REFLECTIONS ON THE ROLE OF AFRICAN EMPLOYERS ORGANIZATIONS IN TRIPARTISM AND SOCIAL DIALOGUE

With democratization in Africa the view that political liberty is esse ntial for enhancing economic opportunity has gained credence. Bipartit e and tripartite consultations are increasingly recognized as helpful to successful implementation of social policy and structural adjustmen t programmes. This article examines the participation of private-secto r business organizations in national economic decision-making processe s, and discusses mechanisms for obtaining their views on the formulati on of economic plans and legislation. It highlights weaknesses in the present structure of tripartism in some countries and makes recommenda tions for improvement.