Inside Labour Column | Terry Bell Writes

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Xmas bells ring in profit — and deeper debt

November 26, 2011

The measures taken to to get the tills of the towns of South Africa ringing for a profitable Xmas season, are similar to those that led, via the sub-prime mortgage debacle in the United States, to the current and ongoing global crisis. This is based on short-term thinking and the extension of unsustainable credit.

Another pre-school fairy story?

November 17, 2011

National planning minister Trevor Manuel and his commission consider early childhood development (ECD) and pre-school education vital to the future development of South Africa. However, the 20-year National Development Plan (NDP) released this week by Manuel does not even define ECD or pre-school education, let alone how it should be implemented, where, when and by whom. So the fear across the education sector is that the NDP may be yet another case of “just talking the talk”.

Sober reflection as SA’s CCMA turns 15

November 12, 2011

As the world teeters on the brink of a further slide toward what looks like economic chaos, South Africa's Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) has marked 15 years of existence. Director Nerine Kahn proudly noted that there was much to celebrate, but there was no celebration.

A 13-year legal travesty

November 4, 2011

In a scene reminiscent of the apartheid era, the final act in a 13-year travesty of justice drama began shortly after midnight on Thursday last week. Although there is no evidence that Donovan Leibrandt was at the scene either before during or after a 1998 arson attempt by another naval rating who died in the process, he was taken into custody this week to serve a four-year sentence on the basis of "common purpose".

Labour thumbs down for SA medium-term budget

October 27, 2011

Overall, the South Africa's medium term budget policy statement has been given a fairly resounding thumbs down by the labour movement. And not just by trade union federations, officials, shop stewards and rank and file members; among the army of the recently retrenched are workers who gave a similar verdict as details of the statement became known.

Greed, capitalism and human nature

October 21, 2011

During social and economic crises over the past century and more, the same old argument about greed being the source of human ills has been trundled out.

…And so the postman goeth

October 15, 2011

On Monday, nostalgia, tinged with concern, will provide a worker and union undercurrent when the post office, with justifiable pride, celebrates the centenary of South Africa’s first delivery of mail by air. Similar feelings afflict postal workers the world over as this public service continues to be a job-loss victim of the internet and micro-chip […]

The threat of South Africa’s Info Bill

October 8, 2011

(First published September 23, 2011) Journalists think they are something special; that they should have more rights than other citizens and that the media somehow sees itself as above the law. These views have been expressed by a number of ANC members of parliament. They have been aired in defence of the Protection of State […]