 |
Address by Joyce Pekane, COSATU 2nd Vice President, to theNaledi Rearch at Parktonian Hotel9 July 2002 |
Comrades,
I am pleased to be able to address this important meeting of researchers.
This is indeed a significant meeting, being the first to bring together
NALEDI, COSATU head office, COSATU Parliamentary Office, COSATU regions
and affiliates. This meeting provides a good opportunity for us to start developing
a comprehensive research strategy for the labour movement.
When COSATU set up NALEDI in 1993, we knew it would have to play an important
role in developing research for the federation. In addition to all the usual
union work, COSATU was going to be involved in many policy forums and processes
that needed research. In this regard, NALEDI has had to do three jobs. NALEDI
had to anticipate policy issues, and develop longer-term research projects.
It had to build the research capacity of unions. Finally, it was also required
to assist unions in their short-term work.
These were very ambitious goals, especially when we looked at the experiences
of union research before 1993 or union research in other labour movements.
As you all know, research is not easy to do in unions. Unions have to focus
on urgent issues, and often the time needed for research is seen as a luxury
that cannot be afforded. Research funding is often among
the first things that unions cut when they have financial problems. And of
course there is the problem that the research findings may not always support
the existing policy of the unions.
Despite these challenges, it was clear to COSATU that we needed to go ahead,
and build the research capacity to engage in policy development.
NALEDI was set up as an autonomous institute so that it could have the space
to do important research that goes beyond existing union policies. In a sense
it was to test the waters of new ideas, and also be free to give COSATU feedback
on some of the internal challenges that the federation faced (such as with
gender or investment company issues). So NALEDI had to do research for COSATU,
and also research about COSATU. This is not an easy task to accomplish --
it has meant that NALEDI has had to balance being part of the COSATU team
but also having enough space to be critical.
We also thought then that we could get NALEDI funded through the new democratic
government, as part of its contribution to the labour movement and building
participatory democracy in South Africa. This support for NALEDI has not happened
yet, and it remains something that COSATU will push for.
Nonetheless, since 1993 we have made good progress on a number of areas. NALEDI
is now an established institution in COSATU. It has survived and grown over
the past nine years, and has built up a strong team of researchers. NALEDI
has done a good job in supporting COSATU on a range of issues including international
labour movement engagement, workplace
restructuring, Sector Job Summits, gender issues, social security, People's
Budget, etc. Also importantly, NALEDI is now having an important role influencing
the international labour movement's research agenda.
NALEDI has also helped to build the research capacity of COSATU and the affiliates.
I know that several of the COSATU Unit and affiliate researchers have worked
in NALEDI before, or have participated in the NALEDI researchers' training
programme or on joint projects.
We now also have COSATU policy desks to assist negotiations and deal with
policy implementation. We have the COSATU Parliamentary Office to deal with
research dealing with legislative processes. And some affiliates now also
have their own researchers who can deal with the specific issues of their
sectors.
So we must appreciate the progress that has been made since 1993. There is
more research capacity in the federation today than ever before.
However the labour movement is going into a phase in this country and in the
world where it needs to be even more strategic and effective. Therefore there
is an ever-increasing need for labour research to respond to major strategic
changes and questions of globalisation and national policy.
So where do we go from here?
First, it is important that we use our research capacity to shape the public
debates, rather than only respond to them. This means that NALEDI needs to
focus more on identifying issues and developing major, and long-term, research
projects on these issues.
Second, we need to continue to research some of the internal challenges that
confront us in the process of organisational review. For example, which workers
are joining COSATU, and why? Which workers are not joining, and why is that?
What are the challenges within unions that are affecting our ability to organise
and support workplace and industrial struggles? And, what can we do about
that?
Third, we need to try to find more ways to link the research to building effective
working class strategies and campaigns. The NALEDI work on the Sector Job
Summits, Spoornet and the People's Budget are examples of this.
Last, over and above these major strategic projects, how can NALEDI help build
the capacity of affiliates and regions to address their specific issues? We
need to find ways in which research skills and methods can be embedded into
union structures and the way in which unions develop their strategies.
Given all the organisational and funding limitations, how can we best take
forward these issues? This meeting needs to assist NALEDI to identify the
most strategic questions and activities that it should spend its time and
resources on.
We should also look at how COSATU, affiliates and regions can better support
NALEDI.
Finally, I would like to thank NALEDI for taking the initiative in calling
this meeting. As you know, COSATU is taking this Researchers' Forum seriously.
The EXCO endorsed this meeting in February 2002, and looks forward to see
what will emerge from this process.
I wish you the best in your deliberations, and hope for a revolutionary outcome!
Thank you.
