Publications
Partners
- Cosatu embarked on a nationwide strike on Thursday.
- Together with its affiliates, Cosatu is demanding action against the state of the economy, load shedding, poor governance and the poor living standards of workers.
- The union gave the government 14 days to respond to its demands.
Cosatu and its affiliates embarked on a nationwide strike on Thursday. They are demanding that the government takes action against the state of the economy, load shedding, poor governance and the poor living standards of workers.
In the Western Cape, about 500 Cosatu members marched from Hanover Street to the provincial legislature and then to Parliament where they handed over a memorandum of their grievances.
Workers want the government to take their concerns about violent crime on the Cape Flats, corruption, job losses, unemployment, and high interest rates and tariffs, seriously.
Cosatu's provincial secretary, Malvern de Bruyn, said their memorandum outlined their disappointment in the government's failure to address these concerns.
"We want the provincial and national governments to hear us loud and clear on these matters. They must regard this strike as just a first warning of more mass action to follow, should our demands not be heeded," De Bruyn said.
"Our workers want to see changes being made," De Bruyn said, adding that for far too long workers had suffered at the hands of those in power.
ALSO READ | Inner Joburg a sea of red as Cosatu members march against economic ills, crime and corruption
National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) provincial secretary Baxolise Mali said they were calling on their workers to rise and fight, because all workers were affected by the state of the economy.
Community leader Michelle Pipers said high unemployment had contributed to crime increasing on the Cape Flats and in townships.
"Where are the police deployed in the province to help reduce crime in this area? Our kids are dying at the hands of gangsters. Our children can't find jobs in this province and turn to a life of crime.
"We need proper interventions from the government so that the working class can feel a sense of belonging in this province because right now it looks like our government only cares about rich people," said Pipers. Addressing unionists, ANC provincial executive committee member Wesley Seale lambasted Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, accusing him of being more worried about arresting Russian President Vladimir Putin if he visited South Africa than the plight of the people in the province.
"He wants to arrest Putin, but the gangsters are not arrested," said Seale.
"But still, we are told this is the country's best run province. It's k*k praat [nonsense talk]. This government doesn't take community safety seriously," said Seale.
Retail workers, Charmaine Sauls and Nandipha Albert, said they took a day's leave to join the fight against unemployment and the cost of living.
"To buy bread has become a luxury. Many people in poor areas have to scrape together money to buy decent food for their families. Yet, government officials eat nice food, live in expensive areas, drive fancy cars and have no worries about electricity prices. But we, the working class, are suffering," said Albert.
Sauls said load shedding was a major concern and must be addressed.
"We leave the house, and its load shedding, we come back home, and there's no light. The cost of living is a pandemic in itself. Prices of everything have gone up, yet our salaries don't get increased. It's not right. We also want to have nice things in this life," Sauls said.
Cosatu gave the government 14 days to respond to their demands or face "more protests".
Their demands included:
- Fix unemployment
- Prevent crime and corruption
- End gender-based violence
- Reduce interest rates
- Solve the water and energy crises urgently.
- Eliminate the gender pay gap in all workplaces.
"Nationally, we want results from our demands. We understand government might not meet all our demands, but we are giving them 14 days to respond. Otherwise, we will be back here marching," said De Bruyn.
In Gqeberha, a 200-strong crowd took to the streets, marching from Nangoza Jebe Hall in New Brighton to the city hall in the CBD where a memorandum was handed over to Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Gary van Niekerk.
Cosatu national president, Zingiswa Losi, led the Gqeberha leg of the protests with scores of fed-up workers airing their concerns about crime, unemployment and rising inflation.
The main issues raised in the memorandum were the high rate of unemployment, inequality and poverty.
"Workers must be paid a living wage. They are working but they are poor. They can’t afford anything after receiving their salaries. Businesses must also comply with the Labour Relations Act in this country,” she said.
Losi added that they specifically chose Nelson Mandela Bay for the Eastern Cape leg of the march because it was the most politically unstable metro in the province.
READ | Cosatu march: 'Government has constantly failed,' says nursing union as it joins protest
She said she was "okay" with the turnout, given the current economic situation.
"Workers are demoralised by their circumstances but I’m happy that the issues we have been bringing forward as a federation has sparked a conversation within society,” Losi said.
In KwaZulu-Natal, Cosatu's march kicked off about an hour and a half later than anticipated.
Hundreds of workers gathered at King Dinuzulu Park in the Durban CBD just before midday. The union federation’s KZN secretary, Edwin Mkhize, said: "We are concerned about the cost of living, which has been persistently increasing, and this is having a negative impact on workers. They are struggling to pay for their home and vehicle loans."
He added that the union planned to revive its campaign against some employers' continued use of labour brokers.
"Many workers are complaining that a large chunk of their salaries goes to agents of labour brokers, and we believe this is unjust,” he said.
Cosatu’s march in KZN ended at the eThekwini city hall, where they handed over a memorandum of demands to representatives from government offices, state-owned enterprises and the business community. Most business activities in KZN proceeded as normal despite the Cosatu strike. However, Mkhize said the demonstrations would have an impact on various sectors of the economy.
