Cosatu Pushes for Countrywide Standstill in Response to SA's Economic Crisis: “They Are Clueless”
- Cosatu has called a strike to bring the country to a halt as a result of job losses and economic hardships brought on by corruption
- The Union encouraged all employees to either remain at home in protest or to take part in marches and demonstrations
- The protest intended to push both the government and the business sector to address the country's present economic crisis
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DURBAN - A strike by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) began on Thursday, 7 October, with the goal of bringing the country to a standstill over job losses and the economic crisis of corruption.
The rally was expected to only last a single day and the trade union appealed to every employed individual to either stay at home in protest or to participate in marches and rallies.
Cosatu's goal was to drum up attention with the end game intention of compelling both Government and the private sector to rectify the economic mess the country currently endured.
Source: Getty Images
According to TimesLIVE, Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said they demanded immediate action by government policymakers and the private sector to alleviate the strain placed on workers such as the reversal of budget cuts that resulted in wage freezes.
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In a report by EWN, Pamla detailed other issues that the trade union found outrageous like the retrenchment in state-owned businesses as well as the diminishing of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
Mzansi has questions about the nationwide strike
@Nhleiks5 asked:
"Where's Thulas Nxesi our minister of labour, Numsa and Cosatu strike falls under his department?"
@lynetso believes:
"I think COSATU leaders are lazy. Rather stay home and strike. Not interested in finding a solution to building up a failing economy. Surely they realize by now work is the answer no matter what. Is unemployment and handouts the answer to everything?"
@TlkSheeet shared:
"The strike will be as ineffective as #Cosatu is. They are to blame for job losses and increased poverty."
@hugopien stated:
"So Cosatu wants to strike over job losses. Guess they will be striking against themselves then. And in the same breath, they oppose vaccine mandates when vaccines are sure route to return to economic normality & more jobs. You can't make this stuff up."
@ellijah_madwara tweeted:
"Cosatu's strike is a farce, a scam and basically an ANC campaign march. #Cosatu must just close shop, they are clueless and without ideas."
Numsa: Thousands of members march in response to only 4% salary increase
Previously, Briefly News reported that Numsa was aggrieved by only a 4% salary increase as opposed to the 8% they request and as a result, thousands of members converged on Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown on Tuesday, 5 October.
Similar marches were expected to happen in additional provinces such as the Northern Cape, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. The marches are a result of a stalemate with decision-makers in the engineering world who have not been given the green light for the desired salary increase.
The stalemate began in September and the union, with about 155 000 members, demanded a national shutdown thus holding the sector hostage until their demands were met.
Source: Briefly News
