This wealth of dialogue is not confined to a small layer of leaders. On a daily basis our shop stewards and officials are engaged in dialogue with managers in thousand of workplaces to find solutions to important economic and workplace issues. Our challenge now is to turn the strengths of engagement, negotiation, social dialogue, to the task of creating and sustaining jobs in the economy. We do this under conditions not of our choosing. Mammoth challenges lie ahead that we must tackle.
Unemployment is exceptionally high.
Economic growth has been too slow to absorb large numbers of new entrants to the labour market. Levels of investment have been too low to drive economic growth to the desired rates. Poverty is widespread. Almost half the population live in conditions of poverty. Income and social inequalities are extreme.