The public sector strike in South Africa which began on 19th August is led by a coalition of more than a dozen unions who represent 1.3 million state employees including teachers, police, nurses, customs officials and office workers. Despite a court order issued at the weekend for those employed in essential services to return to work, picketing continues at hospitals and schools. Members of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) attempted to close major highways in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Police fired teargas, rubber bullets and water cannons at strikers, and made arrests. There were numbers of injuries.
Unions want a pay rise of 8.6% – more than double the inflation rate – and 1,000 rand a month (£88) for housing, compared with 500 rand now. The government has offered 7% and 700 rand. The lowest-paid public servants make 40% less than the average worker, who earns 6,383 rand (£560) a month in salary and benefits. Thoe at the top earn nearly seven times a as much. The fact that ministers enjoy high salaries and luxury cars has fuelled resentment of public sector workers.
The Conference of the Democratic Left, a process where popular movements, organisations and activists are coming together to chart a new path for overcoming inequality and division in South Africa by developing a platform and strategy for uniting struggles against neoliberal capitalism, has issued a press statement on the strike:
"Defend the right to strike! Support striking Public Sector workers! An Injury to one is an injury to all!
"The Conference of the Democratic Left believes that not only have the public sector workers the right to strike against their miserable working conditions and wages but they have the duty to picket their work places against scabs otherwise what is the point of withdrawing one’s labour? This is the only power workers have in fighting their unfair conditions of work. They do not have the power to set their wages, determine the conditions under which they work nor the socio-economic circumstances that impact on their workplace.
"We know public sector workers are very angry and they have a right to be angry. The unions have been negotiating in good faith and with much patience. Government has stalled and negotiated in bad faith. Public sector unions have even moderated their very reasonable demands to a mere 8.6% wage increase and R1000 housing allowance. They are not asking for a R9 billion share of ArcelorMittal as black capitalist have done, they are not asking for R140 billion (conservative costing of hosting the World Cup) nor even Mercs unlike Richard Baloyi, minister of public service and administration, who says they are “tools of our trade”!
"The public sector strike is demonstrating the skewed priorities of our government. We need to urgently fix our collapsing public education and health systems. This starts with those that work in them. We have to restore the dignity of public sector workers by not only ensuring they receive a living wage but also changing the terrible conditions under which they work.
"Government is calling out people to come and volunteer to fill in for striking workers. Even Minister of health Motsoaledi was working in a hospital saying he did not want people to die. This is just a public relations exercise to try and win back public sympathy, which is largely with the strikers. If they really were concerned with the situation of patients in our public hospitals why have they allowed hundreds of babies to die? Take for example the death of six babies at Charlotte Maxeke Academic hospital in May this year. An investigation into the causes of their death found that 'overcrowding, under-staffing and a lack of antiseptic sprays and paper towels' were the contributing factors.
"The way to ensure that patients get decent healthcare and students get effective teaching is for government to end the strike by ending intimidation of strikers, agree to their demands and to call a series of urgent summits to fix our schools and hospitals. This is urgent when we consider that 42% of schools have virtually no access to water, 61% have no proper sewage systems, 21% have no toilets or have more than 50 learners a toilet, 16% have no electricity, and 62% have a learner-educator ratio that exceeds 30.
"The burden under which health workers, doctors and nurses have to carry out their work is unbearable. HIV/AIDS, TB and other infectious diseases are overwhelming our hospitals and clinics. Posts have been frozen for years leading to a shortage of personnel. It is estimated that there is a shortage of more than 80,000 health workers. Few doctors often result in doctors working a 36 hour shift and at current levels there is just 1 doctor for every 3,800 people that use the public health system. Operating theatres and trauma units are often closed due to lack of supplies.
"The Conference of the Democratic Left demands that the state settle the strike in favour of the demands of public workers immediately and that takes urgent steps together with the trade unions and other popular movements to address the conditions under which public sector workers have to work."
No comments:
Post a Comment