The release of the Comprehensive Social Security Discussion Paper is a victory for COSATU

23 November 2016

The Congress of South African Trade Unions welcomes the release of the long awaited Comprehensive Social Security Discussion Paper by the Department of Social Development.  We view this as a major victory for the federation as COSATU has been fighting for the release of this paper for a long time.

The subject of the release of the Comprehensive Social Security paper is a decision of several Alliance summits and numerous ANC conferences and meetings, including many long meetings in NEDLAC. This is long overdue and it is an indictment on government that the paper is only released now after a relentless battle by COSATU, demanding its release, when the Taylor Commission report and its recommendations on this issue were released in 2002.

COSATU will study the paper, respond and engage with it at Nedlac to make sure that it helps workers and the country deal with poverty eradication and also put a Comprehensive Social Security System in place. This paper is coming out at an opportune time because we believe that the National Minimum Wage will not succeed if it is not accompanied by a Comprehensive Social Security System.

The release of this paper also represents a push against the classical neo-liberalism offensive from Treasury in particular, that has frustrated the release of this paper for many years in favour of a piecemeal and fragmented approach to Social Security reform.

Issued by Sizwe Pamla, National Spokesperson, COSATU, 23 November 2016