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BL Premium reports that the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has called on the government to set aside at least R1-trillion – or one-fifth of GDP – to address the socioeconomic crises dogging the country and create much-needed jobs through re-industrialisation.
Saftu said the state also needed to increase the ballooning wage bill by employing more public servants, increase the minimum wage of R23.19 per hour to R12,500 per month, implement a R1,500 basic income grant (BIG) and end austerity measures. “We are sitting right on top of a powder keg, a ticking time bomb, if you look at all the social aspects we are beginning to experience in our country. Act now and avoid a calamity,” said Saftu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on Monday. He was addressing the media ahead of the federation’s national shutdown march to the Union Buildings on Wednesday to protest against unemployment, load-shedding and high food, fuel, transport and electricity costs, among other things. The ANC-aligned Cosatu also plans to march to the Union Buildings on the same issues on Wednesday. The two labour federations account for more than 2.2-million members. Vavi said workers needed to unite around the same programme of action as they faced the same socioeconomic challenges. “The principal demand is that we want jobs for youth and black women. That can only be achieved if the government restructures the current economy and change the growth path ... to meet the most basic needs of workers,” Vavi argued. He also said the national shutdown on Wednesday would not be an isolated event: “Post August 24, we will assess government’s response and sustain the programmes of action for a long period to force the government to change the current strategies it has been pursuing over the past 28 years.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page