A total public-service shutdown next Friday and a complete strike next Wednesday by all Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) affiliates has been called for by the federation.
This comes as negotiations between the state and public-sector unions are expected to resume in the Public Sector Coordinating Bargaining Council on Friday.
Council general secretary Shamira Huluman said labour was expected to meet in smaller groups on Thursday to consolidate counter-proposals to the employer’s offer of 6,5% wage increase.
On Wednesday, Cosatu’s central executive committee (CEC) said affiliates would immediately consult and mobilise members and seek legal opinion on solidarity action.
”In this regard every union will work towards a complete strike on Wednesday 13 June,” said spokesperson Patrick Craven.
The 21 affiliates — including the already striking eight public service unions — represent roughly 1,8-million workers.
Each union would have to file individual notice seven days ahead of taking secondary strike action, he said.
Cosatu’s eight public-service unions have been on joint industrial action since last Friday with public-sector unions from the Independent Labour Caucus and the Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa).
On Monday, the unions rejected government’s revised pay package with a proposed 6,5% general increase.
Unions have been demanding 12% which the government has said is ”unsustainable”.
Three of Cosatu’s biggest affiliates -‒ collectively representing roughly 600 000 workers — have already announced that they are considering sympathy action.
They are the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa), and the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu).
The NUM, the country’s largest union, will meet attorneys on Thursday to see if full-blown industrial action can be taken in a shorter period than the required seven days notice.
The union has 280 000 members in the mining, construction and energy sectors.
The 120 000-strong South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) -‒ the country’s largest local government union — said a mandate from union members would be finalised by Friday.
”There is a likelihood that we will be joining the public servants strike,” general-secretary Mthandeki Nhlapo told the South African Press Association.
The Numsa has called upon its 220 000 members to stage lunch-time demonstrations at factories on Friday.
Spokesperson Mziwakhe Hlangani said legal advice should have been sought by Monday on other forms of solidarity action and possible secondary strikes.
The Communication Workers Union, with 44 000 workers, said it would embark on a secondary strike from next week.
A three-day Cosatu meeting, which ended Wednesday, agreed to intensify strike action with a ”total shutdown” of the public service on Friday.
Workers in all sectors were called upon to hold lunch-time pickets in support of the shut-down.
Craven said a court interdict calling on essential services workers to return to work was noted.
However, Cosatu demanded that threats to dismiss workers be withdrawn.
”These threats are despite the absence of minimum service [level] agreements which the government has refused to sign since being requested to do so by the unions in 1999.”
The government should sign such agreements so that hospitals were not left unmanned during the strike.
The federation believed that improved service delivery lay in better working conditions and pay and the investment of resources by the state.
The non-public service Cosatu affiliates include sectors such as mining, clothing and textiles, transport, local government, communications, finance, sport and the performing arts. – Sapa