South Africa strike

[madubashini nandasiri]

As we all know there z a huge strike goin on in SA by the public sector labourers.

so is any of our EK friends living in SA or relatives of EK members affected by this?

we would really like to know,
bcoz there is a large SL community in SA.

I live in East Africa and i get constant updates of what is happening there and its pretty bad

so plz let us know.

 

[Nu1Dnk]

Mokakda seen eka

 

[lkdood]

South African President Jacob Zuma has ordered immediate talks to end a 13-day-old public service strike, his office said Monday, days before it threatens to embroil the pivotal mining sector.Zuma met with ministers at the weekend "and he instructed them to immediately go back to the negotiating table," the president's spokesman Zizi Kodwa told AFP.

South Africa's 1.3 million strong public service union went on open-ended strike on August 18, shutting down schools and hospitals, with hundreds of thousands of mineworkers set to down tools if no deal is reached.

"From the point of view of the discussions over the weekend, there is a possibility that the strike will end in a few days to come," Kodwa told e-news television, saying parties were engaging informally on Monday.

The new talks will attempt to break a deadlock over wages with workers digging in their heels until the state meets union demands for better pay.

"It's what we've been calling for -- it's a high level intervention to break the deadlock," said Patrick Craven, the spokesman for the labour federation umbrella group Cosatu.

In a sign of growing government impatience, Zuma at the weekend was confident of a deal but lashed out at striking health and education workers in a speech following his return from a state visit to China.

"The abandonment of patients, including babies in incubators, as well as schoolchildren, is difficult to comprehend and accept, no matter how sympathetic one is to the needs of workers," he said.

Some 4,000 soldiers including doctors and nurses have been called in to provide essential medical back-up, security and cleaning services in 58 hospitals across the country.

Adding to the pressure is the threat by the powerful 320,000-member National Union of Mineworkers to hold a one-day strike in the mining, construction and energy industries on Thursday in sympathy with the public service.

Cosatu, which lists some two million members, has called on all of its affiliates to join the strike on Thursday, but is also hoping for a breakthrough.

"The federation hopes that an improved offer will now be tabled and that the strike can be settled as quickly as possible, through an agreement that is acceptable to the workers," said Craven after Zuma's instructions to his ministers.

Workers are demanding an 8.6-percent wage increase and a 1,000-rand (137-dollar, 108-euro) housing allowance. The government has signed a seven percent and 700-rand offer which it has threatened to unilaterally implement.

The state could not afford to concede to union demands but a strike at mines could affect investor confidence, said Don Ross, head of the University of Cape Town school of commerce.

"Mining losses, even though it is no longer the largest sector, may have extremely negative implications on the economy."

The industrial action has created a political headache for Zuma, who rose to power on a wave of support from unions that are now pressuring his African National Congress (ANC) government to adopt more pro-labour economic policies.

Private sector tyre workers were also set to strike on Monday over wages.

Anger over the public sector wage offer is fuelled in part by what workers see as conspicuous spending on luxuries like cars by senior government officials.

Zuma's government, however, says its priority is creating new jobs rather than delivering hefty increases to current workers.

The unions' wage demand is more than twice the rate of inflation, which the government says would force cuts in public services that already struggle to meet demand.

Zuma's administration is looking to avoid a repeat of a crippling four-week strike three years ago which was the longest and most widespread since the end of apartheid in 1994.

 

[Nu1Dnk]

...........Ehe thiyenneth ape wage DEMOCRACY da?

 

[madubashini nandasiri]

thanx 4 da response guyz.

 

[Nu1Dnk]

 

[lkdood]

...........Ehe thiyenneth ape wage DEMOCRACY da?

yes