Saftu planning national shutdown against cost of living, load shedding
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has announced plans for a national shutdown in August to protest against the rising cost of living and load shedding.
The federation briefed the media in Boksburg following its national executive committee meeting.
The federation’s general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said the executive has decided to call for a national shutdown in response to the various facing South Africans.
“The NEC has decided to call for a national shut down to respond to the worsening living standards because of massive increase in prices for food, electricity, interests' rates and fuels. Load shedding that leads to collapse of small businesses and increased job losses.
“The austerity programme that has led to government freezing public sector wages, not investing in the infrastructure, and not filling vacancies, privatisation, jobs bloodbath and the worsening unemployment, and the worsening levels of crime including GBV and killing of police officers,” says Vavi.
Vavi said the federation will ask a wide array of political parties and organisations to join the one-day strike.
“Saftu has set a targeted date for a one-day general strike on the 24 of August 2022. People who say ohh no so far. We don’t want to rush and just do another event which pass and the status quo remain.
“We want to be thorough in the consultation with our own members, we want to roll that process of consultation with other federations and other trade unions properly so that we don’t leave anybody behind. We want to knock at the door of every political party that is left leaning.”
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