Cosatu Shares Frustrations About Budget Speech, Considers Dropping ANC
- Labour federation Cosatu is considering dropping its alliance with the African National Congress (ANC)
- Cosatu held a central executive committee meeting and made the announcement a day after the budget speech
- Cosatu also had some strong words to share after Finance Minister Tito Mboweni delivered the 2021 national budget speech
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The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is considering dropping the African National Congress if all goes well with the South African Communist Party (SACP).
The decision comes after Cosatu held a central executive committee meeting and announced a day after the budget speech that it was battling to rally workers behind the ruling party.
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni proposed moderate adjustments to wage increases that were below inflation. After the briefing, Cosatu described the budget as a 'let-down for workers'. The labour federation vowed to not allow a wage freeze.
Source: Getty Images
According to IOL, Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said the ANC-led alliance was facing a crisis of legitimacy. Ntshalintshali noted that although workers had backed the ANC at polls this was not set in stone.
Ntshalintshali's words come just a day after Mboweni's budget speech where it seemed as though the labour federation was disappointed and frustrated.
Times Live reported that Cosatu parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks said that the labour federation would not allow a defeat of the public sector workers. Speaking after the budget speech, Parks stated that they know the full political and economic implications associated with public sector workers losing the battle against a wage freeze.
Staying on the topic of the budget speech, Briefly.co.za recently reported on different politicians' responses to Mboweni's briefing. After the much-anticipated speech was delivered, politicians sich as EFF's Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Herman Mashaba, and former DA leader, Mmusi Maimane shared their thoughts.
Speaking in an interview with a local broadcaster, Ndlozi can be heard saying that the budget speech for this year is a poor attempt to fix an ailing economy. He also said that the budget speech, like the ones before this year, has been filled with promises that never get fulfilled.
Herman Mashaba had this to say:
"Minister @tito_mboweni , when you cook, if your spice to meat ratio is as high as 88%, your meal goes in the bin...Now, it is the same for a country. When our debt-to-GDP ratio climbs to 88% in 2023/24, & your government STILL hasn't cut costs, our country will be in the bin..."
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Source: Briefly News
