Cape Town - The rising cost of living, a functional integrated transport system and avoiding economic collapse are the driving forces behind the planned strike action by labour unions.
Cosatu and the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) announced last week that nationwide strikes “to demand urgent action from policymakers and decision-makers to take drastic steps to avoid an economic collapse that is threatening the lives of millions of workers and the poor” will take place on Wednesday.
Cosatu in the province will join the mass protest action by demanding answers from the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) about a “functional, timeous, accessible, affordable and integrated public transport system”.
Cosatu provincial spokesperson Malvern de Bruyn said they would be marching to Prasa after demands made in 2020 had still not been met.
They had asked for train ticket prices to be reduced by 50% until the railway service became fully operational again, to station 12 visible security officers at all stations to create a safer environment for commuters, and for government intelligence services to develop a plan to respond to vandalism and the burning of trains.
Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda said it noted Cosatu’s plan to march over demands not being met.
“While it is within Cosatu’s right to march on issues affecting South Africans, we would like to categorically state that some of the issues raised by the federation have been addressed and continue to be addressed.
“We have resumed services on certain sections of the Central Line – Cape Town to Langa via Pinelands, and Langa to Bellville via Sarepta. We will further engage with Cosatu Western Cape at an appropriate forum,” said Makanda.
Cosatu national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the legally protected strike was meant to pile pressure on both the government and the private sector to fix the economic mess in which the country finds itself.
“Currently, half the country lives in poverty, with many families forced to live without adequate food, and many of them cannot find jobs. Workers are dealing with wage stagnation with their wages repealed by inflation and punishing debt,” said Pamla.
They also called for the Energy Department to revive its solar panel programme for indigent households.
“The government and the private sector need to honour their commitments under the Eskom Social Compact, in particular reducing its debt by half. This would enable the power utility to ramp up its maintenance programme and invest in its own renewable energy generation capacity,” said Pamla.
Eskom declined to comment.
Assembly of the Unemployed (AoU) said it was joining the mass action in solidarity, demanding tangible solutions to the current economic crisis.
“The South African government continues to fail to deliver on its promise of a better life for all. The extreme austerity imposed by the Treasury is becoming (a) most painful and destructive policy. Just recently, austerity claimed two lives in Mpumalanga where two municipal workers were shot dead while protesting for a decent wage. The current austerity measures are having a negative impact on service delivery and hinder the proper functioning of government institutions. We call on South Africans, the working class, employed and unemployed, to unite and demand an end to austerity,” AoU said.
Cape Times