The Eastern Cape branch of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has called on its members to down tools on Wednesday in protest at high food prices.
In a statement on Monday, the branch called on its members in the engineering, auto, tyre and motor sectors to join the national stayaway organised by the Congress of South African Trade Unions on Wednesday.
”What we reject from a working class standpoint is the lopsided economic system that we live in that a tiny few individuals, by virtue of their control of the means of production, become the ruling class,” said regional secretary Irvin Jim.
He said the problem was one of greed of the capitalist system that had failed to resolve all problems that confronted humanity, and this was why the struggle for socialism needed to be intensified.
Jim said food was a basic need and at present, it was being treated as a commodity.
”It seems the recent credit crunch is making food-price rises worse. As speculators find their investments in housing and the stock market threatened they have shifted to invest in commodities, such as food,” said Jim.
”No one disputes that the main cause is the explosion of world oil, food and other commodity prices whilst workers’ pay is lagging behind, and living standards are taking a severe hit. But why should workers pay for inflation?”
The exploitation of workers had also generally intensified as the share of profits in national income had risen to record highs, while the wage share declined.
The provincial branch would march on Wednesday to demand that the ”mass murder” of escalating food prices be dealt with.
Jim said popular committees, including trade unions and consumer groups, needed to be set up to monitor prices and measure the real cost of living increases among workers.
The union would also demand that companies, especially big companies, declare their real costs, profits, executive pay and bonuses.
A wage sliding scale also needed be implemented to automatically compensate workers for increased living costs.
A windfall tax on the oil and gas companies that had made profits out of the recent price increase should also be implemented.
Gas and oil companies should be nationalised and electricity, gas and water re-nationalised to be democratically run under the workers’ control and management.
Banks and financial institutions should also be nationalised to provide cheap credit for the planned development of industry and services, and to provide cheap credit for housing and small businesses.
Jim said nationalisation should be carried out with minimum compensation, on the basis of the proven needs of shareholders. In the Eastern Cape, marches would take place in Port Elizabeth, East London, Queenstown, and Mthatha. – Sapa