The Star reports that the new labour federation in the making will be embarking on mass recruitment and job campaigns in order to attract members among the 76% of South African workers who are not organised in unions.  

In order to attract members, the steering committee of the federation, which will be launched by next year, will focus on issues they believe their competition has dealt with poorly.  They include demanding a living wage from employers and changing ownership patterns of the economy.  The steering committee, which is headed by Zwelinzima Vavi, former general secretary of Cosatu, said the campaigns would involve mass organisation in the workplace and communities and would focus on 16 key demands.  “Unemployment has now reached breaking point at 8.9 million of the adult population. The figures speak for themselves, we are witnessing nothing less than a jobs bloodbath,” Vavi said in Joburg on Thursday.

• Read this report by Heidi Giokos and Zintle Mahlati in full at The Star
• Read too, Vavi projects new federation launch by year end, at SABC News

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page