LABOUR

IFP Labour Policy advocates the introduction of further tax incentives in order to stimulate employment growth, and minimal interference by government in business-labour relations.

Tax incentives

The IFP supports the introduction of taxation benefits for employers who establish and contribute to medical aid, and/or pension and provident schemes for their domestic workers.

Farmers who provide schooling and/or education services to farm workers and their families should be granted some tax relief. Farmers who provide running water and sanitation facilities for their employees should also be granted tax relief.

Tax incentives should be introduced to foreign firms employing at least 10 new full-time workers.

Training taxes should be abolished, and tax benefits should be offered to companies providing worker training.

Labour unions

The IFP supports freedom of association and of non-association i.e. no compulsory membership of trade unions, and no restrictions on an employee’s membership and support of any trade union.

Arbitration by jointly constituted arbitration panels should be made mandatory in the event of labour disputes involving essential workers in the public sector.

The IFP supports the idea of bargaining at plant level, and the abolition of any right to engage in secondary strikes or lockouts.

Provincial labour courts, and conciliation and mediation agencies should be established. The Labour Minister should be limited in his power to interfere in labour-management discussions and collective bargaining agreements. The Labour Minister should also not be empowered to compel non-participants into a bargaining council.

Trade union income should not be spent on political activities or political parties.

Labour laws

The IFP believe that small and medium sized businesses should be exempted from the requirements of the Basic Conditions of Employment and Labour Relations Acts.

Labour laws should be administered by the various Provincial Ministers and Departments of Labour.

NEDLAC

The IFP supports partnerships between business, labour and government as exemplified by NEDLAC. However, it is the IFP’s contention that government should assume a neutral position in labour-business discussions. Moreover, the IFP believes that NEDLAC has become a forum for ‘big’ business and ‘big’ labour, and the concerns of smaller businesses and unions are not being adequately represented. Therefore, the IFP calls for the abolition of NEDLAC in its present form.

Training

Government should offer incentives to employers who provide literacy and driver training programmes. It should also increase funding for vocational and technical training programmes.

Maternity benefits

The IFP believes that maternity benefits for female employees should not be mandatory, as this will discourage employers from hiring young female workers. Instead, the government should offer incentives to those employers who do choose to provide maternity benefits.

Wages Board

The IFP advocates the abolition of the Wage Board.

The disabled

The IFP supports measures to provide incentives to employers who hire disabled staff.