Cape Town – Cosatu says there will be a total of 32 marches on Wednesday as part of the national strike action by the trade union federation.
Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said the two largest strikes will be in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
“The other strikes will be just as important; these are simply the two biggest ones.”
Cosatu is striking agains the contionued use of labour brokers and the pending implementation of tolls on Gauteng highways.
“It’s not too late. We can still call off the strike,”Craven told Beeld yesterday.
“If the governement comes out today and tells us it's banning labour brokers and scrapping the etoll system, we’ll call off the strike.”
Cosatu Western Cape secretary Tony Ehrenreich told the media yesterday that he expects around 30 000 people to march to parliament on Wednesday.
“Cosatu strikes that are by Cosatu alone, generally attract around 20 000 people. Along with the other parties, we expect a bigger turnup on Wednesday.”
Some of the organisations supporting Cosatu include the Black Sash, the TAC and PASSOP.
Ehrenreich confirmed that union-affiliated teachers will also strike.
“Kids and students are also welcome to march with. The matters we’re striking about also impact on the children,” Ehrenreich said.
Economist Mike Schüssler said yesterday he estimates a massive strike like the currently planned one could cost the economy up to R8.2bn.
“At present any strike would cost SA economy R8.2bn if everything closed down, as that is the value we add ever yday. As we do not close everything - eg hospitals, petrol and at least some shops will be open - the cost is likely to be a lot less.
"The problem is that the toll fees they are striking against also adds costs. Those costs also increase the cost of doing business and that hurts wealth creation and jobs too. We are in a double whammy.”
http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Largest-strike-to-hit-SA-20120305
3 comments:
Malema steals the march
http://www.thenewage.co.za/45559-1007-53-Malema_steals_the_march
Michael Appel
Gauteng's protest march against e-tolling and labour broking on Wednesday in Johannesburg’s CBD may have started out as an apolitical event meant to unite political parties, lobby groups and labour unions against government. But then the show was royally stolen by ANCYL president, Julius Malema.
Cosatu secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi had proclaimed their federation would not allow any political grandstanding on the day.
But once Malema joined the protest, it was chants of “Juju Juju” and the singing of “Malema my president” that rung out in chorus across several jam-packed streets of the CBD – a stone’s throw from Luthuli House.
Arriving in a black Mercedes van, Malema casually started walking towards the protesting marchers, said to be about 100 000 strong, before he was swamped by the crowd.
Vavi was a few metres behind him and was similarly encircled by frenzied union members.
Malema spoke for the first time on the day outside the department of labour’s offices, where the march came to a halt for a memorandum to be handed over.
Malema, who spoke briefly, said: “The ANC is the only solution for the poorest of the poor in this country. We are here today under the leadership of Cosatu. We are here to show our solidarity with the workers.”
Malema was once again given the microphone outside Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane’s offices where he called for an end to capitalism and the exploitation of workers.
Malema’s arrival and subsequent hijacking of the protest will likely get the ANC’s back up as they witnessed how much support there still exists for the youth league leader who is appealing his expulsion from the party.
Vavi was not to be outdone by Malema on the day and might have ruffled some feathers within the alliance when he slammed the ANC for forgetting about the poor in the country. The ANC had allegedly accused Vavi of exaggerating the plight of the poor.
Vavi said: “Today we are here to remind some fellows where they are coming from. They don’t know any more the power of the working class. This is not a march; it’s an occupation of the city of Johannesburg by the workers.”
Several union leaders, who spoke from a roving platform on a truck, expressed their disappointment with government’s lack of consultation before giving the go-ahead for the Gauteng tolling system.
Vavi said: “This is just the beginning of rolling mass action to trample on capitalism. We will achieve socialism in our lifetime.
“Tollgates and labour broking must be history in our lifetime.”
In a very swift response to Vavi’s comments, the ANC released a statement which expressed its disappointment at Vavi’s comments, saying: “At no stage were such sentiments expressed in any ANC statement, nor by ANC spokesperson including Cde Jackson Mthembu.”
Skare ruk vrou uit kar
2012-03-08 07:01
Alta Snyman
Rustenburg – ’n Groep mense het ’n vrou tydens Woensdag se Cosatu-betoging gewurg, aangerand, uit haar motor gesleep en die voertuig omgekeer.
Twee polisielede wat die betogers selfs met die vuis geslaan het, het haar lewe gered, het Anita Venter (24) in trane vertel.
Sy het haar omstreeks 11:30 in haar wit Toyota Tazz in ’n verkeersopeenhoping in Pres. Mbekirylaan vasgery.
Sy het ’n U-draai gemaak en ’n ander roete probeer, maar ’n paar blokke verder het ’n groep mense die pad versper.
“Een man was in beheer. Ek het met handbewegings gevra of ek kan deurry, maar hy het beduie ek mag nie. Die volgende oomblik het mense op my kar en aan die ruite begin slaan.”
Sy het probeer wegry en gesien mense kom agterna, maar nie gedink hulle is agter haar aan nie.
Sy het in Beyers Naudéstraat gery en wou regs in Fatima Bhayatstraat draai omdat eersgenoemde by die kruising toegemaak is vir die betogers. Een vroueverkeersbeampte was daar aan diens.
Sy en ’n ander vrou se motors het lig gebots. Venter het stilgehou.
Die verkeersbeampte het nader gekom. “Die volgende oomblik het ’n man bo-op my kar se enjinkap gaan sit. Ek het die beampte gevra om vir hom te sê hy moet afklim.
“Die volgende oomblik het ’n klomp mense daar aangekom en my kar begin slaan. Die verkeersbeampte het verdwyn.
“Hulle het die ruite stukkend geslaan en met klippe gegooi. ’n Man het my deur die venster begin wurg.”
Dis toe dat die twee polisiebeamptes daar aangekom het.
Die mense het haar motordeur oopgepluk en twee mans het haar aan die skouers en voete beetgekry en uitgesleep.
“Die polisiebeamptes het my lewe gered. Hulle het die mense selfs met die vuis geslaan sodat hulle my moet los.”
Die polisie in Noordwes het gesê hulle ondersoek ’n saak van roekelose of nalatige bestuur nadat Mzwandele Ntemgemonta (43) glo raak gery is toe Venter die eerste groep mense teëgekom het.
Venter het gesê sy is nie bewus daarvan nie.
Optog: Winkels sluit deure, vrees geweld
2012-03-07 14:56
Johannesburg – Duisende betogers het in verskillende stede byeengekom vir ‘n landwye protesoptog teen die gebruik van arbeidsmakelaars en die implementering van die Gautengse e-tolstelsel.
In Johannesburg het 'n groot groep betogers in Markstraat begin afbeweeg onderweg na die premier se kantoor.
Ondanks 'n sterk polisie-teenwoordigheid, is winkeleienaars in die middestad glo bekommerd dat die betoging gewelddadig kan word en volgens berigte het hulle hul deure gesluit, het RSG berig.
Volgens aanvanklike skattings is daar meer as 60 000 mense by die betoging in Johannesburg.
Zwelinzima Vavi, hoofsekretaris van Cosatu, wat die staking lei, het vroeër onder luide toejuiging by die betogers aangesluit. Julius Malema het ook ‘n helde-ontvangs gekry.
Sapa het vroeër berig beamptes kon nie die betogers onder beheer hou toe Malema opgedaag het nie. Die betogers het na Malema gehardloop en sy bynaam, “Juju, Juju”, geskree.
In Bloemfontein het die betogers deur Maitlandstraat beweeg onderweg na die departement van arbeid.
Volgens berigte is die meeste optogte vreedsaam, hoewel daar steeds 'n sterk polisie-teenwoordigheid is, het die radiostasie berig.
Die polisie het tog gewaarsku dat motoriste die middestede vermy aangesien verkeer ontwrig is.
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