The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) said the COVID-19 pandemic has given the country an opportunity to pass a wealth tax on the rich.
In its statement issued on Friday, SAFTU said the R1 billion donations by the Big three, Oppenheimer’s, the Ruperts and the Motsepe Family were not enough and that their riches should be taxed.
“We hold a strong view that they could do more to help and should not do so as a charity case. We actually believe that we are right more than ever before that the government should use this state of disaster to pass a WEALTH TAX without hesitation to these fat cats, if true solidarity is to be realized, “ said SAFTU in it’s statement.
The trade union also took a swipe at the efforts by some board CEOs and senior managements, who took salary deductions to allow those at the lower end to get paid their salaries.
SAFTU called their gesture a ‘guilt feeling pressure’ stating they were earning an absurdly high salary, while workers are taking home a typically and unjust proportion of income.
However, the union was more receptive to Old Mutual Group’s offer of free life cover worth R4 billion pledged to the health workers in the case of death due to COVID-19.
It also urged all companies that no worker should lose any of their earnings during the cause of lockdown while dealing with the Coronavirus.
