Cosatu considers rolling mass action to bring SA to standstill

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is set for a full-blown national strike within the next two months.

Its goals are to put pressure on President Jacob Zuma to step down and to fight the Gupta-led state capture, corruption and the jobs bloodbath in the country.

Cosatu deputy general secretary Solly Phetoe said that initially, the focus of the national mass action would be on socioeconomic issues, such as job losses and labour brokering.

It would then be intensified to demand Zuma vacate the presidency and an end to corruption and state capture.

Phetoe said a section 77 notice application has been submitted to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac).

A similar notice would follow on the implementation of the recommendations of former public protector Thuli Madonsela. Her State of Capture report implicated the Guptas, some politicians and the Eskom board.

“We are concerned about job losses, that is why we put the socioeconomic issues on top of the agenda of our planned action.

“We have seen jobs being shed, particularly in the mining and textile sectors.

“We have cited the closing of five Eskom power stations and the introduction of independent power producers (IPPs) in the process in our section 77 notification,” he said.

Recently, Eskom announced it would shut down stations at Hendrina, Kriel, Komati, Grootvlei and Camden in Mpumalanga, putting at least 10 000 jobs on the line. The cost-cutting move is seen as preparation to introduce the IPPs, whose credentials have been questioned by trade unions affiliated to Cosatu and the new South African Federation of Trade Unions.

National Union of Mineworkers’ general secretary David Sipunzi told The Citizen this year they had no doubt that some individuals in government and the ANC were behind the IPPs and stood to benefit from the process. The IPPs were also said to be linked to the Gupta family’s attempt to capture the mining sector.

Depending on the outcome of these applications, the federation and its affiliates would decide whether to embark on rolling mass action to shut down the country in a national strike within two months.

In the meantime, there would be pickets to put pressure on the private sector and government to stop the escalation in job losses.

According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter, the 433 000 increase in the number of job-seekers has increased the unemployment rate to 27.7%.

StatsSA said this was the highest unemployment rate since 2003.

The informal unemployment rate is put at 35% to 40%.

Phetoe said Cosatu wanted Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to replace Zuma as ANC president because he could save the party.

He said Zuma should step down because he had brought trouble to the ANC.

Cosatu and its affiliates have endorsed Ramaphosa as their choice to replace Zuma.

Section 77 notice has been submitted to Nedlac.