Winner-Takes- All Benefits No One
Monday, March 21, 2016
As judge president of the Industrial Court, it would seem Justice Tebogo Maruping had made sure he does not just come out with a legal ruling, but one inspired by the desire to see the trade unions, and all trade unions working together for the betterment of their members’ lives.
In his judgement there are no particular winners per se, as he made sure he embraced all the trade unions involved in the case, and made sure he made it clear to them that they are very important in the resolution of the matter; from the Manual Workers’ Union, to BOPEU, and all recognised public sector unions, Maruping invited them all to the mediation table under the chairmanship of the commissioner of Labour.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...