By Lungile Ntimba
The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) has declared a national strike for Monday, which coincides with World Day for Decent Work.
Cosatu spokesperson Zanele Sabela said county was dealing with a socioeconomic crisis, including rising unemployment, high interest rates, poverty, inequality, crime and rampant retrenchments in the public and private sectors.
“Chief among our grievances is the staggering unemployment rate in the country. As it stands, 11.3 million people need jobs. This includes people who have given up looking for work, but that does not mean they don’t need jobs,” she said in a statement.
Sabelo said that despite some improvements such as the interest rate cuts, Cosatu’s upcoming mass action would focus on the rising cost of living, including Eskom’s proposed 36.1% tariff increase for next year.
“The federation also laments the ever-escalating cost of living with the increase in the price of basics such as bread, milk, eggs and vegetables exceeding CPI. It is no wonder working class and poor communities struggle to feed their families”, she said.
Given the high rate of unemployment, Cosatu demanded a moratorium on retrenchments.
“It is nonsensical for employers to continue retrenching the few workers who do have jobs. Mining company Seriti is the latest in a series of employers to announce plans to retrench, with more than 1100 jobs at risk” said Sabela.
The National Union of Mineworkers has also pledged support and solidarity with workers at Seriti Resources.
“Seriti Resources has been on a wild streak of Section 189 notices which will leave a staggering 1143 workers out of jobs. It is proving to be a callous employer with exploitative intentions and relentless greed”, NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said.
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal Cosatu secretary Edwin Mkhize said that they saw the strike a crucial because it was about “bread and butter issues for the workers”.
He also raised concerns over companies not complying with the national minimum wage.
“Many workers are robbed of their rights to earn a basic salary which they have fought so hard for through the federation. All these companies must be named and shamed and decisive action taken against them,” said Mkhize.
Cosatu’s list of demands include that the government drops its privatisation strategies and ends austerity measures.
Thousands are expected to join the national day of action, which will take the form of marches and pickets across the country.
In Johannesburg, protesters will march to the stock exchange in Sandton.
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