South Africa Public Sector workers shut down city centres in day of marches

[Crux]

South Africa

Public Sector workers shut down city centres in day of marches

31/08/2010
Massive turn-out on ninth day of strike

Liv Shange, Democratic Socialist Movement (CWI in South Africa)



http://www.socialistworld.net/img/20100831Grafik7643085482604841305.jpgThere was a massive turn-out as a day of nationwide marches was called on August 26, on the ninth day of South Africa’s public sector strike involving 1,3 million workers. About 40 000 workers marched in central Johannesburg, 25 000 in Cape Town and about 20 000 in Pietermaritzburg (KwaZulu-Natal). Marches were also held in many other towns.
http://www.socialistworld.net/img/article/2010-08-31Grafik5747896779719091063.jpg

The Johannesburg march was completely dominated by a furious mood. Workers started gathering with placards and songs full of harsh criticism and resentment against in particular the Public Sector Minister Richard Baloyi – who has signed the government’s 7% wage offer and claims it will be forcibly implemented later this month; President Jacob Zuma – who has threatened mass dismissals and who has in effect declared this protected strike illegal – and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi – who has denounced striking health workers as “murderers” . As the day proceeded workers made up new songs along the march way, launching even more searing attacks on the politicians.

Along the way, workers from shops, offices, building sites and public transport facilities also stopped their work cheering the marchers on. The DSM spoke to a group of school students who said they had come to support their parents. Some community organisations also marched in solidarity:

The Democratic Socialist Movement received a very positive response from the workers to our special pamphlet demanding a general strike in support of the public sector workers, and arguing for the rank-and-file to take Cosatu out of the Tripartite Alliance (the ruling ANC’s alliance with the Communist Party SACP and Cosatu, the biggest trade union federation).
http://www.socialistworld.net/img/article/2010-08-31Grafik2379232407931060169.jpg

Comrades who participated in the Cape Town march noticed a dramatic shift compared to the previous mass march which was held on August 10: the otherwise customary chants of “Viva ANC!” were hardly to be heard in yesterday’s march. This was also the case in Johannesburg. The dominant message in speeches and discussions was in fact that “the ANC is the enemy”. A Cosatu shop steward commented that he and other members felt that it’s time for Cosatu to pull out of the Alliance:

“We’ve been blaming individuals – Moleketi [public service minister under the hated Mbeki administration], Mbeki, and now Baloyi – but people are more and more realising that it’s about the policies. Moleketi was following the policies of the ANC, and they all are.”

The union leaders have been pushed by the government’s hostile stance into escalating a strike which they desperately tried to avert in the first place. Cosatu has now called a general strike for next Thursday if the government does not meet its demands of an 8,6% wage increase and R1000 housing allowance before then. All 21 affiliates have declared their support for the call. Today (Friday) the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) has threatened to begin a solidarity strike. (Curiously, the South Gauteng High Court this morning slammed SAMWU with an interdict prohibiting them from striking, whereas the union never even served the employer with a notice to strike – it was merely a threat so far. All the “impartial” judiciary needed was apparently an instruction from the employer, strike or no strike.)

Speaking yesterday, Cosatu General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi made the most direct threats so far to break away from the Tripartite Alliance, saying it is “dysfunctional again”. He also threatened to withdraw the federation’s support for “certain” ANC candidates in next year’s municipal elections. Other union leaders openly warned that they would make sure Zuma was recalled the same way that Mbeki was two years ago (clearing Zuma’s way to the presidency). Vavi also admitted openly that the Cosatu leadership had been ready to sign the 7% settlement but could not because of their members’ anger.

Clearly, the Zuma coalition which was forged in 2007’s massive public sector strike is now being fatal blows by the 2010 edition. The massive anger against not only the “new” ANC administration under Zuma, but also against the ANC directly, indicates the shedding of the illusions in Zuma, who was a couple of years ago likened to “Messiah” by the union leaders. The Tripartite Alliance, in effect a political prison of the working class, is dead for all relevant purposes, with all three parties in open conflict at almost every front. The next step for the rank-and-file members of Cosatu is to initiate the building of an alternative; a new mass workers party armed with a socialist programme – the only way to take workers’ interests forward.

[Red Commissar]

I think this would be more relevant under workers' struggles, but it is good they are standing up to the joke that is ANC.

It's hard enough to be a union and strike, the media always paints you bad. It's worse if you're a public sector person. The media really loves those. Such as some coverages of the hospital worker strikes which relayed horror stories about babies not being delivered, not cared for in maternity wards, or the death threats.

Then side step why they're on strike in the first place.

[Peter The Painter]

What i do not get is, you get so called socialists, going on About Mandella and Winnie "mother Africa", who have BMWs, and live in mansions, while the workers are treated like dirt.

I remember watching this documentary on conditions, where the poverty turns people crazy, this one guy robbed a family, then put their baby in the microwave and fried it, it turns out he was sent to polsmore for stealing food, where he was raped and tortured by the numbers gang, that runs the prison.


Striking workers get more plastic bullets than roman catholic schoolchildren in Belfast get, water is privatised, and south Africa spent millions on a world cup, when its people are living in a horrendous and inhumane society

HANG that bastard mandella for his betrayal of the working people of Africa.

[blake 3:17]

I think this would be more relevant under workers' struggles, but it is good they are standing up to the joke that is ANC

There are threads there -- I think this belongs in Politics -- this is not an isolated strike but a challenge of political power.
Defend the Right to Strike - Support Striking Public Sector Workers
http://www.revleft.com/images/stories/article_images/cosatu national strike1.jpgConference of the Democratic Left - Statement on the public sector strike - An Injury to one is an injury to all!

In just a few days teachers, nurses and other public sector workers have mutated from the upholders of civilised values to a cruel mob intent on destroying our country. Government, Buthelezi and Zille stand united in condemning the public sector workers. The Conference of the Democratic Left believes that not only have the public sector workers the right to strike against their miserable working conditions and wages but they have the duty to picket their work places against scabs, otherwise what is the point of withdrawing one’s labour?

This is the only power workers have in fighting their unfair conditions of work. They do not have the power to set their wages, determine the conditions under which they work nor the socio-economic circumstances that impact on their workplace.

We know public sector workers are very angry and they have a right to be angry. The unions have been negotiating in good faith and with much patience. Government has stalled and negotiated in bad faith playing expensive public relations games. Their lies that their offer to workers is just 0.1% of what they are asking further fuels the anger of workers. Public sector unions have even moderated their very reasonable demands to a mere 8.6% wage increase and R1000 housing allowance. They are not asking for R9 bn. share of ArcelorMittal, they are not asking for R140 bn. (conservative costing of hosting the World Cup), nor even Mercs - unlike Richard Baloyi, minister of public service and administration, who says they are “tools of our trade”!

The public sector strike is demonstrating the skewed priorities of our government. We need to urgently fix our collapsing public education and health systems. This starts with those that work in them. We have to restore the dignity and morale of public sector workers by not only ensuring they receive a living wage but also change the terrible conditions under which they work.

Government is calling out people to come and volunteer to fill in for striking workers. Even Minister of health Motsoaledi was working in a hospital saying he did not want people to die. This is just a public relations exercise to try and win back public sympathy, which is largely with the strikers. If they really were concerned with the situation of patients in our public hospitals why have they allowed hundreds of babies to die? Take for example the death of six babies at Charlotte Maxeke Academic hospital in May this year. An investigation into the causes of their death found that “overcrowding, under-staffing and a lack of antiseptic sprays and paper towels” as major factors.

The way to ensure that patients get decent healthcare and students get effective teaching is for government to end the strike by ending intimidation of strikers, agree to their demands and to call a series of urgent summits to fix our schools and hospitals. This is urgent when we consider that: •

42% of schools have virtually no access to water,

61% of schools have no proper sewage systems,

21% of schools have no toilets or have more than 50 learners per toilet,

16% have no electricity,

only 8% of schools have libraries

62% of schools have a learner educator ratio that exceeds 30.

The burden under which health workers, doctors and nurses have to carry out their work is unbearable. HIV/AIDS, TB and other infectious diseases are overwhelming our hospitals and clinics. Posts have been frozen for years leading to a shortage of personnel. It is estimated that there is a shortage of more than 80,000 health workers. Few doctors often result in doctors working a 36 hour shift and at current levels there is just 1 doctor for every 3,800 people that use public health system. Operating theatres and trauma units are often closed due to lack of supplies.

The Conference of the Democratic Left demands that the state settle the strike in favour of the demands of public workers immediately and that takes urgent steps together with the trade unions and other popular movements to address the conditions under which public sector workers have to work.

The Conference of the Democratic Left is a process where popular movements, organisations and activists are coming together to chart a new path for overcoming inequality and division in our country. A conference is planned for December 2 – 5 this year where a platform and strategy for uniting our struggles against neoliberal capitalism will be developed.


http://www.amandlapublishers.co.za/special-features/65-south-africa-public-sector-strike-2010/403-defend-the-right-to-strike-support-striking-public-sector-workers

[ckaihatsu]

International lessons of the South African public service strike


13 September 2010

Union leaders were chased out of a meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, when they told striking public service workers that their three-week strike was over. This event was an important expression of the sharpening conflict internationally between the working class and the trade union apparatuses.

The South African public service unions have accepted a government pay offer that is half of a percent more than the workers were offered at the beginning of the strike. They are attempting to impose the deal on their members after a protracted struggle in which workers have faced attacks from the police, the deployment of armed soldiers in the hospitals, and court orders against the strike.

[...]

http://wsws.org/articles/2010/sep2010/pers-s13.shtml

[progressive_lefty]

I think this would be more relevant under workers' struggles, but it is good they are standing up to the joke that is ANC.


Couldn't agree more, it's so sad that the ANC has broken up yet. The ANC has won every election since the end of Independence. And it's a shame it seems to be the wealthy whites on one side and the blacks on the other side. There's obviously no room for real debate..