Saftu: Relaxed regulations ‘will send workers to slaughterhouse’
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) believes the move by President Cyril Ramaphosa to further open the economy shows that government is buckling under pressure from the private sector.
Ramaphosa announced on Wednesday night that consultations will start to move most of the country to level 3 of the lockdown by the end of May.
The government will also announce the further easing of level 4 regulations, to allow for more business activity, over the next couple of weeks.
Saftu general-secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says the federation is worried that employers have decided to disregard government's efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.
"We battling everywhere with the employers cutting corners and not doing anything of there things the Minister of Employment and Labour (Thulas Nxesi) has announced," says Vavi.
Vavi believes this is a clear indication that the department cannot enforce the regulations.
"We are beginning to see the link between the spike and the opening of the economy, with more pressure from the employer without coming to the party in term of complying to the regulations,” he says.
"We fear that the employees are going to be sent to the slaughterhouse.”