The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) commended President Thabo Mbeki on Friday for acknowledging South Africa's problems but criticised him for implying that government policies are unalterable.
In a media statement on Mbeki's sate of the nation address to parliament, Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said: "While the president today outlined the country's achievements, the speech also importantly identifies the massive problems confronting the majority of our people: that the legacy of unemployment, inequality, poverty and underdevelopment left by years of oppression and misrule remains the central problem facing our society.
"The president acknowledges the fact that 10 years of economic growth have not succeeded in decisively reversing this legacy for the majority."
He said Mbeki's speech acknowledged these problems, while drawing "extensively on the views expressed by our people in the imbizos held by the president.
"The determination expressed to listen closely to people's problems, and to attend to them, is a welcome feature of the speech, and sets a positive tone for the new term of government, post-elections."
Craven then chastised Mbeki for creating the "unfortunate" impression that "government policies and programmes are cast in stone, and that no further review of policy is required to address these abiding problems."
He said this aspect of the speech was at odds with Mbeki's earlier remarks "that fundamental, and in some respect mounting problems identified by the president, and raised by people in imbizos, require a solution."
Craven said finding a solution would entail "an openness to review policies which are not working, and to elaborate programmes and policies which are able to make the necessary impact.
"It is generally accepted that the type of economic growth path outlined by the president has not been able to address problems of unemployment, inequality and poverty, and that its benefits continue to be enjoyed by a minority.
"The president himself has described this as a problem of the two economies. In this context a review of policy is clearly necessary."
Craven said: "The resolutions of the African National Congress's 2003 national conference clearly outline the need for policy shifts and developments in certain crucial areas.
"Last year's Growth and Development Summit equally puts forward important proposals to address critical social challenges.
Craven said there should be a national dialogue to find solutions to "the pressing problems confronting our country."
This would give content to the notion of a 'people's contract' advanced by the government and African National Congress.
Craven said Cosatu planned to work with the president and the ANC to create a shared programme for the new term of government.
Craven said: "We believe that we have the responsibility as an alliance, whatever our differences in emphasis, to lead the country in finding and implementing these solutions."
He said Cosatu looked forward to the state of the nation speech the president would make in his second term, which would chart the new government's programme on key issues. - Sapa