Rolling mass action by South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) and other affiliates of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has been scheduled for Friday September 1 as a show of solidarity with the cleaning sector, “whose conditions of work are characterised by low wages and poor working conditions”, Satawu said in a statement on Wednesday.
“National and regional leaders of the union agreed this morning [Wednesday] that tens of thousands of workers, in all major centres of the country, will take part in the one-day action to put pressure on cleaning-sector employers to return to the table and negotiate working conditions and salaries intended to improve conditions in this vulnerable sector,” the statement added.
Two divisions of the contract-cleaning sector are on strike. These are area “A” and area “C”, where salaries are R8,57 and R6,87 per hour respectively. They are allowed a minimum of four hours per day and therefore the minimum monthly wage in the sector is R594, Satawu said.
The union added that it had to postpone Wednesday’s protest action at the country’s airports.
“This was after our application was opposed by the Airports Company South Africa for reasons that the airport is a secure environment. Our members dispersed peacefully and went to the Beyers Naude Square.
“We are arranging a future date and picketing area that will be agreeable to all parties, so that our members can practise their constitutional right to express their dissatisfaction with these conditions,” the union said.
It added that other national actions will take place on Thursday at private hospitals and on Friday at selected shopping malls. — I-Net Bridge