economics | Terry Bell Writes

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Unions demand pension fund answers

November 2, 2017

South African public sector unions, notably the PSA, are demanding a full account of investments made in unlisted entities apparently to promote Black Economic Empowerment, a "list of politically connected persons" involved and union seats on the PIC and other boards.

As Brexit looms, London’s migrants keep building

September 6, 2017

Immigrant Irish “navvies” (labourers) are credited with much of the construction work of the last century that made London the city it is today. And now once again, it is the sweated labour of migrant workers that is changing the face of Britain's capital.

Statistics, labour & a no-confidence vote in Zuma

July 28, 2017

There is nothing sinister in the delay in the release of the South African Labour Forces Survey for the second quarter of this year. But it's crucial look at unemployment and income decline is likely to be swamped by media concentration on the no-confidence vote in parliament.

The bigger picture of patronage and corruption

July 22, 2017

South Africa's finance minister Malusi Gigaba has announced his 14-point plan aimed at “taking the country out of recession”. Instead it will almost certainly guarantee ongoing discontent, especially with the labour movement.

How ‘the people’ can capture the state

April 9, 2017

Direct democracy, a system where the citizens as a whole have control over their lives and welfare is not only desirable, it is possible, given the very technology that is now destroying jobs. But it requires education and organisation.

Time to seek the real state of nations

February 11, 2017

This week brought us, in South Africa, another State of the Nation address (SONA) and, like its predecessors, it will probably be best remembered for the fashion parade on parliament’s red carpet and the punch up on the floor of paliament. There was also the usual post speech analysis of what was seen generally as […]

Davos: a far cry from responsive & responsible leadership

January 22, 2017

The world’s most expensive and probably most successful public relations exercise concluded in Switzerland this week: the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos. But this private club of some of the richest men in the world is responsible for the very ills they claim to be trying to remedy.

A week of dashed expectations

November 26, 2016

There were hopes in South Africa over the past week that the growing disgruntlement with President Jacob Zuma would result in positive moves for his removal. And there were also hopes, especially among the low paid, that a minimum wage declaration would result in quite prompt relief. But such hopes were dashed.