COSATU Statement on the New Growth Path
The Congress of South African Trade Unions wishes to clarify once more that it has welcomed the tabling of the New Growth Path document (see here). We regard this as a giant step forward. COSATU has for the past 16 years been calling for a new growth path that can engineer an escape route from the neo-apartheid economic structure prevailing in our country.
It is not true that COSATU Central Executive Committee has rejected the government proposals on the New Growth Path. We only expressed a concern with two of the proposals - the macroeconomic framework underpinning it and proposals about wage moderation.
These concerns do not make a totality of the government proposals. There are a number of progressive proposals in the document that are consistent with the ANC and COSATU historic positions. It is also not true that we have accepted the government proposals.
COSATU is convening a workshop of its Central Executive Committee on 14-15 December 2010 to discuss the government proposals. We shall then issue a comprehensive response to the document. As we have said, we shall measure the document against our own proposals published in September, the ANC NGC resolutions, the ANC 52nd National Conference as well as against other historic economic demands of our people enshrined in documents such as the Freedom Charter.
All of these documents call for restructuring of the economy, which should deal with the existing monopolies and put the economy in a new pedestal to create decent work en masse, eradicate poverty and end inequalities. We have also demanded that the new growth path must be underpinned by an industrial policy. Already the Industrial Policy Action Plan fully endorsed by COSATU already exists.
We look forward to analysing and debating the document before fully engaging the government and other stakeholders in business and community organisations on our proposals and government proposals.
Statement issued by Patrick Craven, COSATU national spokesperson, November 29 2010
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