A CALL by South Africa’s biggest labour group for workers to stage a one-day national strike on Thursday against budget cuts went largely unheeded, an employers’ group said.
More than 83% of staff reported for duty, ignoring an appeal by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) to stay away, a survey of 191 firms conducted by the National Employers Association of South Africa showed.
“I envisaged this Cosatu strike was going to be a major failure,” and no noticeable business disruptions were reported, Gerhard Papenfus, the association’s chief executive officer, said by phone.
Cosatu said budget cuts had led to an unacceptable wage freeze for civil servants and retrenchments by state companies, and it accused private firms of embarking on an “investment strike”, with many of them hoarding cash or taking it out the country. The federation’s demands included that the government reverse spending curbs, do more to
You’ve reached your free article limit
Subscribe to enjoy unlimited access to trusted journalism. Cancel anytime.
Subscribe nowNeed help? molokom@insidepolitic.co.za
