Thousands of workers affiliated to the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) will down tools in a national shutdown on Wednesday in protest against load-shedding and the spiralling cost of living.
Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi has described the national shutdown planned for August 24 as the workers’ response to the current economic status quo and the alleged “ongoing class warfare” levelled against them by both public- and private-sector employers.
Losi, as reported in IOL, said that the country’s policies favoured the elite at the expense of the poor, especially the government’s austerity budgets.
“The intention of the strike is to demand urgent action from policymakers and decision makers to take drastic steps to avoid an economic collapse that is threatening the lives of millions of workers and the poor. This is a legally protected strike that is meant to pile pressure on both government and the private sector to fix the economic mess that the country finds itself (in),” Losi said.
Cosatu members plan to march to the Union Buildings in Gauteng on Wednesday to hand over a memorandum to President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding load-shedding and spiralling food and fuel prices.
In the Western Cape, union members will hold a picket outside Prasa Metrorail to demand a more functional, accessible and affordable public transport system, while widespread additional protests are planned for Kwazulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape where members are expected to protest outside Eskom’s offices.
"Look at the local elections that we are coming from. It's a recent reminder of the possibility of the ANC losing power if they do not listen, if they do not act," Losi said.
Saftu general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the union expected all workers, except essential workers, to participate in the industrial action.
Vavi said the workers were protesting against the rising cost of living and food and fuel inflation, as well as load-shedding that was crippling businesses while workers were losing their homes because they could not afford bond repayments due to rising interest rates.
