Cosatu switches May Day rally venue

The Congress of South African Trade Unions’ May Day rally will be held at the Athlone stadium instead of the Cape Town stadium, the federation’s provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich said on Tuesday.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions met on Tuesday and decided to move the rally to the Athlone stadium after a dispute with the city over the cost of renting Cape Town’s World Cup stadium.

On Monday, the City of Cape Town said it had given Cosatu a 75% discount on the use of the stadium on May Day.

City spokesman Brett Herron told the SABC that the going rate to rent the stadium for a day was R350 000.

Further costs were from security arrangements and preparations of the venue.

But Ehrenreich said the city was quoting the union an additional R1-million to the R800 000 agreed to earlier in April.

He said Cosatu viewed the move as an attempt by the city to deny poor families an opportunity to visit the World Cup stadium.

“We are calling on Cosatu members not to go to the Cape Town Stadium on May Day in protest of the DA’s [Democratic Alliance] unwillingness to let the stadium be enjoyed by working families.

“We will be moving the event to Athlone Stadium and will roll out the programme there.”

Buses would be available to transport people from the Athlone train station and other residential areas to the stadium.

Ehrenreich said a formal complaint “related to the conduct of the City of Cape Town” would be lodged with the South African Local Government Association.—Sapa