The month following Workers’ Day will see strikes in the public sector, manufacturing, mining and construction and the service sector, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said in its May Day message on Friday.
Spokesperson Patrick Craven said the strikes will be part of the Jobs and Poverty Campaign and that May Day will be used to mobilise for the strikes scheduled for the rest of the month.
The first sector strike of the month will be on May 9 (manufacturing), followed by May 11 (public sector), May 16 (mining and construction) and May 18 (services).
Commenting on the current strike by security guards, Craven said they are a typical example of workers who are underpaid and ruthlessly exploited.
”We are 100% behind the South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union. We have made an urgent call on the minister of labour, the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration and the employers to bring this bitter dispute to a speedy end, through a settlement that improves the lives of the workers.”
Cosatu’s May Day message added that almost two out of three Africans under the age of 30 are unable to find work and that most union members support young people who cannot find work.
Job creation is still not fast enough to dent unemployment, read the message.
Cosatu also lashed out at the relationship between political leaders and the labour movement’s class enemies.
”These people’s representatives, in particular those serving in Parliament and in the trade-union movement, must choose between two things: being people’s representatives or businessmen or -women.” — Sapa