Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) Statement on COSATU Nationwide Protest

3 October 2024

Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) expresses its concern over the planned nationwide protest by COSATU on 7 October 2024. We do not believe the proposed strike will address any of the challenges that COSATU raises. We respect the right to strike or protest, within the dictates of the law, but believe the issues raised by COSATU are structural in nature and can be addressed through the various bilateral and multilateral processes, engagements, and partnerships underway. We do not subscribe to asking workers on strike or protest action when economic growth is weak, and we need optimum productivity in our places of work.

Cas Coovadia, BUSA CEO, stated: "At a time when our economy is under severe strain, such protests will only add further pressure, and do not contribute to efforts to achieve sustainable economic recovery. These actions also hinder our collective efforts to grow the economy at a rate that can address unemployment, inequality, and poverty. We need to prioritise stability and collaboration to foster long-term economic growth, rather than resorting to measures that negatively impact both business and citizens."

Khulekani Mathe, BUSA CEO Designate, added: "BUSA has long advocated for reform to Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act to curb the misuse of strikes. These recurring protests, using outdated NEDLAC certificates, place undue strain on businesses and the economy as a whole. To our knowledge, the issues being relied upon by COSATU in the proposed strike were last discussed in NEDLAC in 2017. No effort has been made to engage Government or Business in NEDLAC since then on these issues."

BUSA reiterates its proposal to revise Section 77 in NEDLAC to limit the time between NEDLAC certificates and protests to 12 months, ensuring that labour actions are relevant, current and justified. We hope that the labour law reform process in NEDLC will soon conclude to bring certainty in this area. The use of an old certificate to stage recurring protests exemplifies the need for reform.

While BUSA acknowledges the importance of labour rights, we stress that these protests should not come at the cost of economic stability.

BUSA remains committed to addressing the concerns raised by COSATU while prioritising economic stability.

Issued by Business Unity South Africa, 3 October 2024