The government has tried to exploit negative sentiment towards public sector workers, but siding with the employer may be even more difficult
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Doctors at Africa’s biggest hospital were left scrambling on Tuesday when they had to work without nurses, admin clerks or service staff. Find out how it played out at Chris Hani Baragwanath
The ANC treasurer says there is no stimulus to push for the nationalisation of the central bank and argues against extending its mandate
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Labour has been on the receiving end of a failing economy’s onslaught, giving a business-friendly government the upper hand
Fiscal consolidation is drawing to a close as the public purse was boosted by commodities, but the treasury will probably continue exercising restraint
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This is as a strike looms in the public sector after some unions have rejected the government’s offer of a 3% wage hike
The country has failed to sustained the momentum of the national democratic revolution
Cosatu unions have declared a dispute and have accused the government of undermining collective bargaining
Commentators have weighed in on the Transnet strike’s economic hit, but strike season isn’t over yet
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Despite being disillusioned with their ally in government, the SACP and the labour federation are unlikely to leave the tripartite alliance
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Cosatu, Numsa, Abahlali baseMjondolo and SACP can bring a pro-worker movement
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Workers are in the throes of a cost of living crisis, which could force the government to fold on its hard line against more spending
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Will the South African Communist Party and the labour federation ever leave the ANC or are rumblings just hot air?
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Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi has been nominated unopposed for re-election as she pledged its loyalty to the ANC
Unions failed to shut down the economy on August 24. Growing membership and better leadership are vital for them to be an effective social force
We should protest against comrades before cause, a leadership cult and demand consequences for wrongdoing
The labour federations want a basic income grant of R1 500 and for a drop in the price of food, fuel, electricity and interest rates to
Rival labour federation Cosatu has also called for a national protest
Some, including Zwelinzima Vavi, say unions risk collapse if they are run like businesses — a critique that Irvin Jim argues is part of a ‘mischievous attack’ on his leadership
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With high prices continuing to bear down on consumers the world over, leaders who fail to bring inflation to heel could face a reckoning
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Risk of a confrontation with workers rises after Cosatu’s pleas for extended fuel tax relief are snubbed
This is according to some economists, who say the Reserve Bank got ahead of the curve before inflation became entrenched
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After 14 years of blackouts, the president has promised to expedite load-shedding’s finale
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Trade federation Saftu’s recent conference has revived debate about whether unions represent the plight of workers or their own ambitions
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There is a lot bearing down on South African consumers and, without growth, the economy stands to decline
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Disagreements over a basic income grant, labour law reform and how to save the economy mean consensus is still far off. But trade-offs – and political shifts – will eventually have to be made for there to be any hope of real change
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But unions believe the state lacks the will and capacity to enforce existing labour laws
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Political parties and trade unions are asking the finance minister to address the growing national debt crisis and to extend the R350 grant
Large corporates have thrived during the pandemic to the detriment of the workforce
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The central bank has been criticised for hiking interest rates to the detriment of employment
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Critics have said the repo rate hike will jeopardise already sluggish economic growth, but others say the gradual increase will have little effect
Analysts say the Reserve Bank could start tightening monetary policy as early as next month
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