ILO, Governments of South Africa and Switzerland launch “Productivity Ecosystems For Decent Work” Programme
The Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work Programme identifies root causes of low productivity and decent work deficits and develops capacity and ownership of local and national actors to address them.
13 July 2022
On 5 July 2022, the South African Minister of Employment and Labour, Mr Thulas Nxesi, and Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin launched the ILO Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work Programme at a high-level ceremony in Pretoria. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is implementing the programme with the support of Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
The objective of this new ILO Programme is to address productivity and decent work deficits across policy, sector and enterprise levels in South Africa, while ensuring that gains made in productivity are distributed equitably between employers and workers through effective social dialogue.
The launch took place in the context of the post-Covid 19 recovery. During the pandemic, labour productivity in South Africa has fallen to 2010 levels and remains stagnant. Overall economic output, which barely kept pace with population growth, shrank by over 7.5%.
Women were particularly impacted - two-thirds of the estimated 3 million workers who lost their jobs following the economic shutdown in 2020 were women. One third of South Africa’s labour force was employed informally in 2020.
South African Minister of Employment and Labour, Minister Nxesi welcomed the programme in his remarks.
The successful launch of the project was further highlighted by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the South African Minister of Employment and Labour and the Swiss Federal Councillor. The MOU aims to establish high-level tripartite dialogue on labour and employment issues, supplemented by exchanges between the two countries at the technical level.
Following the signing ceremony, Joni Musabayana the ILO DWT/CO Pretoria Director, moderated a panel discussion comprising Mr Mothiba, CEO of Productivity South Africa, Mr Cas Coovadia CEO of Business Unity South Africa, Babs Nhlapo from Organised Labour, and Ms Franziska Spörri, Head of Economic Cooperation and Development. Dynamic discussions ensued, higlighting some of the challenges and opportunities faced in the South Africa Labour market. In conclusion, Joni Musabayana, emphasised the unanimous observation that South Africa, suffers from unusually high levels of poverty and inequality, any concerted efforts to boost productivity is a welcome contribution to the overall national development effort.
The event was attended by 80 South African and Swiss participants, including business representatives from Switzerland. Following the signing, the participants engaged in interactive discussions on productivity. Eight groups addressed the following topics:
1. The Role of Government in Productivity Development
2. Doing Business in South Africa
3. Entrepreneurship and Skills Development
4. Global Value Chains
5. Responsible Business Conduct
6. Role of Social Partners in Productivity Development
7. Science, Research and Innovation
8. Township and Local Economies
The event showed the increasing importance of Switzerland’s cooperation with the South African Department of Employment and Labour. It was a key opportunity for members of the Swiss economic delegation to meet and exchange views with the South African government and social partners.
Besides South Africa, the programme will also be implemented in Viet Nam and Ghana, also with funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
More information can be found at the ILO website “Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work”.
The objective of this new ILO Programme is to address productivity and decent work deficits across policy, sector and enterprise levels in South Africa, while ensuring that gains made in productivity are distributed equitably between employers and workers through effective social dialogue.
The launch took place in the context of the post-Covid 19 recovery. During the pandemic, labour productivity in South Africa has fallen to 2010 levels and remains stagnant. Overall economic output, which barely kept pace with population growth, shrank by over 7.5%.
Women were particularly impacted - two-thirds of the estimated 3 million workers who lost their jobs following the economic shutdown in 2020 were women. One third of South Africa’s labour force was employed informally in 2020.
South African Minister of Employment and Labour, Minister Nxesi welcomed the programme in his remarks.
Productivity lies at the heart of efforts to transform national economies, raise the living standards of the people, and help eradicate poverty.
Thulas Nxesi, South Africa Minister of Employment and Labour
The successful launch of the project was further highlighted by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the South African Minister of Employment and Labour and the Swiss Federal Councillor. The MOU aims to establish high-level tripartite dialogue on labour and employment issues, supplemented by exchanges between the two countries at the technical level.
Following the signing ceremony, Joni Musabayana the ILO DWT/CO Pretoria Director, moderated a panel discussion comprising Mr Mothiba, CEO of Productivity South Africa, Mr Cas Coovadia CEO of Business Unity South Africa, Babs Nhlapo from Organised Labour, and Ms Franziska Spörri, Head of Economic Cooperation and Development. Dynamic discussions ensued, higlighting some of the challenges and opportunities faced in the South Africa Labour market. In conclusion, Joni Musabayana, emphasised the unanimous observation that South Africa, suffers from unusually high levels of poverty and inequality, any concerted efforts to boost productivity is a welcome contribution to the overall national development effort.
The event was attended by 80 South African and Swiss participants, including business representatives from Switzerland. Following the signing, the participants engaged in interactive discussions on productivity. Eight groups addressed the following topics:
1. The Role of Government in Productivity Development
2. Doing Business in South Africa
3. Entrepreneurship and Skills Development
4. Global Value Chains
5. Responsible Business Conduct
6. Role of Social Partners in Productivity Development
7. Science, Research and Innovation
8. Township and Local Economies
The event showed the increasing importance of Switzerland’s cooperation with the South African Department of Employment and Labour. It was a key opportunity for members of the Swiss economic delegation to meet and exchange views with the South African government and social partners.
Besides South Africa, the programme will also be implemented in Viet Nam and Ghana, also with funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
More information can be found at the ILO website “Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work”.