitful event. There will be an

opportunity for asking questions and making inputs at the end of all speakers’

presentations. I would like to thank you once again for your attendance.

5 Professor Paul Benjamin, Working Paper No. 47 ILO (April 2013) ““Assessing South

Africa’s Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA)” on page 12