Another hurdle in Mdwaba’s ILO bid

• Former vice-president of the International Organisation of Employers says ‘fearful’ worker bloc does not want him to talk to workers

In his bid to become the next International Labour Organisation (ILO) directorgeneral, SA businessperson and labour guru Mthunzi Mdwaba has reached out to a crucial bloc representing global workers to address its concerns that he is an employer/business candidate.

In his bid to become the next International Labour Organisation (ILO) director-general, SA business personality and labour guru Mthunzi Mdwaba has reached out to a crucial bloc representing global workers to tackle its concern that he is an employer/business candidate.

This comes after the Workers’ Group constituency effectively “blocked” Mdwaba from addressing it. The election of the new ILO director-general for a five-year term will be held on March 25 2022. Applications opened on July 1 and closed on October 1, and will be followed by interviews and hearings from January 2022.

There are 56 votes up for grabs, split between governments (28), trade unions (14) and worker organisations (14). Voting takes place by secret ballot in the confines of the ILO governing body and a simple majority of 50% plus 1 (29 votes) is needed to become director-general.

In a letter, which Business Day has seen, International Trade Union Confederation (Ituc) general secretary Sharan Burrow advised all the Ituc federations, including ILO governing body titulars/voters, not give Mdwaba an audience.

“You might be approached by candidates and while the [Ituc] general council has expressed grave concerns and opposition in regard to the employer candidate from SA, we have an open mind at this point regarding others who may emerge. If you are approached to meet with other candidates, then please do and let me know your impressions,” Burrow said in the letter.

“Should Mthunzi Mdwaba seek to meet with you please politely decline and indicate that the Ituc general council will take a final decision later in the year.”

Asked if support or lack of it from the worker bloc could make or break his campaign, Mdwaba, the former vice-president of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) to the ILO, a tripartite UN special agency dealing with social justice and setting international labour standards, said it was important.

“Those 14 votes are important ... but one can still win by a big margin without getting the vote of workers. But the only problem though, and this is the part I don’t want: I would not want to win without having any support from the workers,” said Mdwaba.

“When that happens, it makes it very difficult to implement after you have won.

“You have a whole constituency that doesn’t agree with you. That’s why it’s important for me to address that constituency, so that they can interrogate me, tell me their fears, and present their case to me.”

Mdwaba admitted that the worker bloc was “so fearful” of him as they viewed him as an employer/business candidate, to such an extent that “they don’t want me to talk to the workers. It’s clear that it’s a fear factor.” The letter does not state the reasons trade unionists and members of the worker bloc should decline Mdwaba addressing them.

The SA government initially endorsed Mdwaba via the National Economic Development and Labour Council and approved R8m to be used in his campaign, but later withdrew that support before anything could be spent on the campaign. The government has refused to provide reasons for the withdrawal of support.

In a letter dated November 25 2021, addressed to the Workers’ Group chair Catelene Passchier, secretary Raquel Gonzalez and Burrow, Mdwaba said tripartism was something he believed deeply in and was the principle upon which he based all his work with the ILO.

“With this in mind, I am reaching out to express as a matter of absolute urgency the need for me to address the Workers’ Group.

“Your views are critical to further shaping my vision and how best to implement it. I want to be a strong and effective advocate for all constituents, including the workers, and for the institution. Your inputs are essential in enabling me to achieve this ambition.”

Mdwaba, board chair of Productivity SA, a government entity aimed at improving productivity in the economy to ensure sustainable growth, said that he understood his journey with the IOE may “raise questions and concerns among worker colleagues”.

To tackle any concerns and to engage robustly regarding his vision for the ILO and the need to influence the conditions of employees, Mdwaba reiterated “the critical importance of a platform to engage directly with the Workers’ Group. I want to build a collaborative and trustful relationship and to start working together now on planning the future of the ILO”.

Mdwaba, who has served the ILO in senior positions for more than a decade, is CEO of Tzoro IBC, an investment, strategic advisory and business consultancy in Sandton, and chair of the SA-Norwegian Association.