Cosatu to sit out general strike

Union federations square up over national minimum wage

THE country’s two biggest labour federations are at loggerheads over today’s national strike, with the one claiming labour reforms seek to undermine worker gains and the other saying they are necessary to grow the economy.

Today’s strike, called by the SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu), also has the backing of the EFF and comes on top of the crippling bus strike which is still continuing.

“Government has already imposed VAT, sugar tax, fuel levy and all other manner of taxes to resolve an economic crisis that the workers did not create,” the EFF said.

Saftu has called the strike to highlight its opposition to the national minimum wage, pegged at R3 500. Cosatu and its affiliates have distanced themselves from the strike, agreeing with the proposed national minimum wage.

Cape Chamber of Commerce president Janine Myburgh said the Saftu general strike was another attempt to delay the labour reforms “we desperately need if we are to grow the economy and create new jobs”.

“One of the reforms in the bills before Parliament provides for a secret strike ballot before a legal strike can take place. It is a democratic measure and it could play an important role in reducing intimidation and the violence that so often accompanies a strike in South Africa,” Myburgh said.

“We want a more democratic system where the majority of the workers make decisions on strikes, and not the most militant workers who disagree with the majority.

“I can’t see any good reason to go on strike to protest against a fundamentally democratic provision in the law”.

Saftu spokesperson Patrick Craven said

they were against the minimum wage. “It is not enough and not a living minimum wage. South Africa’s economy needs urgent change. There are so many people who work for little money, which means they have little to spend to form part of the economy.

“According to academics, families need at least R4 500 a month to be able to survive. The strike will happen in all the big cities around the country,” he said.

Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt said there was good and bad news about today’s strike.

“The good news is that the South African economy has become strikeproof. The country has seen a lot of labour strikes. It will cause a bit of disruption, but it won’t be significant.”

Cosatu provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich said the union federation wouldn’t be joining the strike. “We disagree with their position on the minimum wage. They are striking for nothing. This is a storm in a teacup.

“They claim that they will be shutting down Cape Town today, but they only have 22 000 members in Cape Town. The new minimum wage of R20 an hour for workers is an improvement on the R14 per hour…

“Cosatu, the National Council of Trade Unions and the Federation of Unions of SA will not be participating. The last Saftu march only saw 3 000 workers march in Cape Town.

“Cosatu will be having the mother of all marches against City of Cape Town and Parliament on May 1. It will focus on the public transport crisis, water cost increases and a minimum wage of R6 500.

“The transport and other public services will be working today. Cosatu calls for a peaceful protest today and remind Saftu that they are just a small union,” Ehrenreich said.