/ 25 April 2018

#ScrapNewLabourLaws: The EFF comes to the party

The EFF has slammed the ruling party’s championing of radical economic transformation
The EFF has slammed the ruling party’s championing of radical economic transformation

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has released a statement declaring that it stands in solidarity with those embarking on a nationwide strike on April 25.

The party said that it supports labour federation the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and urges all workers to join the strike against the proposed amendments to the Labour Relations Act, including the imposition of the new national minimum wage.

The statement reads: “The government has already imposed [an increased] value-added tax, a sugar tax, a fuel levy and all other manners of taxes to resolve an economic crisis that the workers did not create, the very same government proposes that the national minimum wage for all workers should be R20 per hour, even less than the minimum living wage that was the findings of the research from the University of Cape Town in 2014.”

The party also slammed the ruling party’s championing of radical economic transformation, while at the same time proposing a bill that will “further entrench poverty and cause the present inequalities to remain a permanent feature of our nation”.

“This is clearly an attack on the labour force of South Africa and a deliberate programme to further oppress our people,” the EFF said.

The party called on all workers to support the strike and demanded better standards of living for all workers, as was promised by the ANC.

The EFF’s statement comes after Saftu General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi announced at a press conference yesterday that he has called on all political parties to support the strike.

“We are calling on the EFF, who wear our same colours. It is time to come to the party,” Vavi said.

Wednesday’s strike will take place in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Polokwane and Durban, with each march starting at 10am.