Massive national strike planned for Wednesday
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has called for a national strike by its 21 member unions.
The strike is in opposition of the new National Minimum Wage Bill and other changes to labour laws, Roodepoort Record reports.
The union feels that the minimum amount of R20 an hour is not enough for an average family to survive on.
The minimum for farm workers will be R18, R15 for domestic workers and R11 for workers employed by the External Public Works programme.
Saftu’s Zwelinzima Vavi said he believed these rates “would entrench poverty, make inequalities a permanent feature of the labour market and represent an insult to the very idea that we were promised a better life for all”.
He asked parliament to reject these rates “and that in the honour of the Marikana martyrs who died for a R12 500 salary, we have to talk about those rates.”
It is uncertain how the strike will affect Roodepoort and to what degree the day will be disrupted.
Read original story on roodepoortrecord.co.za
