BusinessLive reports that trade union federation Cosatu discussed finance minister Tito Mboweni’s economic strategy document on Wednesday after it was released for public comment earlier this week.  

Initial reactions from within the ranks of the tripartite alliance have been cautious, with the partners opting to give detailed commentary only after reading and discussing the document.  Cosatu forms part of the alliance, together with the SA Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC.  The document released by the Treasury proposed critical reforms, indicating that SA’s economic trajectory was “unsustainable”.  It is not yet known what Cosatu’s position would be.  But given the nature of the proposed reforms, such as to consider selling Eskom’s coal-fired power stations, some pushback can be expected.  Cosatu is opposed to privatisation.  Mboweni’s release of the document late on Tuesday resulted in it being added to the agenda — already dealing with the economy — for discussion by Cosatu’s central executive committee on Wednesday.  Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the federation was expected to give its response to the document on Thursday after the meeting.  The ANC’s head of economic transformation, Enoch Godongwana, said the party’s economic transformation committee would discuss the document and comment on it later.

• Read the full original of the above report by Claudi Mailovich at BusinessLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page