Chairperson, the ANC welcomes the collective bargaining agreement concluded between employers and workers in the automotive industry. This agreement includes a multiyear wage agreement for the next three years, as well as improved pension, maternity and severance benefits.
It also makes provision for the establishment of an industry policy forum which will consider the issue of black economic empowerment and benefits to members. The policy forum will also consider the issues of HIV and Aids, a social plan to deal with issues of retrenchment and closures, and the establishment of the bargaining council. We congratulate all parties that were involved in the negotiations on this seminal agreement, which will make a difference in the lives of workers.
Further, the ANC urges all employers and workers to develop wage demands and offers with broader regard to the prevailing objective socioeconomic circumstances. In this way it is hoped that earlier positive experiences of worker-employer social compacts can be sustained. I thank you.