Thousands of Cosatu mebers are expected to strike today.
Image via Twitter @_Cosatu
Cosatu strike: Thousands of workers countrywide expected to march today
Thousands of Cosatu members and other union members are expected to march on Thursday at 28 venues across all nine provinces in South Africa.
Thousands of Cosatu mebers are expected to strike today.
Image via Twitter @_Cosatu
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) nationwide socio-economic strike was set to kick off at the Mary Fitzgerald Square in Johannesburg at 9am on Thursday morning 7 October.
Cosatu says the strike is against budget cuts, retrenchments of workers in state-owned companies, high levels of unemployment and gender-based violence amongst other issues.
Thousands of Cosatu members and other union members are expected to take to the streets in more than 28 venues in major cities and towns across all nine provinces.
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POLICE AND PRISONS UNION SUPPORTS STRIKE
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) said it supports the strike which will be taking place under strict Covid-19 restrictions as part of the Global Day for Decent Work activities.
“POPCRU encourages its members who will be off-duty to join in these actions at their respective provinces. It is reported that by July 2021, just over three million South Africans have lost their jobs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, while of those who managed to keep their jobs, 1,5 million did not have an income, and with women bearing the brunt of these job losses,” said Richard Mamabolo the spokesperson.
He said that the Cosatu National Day of Action provided an opportune moment for workers and the general public to voice out their dissatisfactions on various issues, including the reversal of budget cuts that led to an unacceptable wage freeze in the public service.
READ: Cosatu urges millions of SA workers to strike on Thursday
CRIMINAL JUSTICE CLUSTER AFFECTED BY BUDGET CUTS
Mamabolo said members of the Criminal Justice Cluster (CJC) have also suffered under the circumstances and they share the same sentiments as Cosatu that if there is no change in the country’s economic policy direction, the already deteriorating standards of living of working people will be worsened.
“Many of our members within the CJC continue to be faced by numerous, long standing challenges that have been ignored over the years, and despite our successes in certain areas, a lot still needs to be done in improving their conditions,” he said.
