Massive Public Sector Strike in South Africa: Not Really Newsworthy For The US Media

SA Doctors on Strike in May

The indefinite public sector strike in South Africa enters the weekend after three days of battles with police and threats from the government.  Striking workers were shot with rubber bullets and water cannons. The South African government is accusing the workers of criminal behavior and is threatening special courts to deal with the strikers.  "We want to protect key institutions (such as) schools and hospitals," says State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele. Schools and hospitals, more often than not in short supply in normal times in most societies, suddenly become a priority when workers who maintain them are forced to go on strike for better conditions and wages.

Some  1.3 million public servants are striking for an 8.6 per cent pay raise and military doctors and volunteers have been called in to scab on the strikers.  Workers don't buy the government's claim of money shortages.  They point to the World Cup event which  South Africa subsidized to the tune of  $5bn.  The country spent more than $3bn on stadiums that have more space than is needed and are unable to fill the stands being too expensive for the local football teams.  Corporations sponsoring the soccer tournament took home more than $4bn in profits, tax free without exchange controls, the South African press reports.

Those darned South African workers just won't listen I suppose.  Perhaps they should learn from the US Labor leaders and simply send the government an e mail protesting unfair treatment.  A social upheaval like this in a relatively small country like South Africa is quite something.  But you'd never know it given the highly censored US media, the most censored in the so called "free" world.

Whether Obama is a Muslim or a Christian is much more relevant news.