Workers in Gauteng and the North West stayed off work and held demonstrations on Monday to protest unemployment and job losses.
Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) spokesperson Patrick Craven said demonstrations were being held in Pretoria, Rustenburg, Klerksdorp and Mafikeng.
He said thousands of people had gathered in Church Square in Pretoria.
”The teachers’ union is here; so are clothing workers and shop workers,” Craven said. ”The stayaways are a continuation of mass action that was held last week.”
Cosatu said close to 100 000 workers were expected to march on Monday in Gauteng and the North West.
Cosatu spokesperson Paul Notyawa said that in Gauteng, workers would be marching from Church Square in Pretoria to the Union Buildings.
”We will be handing over a memorandum to both business representatives and government,” Notyawa said.
Gold and platinum mines in the North West and Gauteng were expected to be hard hit by the strikes.
But South African Chamber of Mines spokesperson Frans Barker said the industry was largely unaffected.
”There are a few shafts that aren’t operating, but most of the industry is working. The strike has had a very limited effect,” he said.
The strikes started in the Eastern and Western Cape last week.
In these two provinces, Cosatu targeted certain employers in the clothing, fishing and farming industries.
Workers accused employers of retrenching, outsourcing and casualising workers, and of engaging in racist practices. — Sapa, I-Net Bridge