With the unemployment rate in South Africa rising in these perilous times, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and Productivity South Africa (PSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on productivity and employment promotion in South Africa.

In a statement made by the Chief Executive Officer of PSA, Mothunye Mothiba, he said, ‘The goal of the partnership is to promote a productivity and entrepreneurship culture and consciousness to create decent employment and sustainable enterprises. The MoU will result in interventions within a host of South African companies. The programmes will be implemented in these companies to enhance productivity and operational efficiency of enterprises, with a focus on [getting] Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) and cooperatives to adopt world-class productivity enhancement practices’.

Mothiba added that the ILO’s global Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) programme will be implemented in the companies. Workers who have been retrenched will be assisted to transit into other occupations and/or self-employment through re-skilling and up-skilling training.

The Director of the ILO Pretoria Office, Joni Musabayana, noted that the collaboration is expected to build on South Africa’s experiences in relation to the commitments made in the 2015 African Union Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development (Ouagadougou + 10) as well as in the African Union Agenda 2063.

Source: SA News

Photo source: The Flag Company-JWPlant