BY Mzi Velapi & Chris Gilili – this post first appeared at Elitsha
IN SUMMARY:
- Workers from Cosatu affiliates participated in a general strike across major centers in South Africa to highlight issues of income inequality, poverty, and high unemployment on the International Day of Decent Work.
- The union’s key demands:
- Job creation for the unemployed.
- Moratorium on retrenchments.
- End to attacks on collective bargaining.
- Address the rising cost of living, particularly food and electricity.
- Fight crime, corruption, and privatization of state-owned enterprises.
In Cape Town:
- The march went to the provincial legislature and national parliament.
- Workers from Fedusa unions marched alongside Cosatu affiliates.
- Outside the Western Cape legislature in Wale Street, workers met a pro-Palestine protest led by the Muslim Judicial Council. Despite union leadership’s wish for solidarity between groups, public order police maintained a barricade between them.
Quotes from Cape Town:
- Thando Dedezane (Sanco district chairperson) said:
“The separation between the two groups is a deliberate act to create a wrong picture. It only serves those who oppress us. The workers struggle here is the same as those in Palestine.” - Sheik Riad Fataar (Muslim Judicial Council):
“The workers should continue to fight for their rights.” - Bonita Loubser (Cosatu Central Executive Council member) on the lack of union consultation in the Government of National Unity (GNU):
“We will not standby idly whilst these attacks take place. We want to engage with the GNU through the social dialogue platform.” - Andile Ngqaneka (Cosatu deputy chairperson, Western Cape) on rising living costs:
“Some workers in the retail sector do not even have guaranteed hours of work… They cannot budget for food or electricity.” - Eleanor Roberts (Denosa Western Cape chairperson) on poor working conditions for nurses:
“One nurse is forced to now do the work of two or three people. These budget cuts are not our fault. We cannot guarantee quality healthcare given the conditions we work under.” - Amina Pinto (Denosa member) on the nurse shortage:
“We plead with the government to employ more nurses, and also not allow for large numbers of nurses to retire.”
Memorandum in Cape Town was handed over to the Minister of Higher Education, who promised to share it with other relevant departments.
In Johannesburg:
- Mike Shingange (Cosatu’s 1st deputy president) led the march to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in Sandton.
- Amos Monyela (Cosatu Gauteng chairperson) explained the march’s symbolism:
“The wealth of this country is concentrated in the JSE, so that’s why we came here… The JSE must pronounce non-retrenchment in our country until the economy recovers.”
Johannesburg Demands:
- Reinstatement of 600 Makro workers dismissed during a previous strike.
- Urgent implementation of the Zondo Commission report recommendations.
- Cosatu expects responses from institutions that received memorandums within 14 days.
