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Fin24 reports that a national strike across the country in protest against the rising cost of living, load shedding, "privatisation" of state-owned entities and other economic challenges will take place on 24 August.
This was decided by the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) at its Working Class Summit on Friday. The shutdown in three weeks will see Saftu, its union affiliates, and like-minded organisations protesting nationwide. Saftu had an estimated 725,078 individual members in 21 affiliates unions in 2018. However, it remains to be seen how successful the national shutdown will be, as rival federation Cosatu held such a national strike last year, with little discernable economic effect. Also complicating the dynamics, Saftu is now at odds with the leadership of its largest member union, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa). This was the first gathering of the Working Class Summit since July 2018. Since then, the Covid-19 pandemic and continued government failures have worsened economic volatility and eviscerated jobs. Saftu president Ruth Ntlokotse addressed the Summit on Friday and said the working class faced unprecedented economic pressures from rising costs including the inflation rate, electricity tariffs, fuel prices, and food costs. She lamented the country's expanded 45.6% unemployment rate – disproportionately felt among young South Africans – with two million job losses as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Social partners at the Summit demanded that the government expand social grant protections and introduce a basic income grant.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Khulekani Magubane at Fin24
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