Trade union federation Cosatu will on Thursday thrash out the details of its national strike planned for August 24.
Cosatu national spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said the national strike will be in response to ongoing load-shedding, fuel price increases, and escalating food prices.
“We are going to officially announce a planned national strike for the 24th of August 2022 during a media briefing on Thursday [to be held at its offices in Braamfontein, Johannesburg],” said Pamla.
“This socio-economic strike also represents a pushback and a response by the workers to the ongoing class warfare directed at them by both public and private sector employers.”
The announcement by Cosatu comes a day after media reports said the Public Servants’ Association (PSA) will start balloting its members this week on whether to go ahead with its first strike in over a decade as the public service wage negotiations grind on with little progress.
The last time the PSA went on strike in the public service was in 2010, demanding an 8.6% wage hike, having rejected government’s 6.5% offer. That strike was successful.
The PSA is demanding a 6.5% wage increase but the government has tabled a 2% offer. The PSA represents about 235 000 public sector employees.
In 2020, the public service had an estimated 830 000 employees, including police officers and teachers.
COSATU to hold a press briefing on Thursday, 18 August to officially announce a planned #NationalStrike @eNCA @SABCNews @Newzroom405 @POWER987News pic.twitter.com/ElyFtZJSFX
— SADTU National. (@SadtuNational) August 15, 2022
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