Horacio just sent me this article from Yahoo! news. Hmmmm. I wonder how I'll run into this while I'm in South Africa....by Isaac MangenaWed Jun 13, 5:37 PM ET
The biggest strike in South Africa since the end of apartheid intensified Wednesday as hundreds of thousands more workers downed tools, bringing large parts of the country to a standstill.
Bus and train services, refuse collections and court sittings all ground to a halt as the unions staged a massive show of strength with marches through the centre of the country's main cities.
Despite optimism from President Thabo Mbeki the wage dispute could soon be resolved, the effect further paralysed a country where most public schools have been closed since the start of the month and hospitals are only able to operate a skeleton service with army medics.
As newspaper headlines proclaimed "Shutdown" "Brace Yourself, SA", the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) vowed to force the government into raising their pay offer from the current 7.25 percent. Unions are holding out for 10 percent.
COSATU spokesman Patrick Craven said there was "considerable disruption" as protesters took part in 46 marches organised across the country.
"There is not a shadow of a doubt that hundreds of thousands joined the strike one way or another," he told AFP.
"There has been considerable disruption in the government's public services. Schools were not operating, health institutions ran a little service, and buses and taxis ... were not functioning. It was major and we hope this will convince government to listen to our demands," he added.
The impact of the strike was felt by commuters, with few trains operating and many bus drivers joining the stoppage, including from private firms.
Government offices also reported major disruption to services.
Tens of thousands of union members who chose to stay away from their workplace took to the streets in cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town to demand an increase in pay and better conditions.
Papa Dlamini, a male nurse at Carltonville hospital west of Johannesburg, acknowledged the strike had caused much suffering but defended the stayaway.
"It hurts us that our people are dying but the situation does not allow us to go to work," he told AFP at a march in downtown Johannesburg attended by several thousand marchers.
"We blame the government for not giving us what we want, for the death of our patients and also for our children not being in school."
Thulas Nxesi, secretary general of the South Africa Democratic Teachers Union, gave little hope the dispute would end any time soon.
"We regret to inform you that what is supposed to be negotiation has so far become a joke. Instead the employer, which is our government, did not show any political will and commitment to deal with issues on table," he told the rally.
After being handed a list of the workers' demands, the premier of Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria said it was in everyone's interest that a solution be found when negotiations resume on Friday.
"We are aware the negotiations have been going for far too long, that it is important that all of us ... put our heads together to find an acceptable settlement in the best interests of both workers and government," Mbhazima Shilowa said.
Church groups also added to the pressure on the government to reach a settlement, with the Southern African Catholics Bishops' Conference calling on it to "treat public servants with the dignity and respect they deserve."
In a speech before parliament on Tuesday, Mbeki expressed confidence the dispute could soon be resolved.
"I would like to reiterate our confidence that in time, government as employer and the public service unions will find one another and bring to a conclusion the current negotiations," he said.
Organisers of Wednesday's protests said members heeded a call to act within the law and there were no reports of major problems after a number of attacks on teachers and health workers who have not been taking part in the strike.
No comments:
Post a Comment