'Unions must help create jobs'

2007-05-01 15:44

Cape Town - Finance Minister Trevor Manuel urged trade union leaders on Tuesday to play a meaningful role in skills development and job creation.

Manuel told union members to refrain from blaming the government for failing to deliver a "better life for all", he said in a May Day address to delegates from the National Council of Trade Unions and the Federation of Unions of SA at Athlone Civic Centre in Cape Town.

"Despite trade unions having a 50% board representation at the Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas), funds intended for developing skills still go missing and, in some instances, are not used for the intended purpose, which is developing the workers' skills.

"On a day like this one, union leaders should reflect and ask themselves what are they doing when all these things are happening."

Dealing with public servants

Job creation, Manuel said, could happen only when the country developed better skills to ensure economic growth.

Manuel also urged union leaders to play a more significant role in dealing with public servants who were not performing.

"When a teacher who is supposed to be in class is instead drinking in a shebeen, what do trade union leaders say?

"It is trade union leaders who should be saying to that teacher: 'You are wrong'."

Manuel said that, despite having immense power in areas such as Setas and pension funds, union members had done little to use that power to ensure workers' conditions were improved.

- SAPA