By Thapelo Molefe
Ahead of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday, South Africa’s union federations are urging the government to prioritise job creation, economic growth and relief from rising living costs.
While Godongwana is expected to save major policy announcements for the February Budget, certain fiscal pressure points are still likely to take centre stage.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions, led by general secretary Solly Phetoe, will picket outside Parliament, demanding that the government adopt policies that boost job creation and strengthen the public services.
Cosatu parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks said the federation believed that austerity-driven policies have only deepened the country’s economic challenges.
“An economy with 1% growth and a 42% unemployment rate cannot afford a business-as-usual approach,” Parks said in a statement.
Among Cosatu’s demands for the MTBPS are increased funding for public services, particularly in health, education and law enforcement, which
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