S Africa’s ‘instant’ society hurting prospects
NUM general secretary Frans Baleni discusses South Africa's instant society. Recorded:09.10.14. Camerawork: Nicholas Boyd. Videoediting: Shane Williams.
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa has reached a proverbial crossroads, where the nation’s great Constitution and legal framework and prospects of being a successful country were being offset by persistent poverty, inequality and a scourge of unemployment – and the effects of an increasingly “instant” society.
National Union of Mineworkers general-secretary Frans Baleni told delegates at the Joburg Indaba, on Thursday, that South Africa had become an “instant” society, taking short-term approaches, applying violence and destruction and becoming increasingly populist and media-attention seeking.
He spoke of a greedy society accustomed to abnormalities, a deficit of empathy and having no respect for the law, while businesses were rife with corruption, collusion and anticompetitive behaviour.
Further, South Africa’s mining industry held a collapsed management system and weak leadership, with the tactics of organised labour being questionable.
“There is an inability to stand for what is right,” he commented, adding that it was imperative that the mistrust between workers and companies be resolved.
Much had to be done to create a globally competitive and sustainable mining industry and a stronger, more inclusive dialogue could bolster growth efforts.
“We need a new framework for dialogue,” Baleni said, adding that the “bread and butter” issues affecting mineworkers and communities needed to be urgently – and honestly – addressed.
Companies needed to fully comply with the letter and spirit of transformation imperatives and legislation, while organised labour needed to look beyond its own needs and become the voice of those that require it.
Further, information sharing between labour and management must be promoted with the sustainability of the industry developed in the best interest of the workers and other stakeholders.
Baleni emphasised the need for a people-first approach, with greater respect for human rights.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation