26 August 2010

Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on August 24 announced that its affiliated unions will launch a solidarity “secondary strike” on September 2 in support of the country’s 1.3 million public servants and teachers, who are on strike for better wages and allowances. “All COSATU unions, in both the public and private sectors, will embark on a sympathy strike. No member of COSATU will be at work next week”, Vavi warned.

According to the August 25 Johannesburg Times, Vavi told a press conference following a COSATU executive meeting (see statement below) that the African National Congress (ANC) government was being “disingenuous”.”We do need a total shutdown until government comes to its senses and accede to the legitimate demands of the working class.” He likened ANC cabinet ministers who lived “caviar lifestyles” to “the shepherd feeding himself, forgetting about the lambs”.

Public servants are demanding an 8.6% wage increase and a R1000 a month housing allowance. The ANC government is offering 7% and a R700 allowance.

Vavi attacked the government for organising “volunteers” to staff hospitals and schools around the country. “Volunteering for a stipend is scabbing. Scabbing is an international word meant to explain exactly that — when you come and take jobs off workers who are in a legal strike. Yes, you can work with us in order to ensure that no lives are lost, but please don’t cross the picket line”, he said.

After more than 100 strikers were arrested on August 23, Vavi urged members of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) and the South Afrcian Policing Union “not to allow the employer to use them to crush the strike”. POPCRU accused the national police and Johannesburg Metro Police of “real state brutality” towards its members during protests outside hospitals and schools: “Our contention is that all has been applied in terms of the law, but we continue to see police officers provoking workers at the picket line . hitting, arresting and shooting peaceful marchers.”

On August 25, South African Security Forces Union president Bhekinkosi Mvovo said that “workers in uniform … should not be used in a manner that seeks to undermine the right of workers to strike. The scenes that have been widely reported in the media of policemen failing to use the minimum force to striking women during women’s month are very disturbing. The continual use of soldiers as scab labour in hospitals is not only unsustainable but is parasitic as the very soldiers stand to benefit to a reasonable settlement and demand of the public service workers. The government should be careful of developing a negative relationship between the soldiers and the poor as this might strain any future cooperation between soldiers and workers.”

South African Democratic Teachers Union’s Bongani Mconyana told a rally of striking public servants and teachers on August 24 that South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma might, like former president Thabo Mbeki, not complete his term as president if he refused to change his attitude to the strike. Mbeki was deposed by Zuma after COSATU and the South African Communist Party members within the ANC campaigned against him.

The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) confirmed that its 52,000 members in Gauteng province would go on a sympathy strike on August 27. SAMWU spokesperson Tahir Sema said: “There will be a total shutdown of all Gauteng municipal services, including water, customer service, Metro Police and municipal clinics to show support for our colleagues.” Sema also warned: “If the government does not resolve the current impasse as soon as possible, as many as 150,000 SAMWU members will be downing tools nationwide.” SAMWU’s 16,000 members in the Eastern Cape province will also strike on August 30.

Also, on August 26, mass marches in support of the public service strikers were held throughout South Africa.

Source: http://links.org.au/