Speaking at a press briefing at Cosatu House, Dumisani Dakile, Cosatu’s provincial secretary, said that although the government was resolute about implementing laws surrounding these issues, the union would continue to fight against these rulings.
Cosatu will embark on another ‘drive-slow’ procession through the streets of Johannesburg on 8 November to protest against e-tolls. This forms part of a series of ‘mini’ campaigns aimed at raising awareness about their concerns.
The procession will start at Cosatu House in Jorissen Street at 9am and will end at 5pm, and will concentrate on the M1, M2, N1 and N12 highways.
Dakile also urged the public not to buy e-tags or to pay for the e-tolls, saying, “The success of this system depends on the co-operation by the public and we must ensure that the system is rendered unworkable.”
He added that the youth wage subsidy was not a solution to the country’s unemployment.
“The issue of the unemployment of the youth is a structural problem. One of the struggles is that we are unable to transform our society and, in particular, the economy,” he said.
He added the government had introduced the wage subsidy despite opposition, and continued to support labour brokering at the expense of the country’s working class.
“We feel that the government is not taking us seriously and therefore our choice to engage with the government has failed to yield positive results,” he said.
When asked about the effectiveness of Cosatu’s ongoing protest campaigns in light of the government’s firm stance, Dakile said that it was necessary to take continued action in order to protect future generations from the impact of such decisions.
