Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will brief the National Assembly on Tuesday on a number of issues, including progress made by the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) on the matter of a national minimum wage while reducing violent and protracted strikes.

The Nedlac constituencies, comprising of labour, business, communities, and government, were tasked to address issues of low wages, wage inequalities, labour market stability, violent and protracted strikes, and a minimum wage, the presidency said in a statement on Sunday.

Ramaphosa’s briefing to the Assembly came against the background of the recent Nedlac committee of principals’ (CoP) meeting in Johannesburg to review progress reports on labour relations and efforts to introduce a minimum wage, it said.

Ramaphosa said substantial progress was being made by the Nedlac constituencies in negotiations on labour relations, with specific reference to labour market stability, and the panel on a national minimum wage was scheduled to table its report to the committee by the end of November.

During the meeting of the Nedlac CoP, the social partners reiterated their conviction that inclusive negotiations remained the best way to solve current problems facing the country. Ramaphosa would use the opportunity of the question and answer session with MPs in the Assembly to outline government’s attitude towards the current electoral system, the presidency said.

Equally, he would seek to brief the Assembly on government’s programme to address the current problems facing higher education and implications for social cohesion.

Ramaphosa would also brief MPs on efforts to stabilise and create a lasting peace in South Sudan. This would include reference to efforts aimed at full implementation of the Arusha Peace Agreement as well as initiatives aimed at the reunification of the various factions of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) as a necessary step to bring about an end to the conflict in the country, the presidency said.