[Article] BUSA - YOU DECIDE

[BBBEE_CompSpec]

Mission

BUSA aims to ensure that organised business plays a constructive role, within the context of the country ’s economic growth, development and transformation goals, in achieving an environment in which businesses of all sizes and in all sectors can thrive, expand and be competitive both nationally and internationally.

Vision

BUSA aims to be a unified and fully representative organisation that contributes to a vibrant, transforming and growing economy in South Africa.
Objectives

BUSA’s objectives are to:
• Act as the principal representative of business in South Africa in its national, sub-continental, continental and international spheres of activity so as to ensure a primary and consistent representation of the views of the South African business community
• Promote broad-based Black Economic Empowerment by:
o Designing strategies and programmes aimed at broad-based Black Economic Empowerment, having regard to existing reports, studies and initiatives
o Engaging government, corporate South Africa and other stakeholders on issues of broad-based Black Economic Empowerment
o Influencing appropriate legislation to create an enabling environment
o Promoting transformation both within organised business, as well as at enterprise level
• Advance and promote initiatives aimed at job creation and the alleviation of poverty
• Act for and represent the views of its members at national, sub-continental, continental and international levels by:
o Acting on behalf of its members on mandated issues
o Influencing legislation and policy in the interests of members
o Lobbying and advocating agreed upon positions and policies with government, labour, communities and other stakeholders
o The commissioning of research on relevant issues
o Acting as a caucus for its membership in appropriate forums and bodies
o Arranging representation on behalf of member organisations, or nominating representatives of member organisations, to commissions, committees or other institutions in accordance with decisions taken by members
o Co-operating and, where appropriate, affiliating with relevant international organisations and bodies and representing member organisations in international bodies
o Communicating and consulting with members on important international affairs which may impact on South African business interests
• Enable business to play a meaningful strategic role in South Africa's overall development by:
o Promoting South Africa domestically and internationally
o Promoting the development of an economic and social system based on the principles of justice, a market oriented economy, individual entrepreneurship and equal opportunities
o Giving attention to the role of small and medium business enterprises in all sectors and to the development of linkages between large, medium and small businesses to the benefit of the economy as a whole

[Dave A]

How do you join BUSA?

[BBBEE_CompSpec]

I'll find out for you. BUSA is a combination of two chambers.

[sterne.law@gmail.com]

How do you join BUSA?

Dave, how many members on the forum? We can form our own organization. It is a fairly simple process. Need a constitution, elect a board and hey presto. Maybe worth putting it out to the guys.

[Dave A]

Maybe worth putting it out to the guys.

We think along similar lines

The only possible obstacle of consequence is if there is an outrageous membership fee - the ads pretty much cover the hosting costs with some small change to spare for software. But the original idea behind getting the site up in the first place was to get an online medium of representation that was easily accessible for business and didn't cost an arm and a leg.

Sooner or later the time is going to come to step out there and make it happen. Perhaps an affiliation with BUSA is the route.

[sterne.law@gmail.com]

I do not think the monthly fee need be out of order. The thing we all need to address is United we stand, Divided we fall. A organization that tackle the blanket decisions. Decisions made that affect many people and made in the interest of labour. The one thing folks should put their thinking caps on about is how to make a stand. Employees can cause economic harm by going on strike. I do not see too many employers resorting to lock outs and losing the turnover - this is the issue. (Remembering that with an offensive Lock out you cannot use temps) What weapons does business have to use as a form of power struggle?This is a big point?

[Dave A]

What weapons does business have to use as a form of power struggle?

The short answer I've got is to reject the "adversarial relationship" trap - it's a big part of why the LRA is problematic in the first place. The employer/employee relationship should be seen as mutually beneficial. Make sure employees don't need to waste money on union subs to get a fair deal - and make sure they know it.

I started on a long answer, but it kept getting longer and longer. I'm stopping now before my short answer goes the same way.

[sterne.law@gmail.com]

The short answer I've got is to reject the "adversarial relationship" trap - it's a big part of why the LRA is problematic in the first place. The employer/employee relationship should be seen as mutually beneficial. Make sure employees don't need to waste money on union subs to get a fair deal - and make sure they know it.

I started on a long answer, but it kept getting longer and longer. I'm stopping now before my short answer goes the same way.

I agree and it is a vicious circle that needs to stop. I believe if the parties have the interest of the nation as a whole rather than personal agendas(being agendas of a group or faction included) much can be achieved.
My "power" issue is related more to national or social issues rather than at labour or plant level. Example Eskom price increases, corruption, forced bargaining coucnils etc, etc where one has limited bargaining chips so to speak and need some leverage.

[Dave A]

Seeing as bargaining councils and central agreements are anti-competitive practices, an anti-trust application would be interesting. Trade unions talk up a storm on the evils of collusion and price fixing, and rightly so. But I've always found it pretty ironic that they're guilty of exactly the same offence.

And of course if we're dealing with a sector with a mix of big companies and small business, it's prejudicial to the small companies. There's no way they can squeeze the same production out of staff as big business can and yet they're forced to pay the same rate.

[BBBEE_CompSpec]

Are you aware of the fact that all large businesses are to do business with all small businesses. This is legislative. In BBBEE 15% of all business done within the realms of the larger businesses must come from SMEs.