Business Report writes that SA’s two largest trade union federations have put their differences aside in a bid to tackle the country’s worsening economic crisis and rising unemployment.

Thousands of workers affiliated to the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) will on Wednesday down their tools and join the national strike against what they believe is impending economic collapse. Giving an update on Sunday, Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi said the socio-economic strike represented a push back and a response by the workers to the ongoing class warfare directed at them by both public and private sector employers. She said the growing frustration in the country was mainly being fuelled by policies that favoured the elite at the expense of the poor, especially the austerity budgets within the government. “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,” Losi said. Saftu general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said they expected all workers to participate in the stayaway, except essential workers, as the strike was protected under the Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act. Vavi advised that they have six demands on a variety of issues, including the escalating cost of living as the food basket had increased by 14% this year, and by 49% from a year ago. “Saftu and many other workers’ formations, including Cosatu, are saying this is totally unsustainable and we cannot allow them to just twiddle our fingers and do nothing,” he stated.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siphelele Dludla at Business Report

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