Cosatu Says Workers Who Forced President Cyril Ramaphosa to Leave Workers' Day Rally Will Face No Consequences

Cosatu Says Workers Who Forced President Cyril Ramaphosa to Leave Workers' Day Rally Will Face No Consequences

  • Cosatu says the disgruntled workers who forced President Cyril Ramaphosa to leave a Workers' Day even early will not be sanctioned
  • The workers expressed their anger at the president and the African National Congress for not honouring commitments made in 2018
  • On social media, South Africans are appalled by the group of workers who took a stand against Ramaphosa

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RUSTENBURG - The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) says the disgruntled workers who disrupted President Cyril Ramaphosa's Workers Day address in Mafikeng will not face any consequences.

Ramaphosa was invited to speak at the May Day celebrations at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in the North West province when workers started demanding that the president leave the event.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, workes day event, Cosatu, MAy Day rally, workers disrupt, no action against workers, Sibanye Stillwaters
President Cyril Ramaphosa had to leave a Workers' Day event early due to unhappy workers protesting. Image: RODGER BOSCH/AFP
Source: Getty Images

Cosatu says while no action will be taken against the workers who forced Ramaphosa to leave the event early, the trade union is not condoning the behaviour of the workers because it sympathises with them, according to SABC News.

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The workers blamed the African National Congress (ANC) government for failing them and not adhering to the collective bargaining resolution made in 2018.

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They also stated that the ANC-led government favoured employers over workers by not allowing them to head to the courts to find solutions to their grievances.

The Witness reports that the workers that disrupted Ramaphosa's address were from Sibanye-Stillwater mines. Workers have been protesting for better wages in the past few months with no resolution in sight yet.

South Africans react to President Cyril Ramphosa being chased away from Workers' Day event

@TheRealPro7 said

"Congratulations Sibanye Stillwater miners for chasing Cyril Ramaphosa away from Royal Bafokeng Stadium. I am proud of you."

@Matsobane04 sid:

"The ANC is far from fulfilling its promises. Corruption is thriving. Living standards are declining. Unemployment is climbing. The state capture had enriched a few at the cost of the vast majority."

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@LesegoM16825790 said:

"I love what is happening at North West (Rustenburg), they are showing COSATU and Cyril Ramaphosa flames."

Ramaphosa forced to flee as Cosatu rally spirals into chaos

Briefly News previously reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa was forced to flee from a Cosatu rally on Worker's Day as angry workers tried to force their way onto the stage.

The president and other delegates were hurried out of the Royal Bafokeng Stadium after workers rose out of their seats and pushed past the hapless police officers who were powerless to stop them.

Workers at the Sibanye Stillwater's gold mines were demanding an annual R1 000 increase each year. The mine was unable to meet that demand but came back with a revised offer of R800 and a R50 increase in living allowance, according to News24.

Source: Briefly News

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