Afrique du sud : Few letters of solidarity with the strike

The Lesbian and Gay Equality Project (LGEP) fully supports the public sector employees’ demands for a decent living wage and good working conditions.

We recognise that the strike action being undertaken by public sector workers comes after months of negotiations. Public sector unions have moderated their demands to a 8.6% wage increase and R1000 housing allowance. We also recognise that striking, historically and currently, is one of the only means of mobilising by workers once reasonable demands are not met.

We condemn the government and those in the seats of parliament who decry public sector workers, yet have spent months stalling and being resistant to the requests made by public sector unions. The cost of the World Cup, gladly taken on by government, would have been enough to pay the housing allowance for almost two and a half million workers for five years.

As the LGEP we acknowledge that attempts to stall the strike by bringing in, mostly unpaid volunteers, is crossing the picket line.The burden under which public healthcare 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 healthcare workers. Public sector doctors often work a 36 hour shift and at current levels there is just 1 doctor for every 3,800 people that use the public healthcare system. Operating theatres and trauma units are often closed due to lack of supplies.

In a country with one of the largest discrepancies between the rich and poor in the world, upholding that quality education and healthcare be accessible only to the rich is an affront on dignity, our history and the majority of people in this country.

The public sector strike has the full support of the LGEP. We call on all queers, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and intersex people across the country to join striking workers in their demands against miserable working conditions and wages.

The way to end the strike and to begin to ensure long-term quality healthcare and education for those in our country is forgovernment to stop the intimidation of strikers, agree to their demands and begin to seriously address the major discrepancies between the private and public healthcare and education systems.

The Lesbian and Gay Equality Project supports the Public Sector Strike
Natasha Vally, Lesbian and Gay Equality Project, 29 August 2010

Proud of COSATU General Secretary

As a young white South African male I am very proud of Mr Zwelinzima Vavi.

I am proud of Mr Vavi because he is a man who sincerely looks after the interest of the poor and people whom can’t always defend themselves.I am also proud of him because he stands up for what he believes in and he is therefore not scared to call a spade a spade. I am lastly proud of him since he is not focused on lining his own pocket but rather helping the worker on grass root level which has been neglected for a great number of years.

These are just a few reasons why I am proud of him and I do not wish to delve into this more since it would require a few pages of typing if I had to list all the reasons why I am proud of him.South Africa has been without a real leader since Mr Mandela’s term has ended and the time for such a leader is therefore long overdue !

I wish COSATU would form their own political party in order to ensure that South Africa can once again have a leader we can be proud of !

Thank you for giving us hope you guys and thanks for making a difference.

Rudolf Schoeman, 29 August 2010

Thank you for fighting the course of public workers

I would like to say thanks for your efforts in trying to equal the playing field for the public sector workers even though I am in the private sector.

I have really great appreciation for what you are trying to achieve, and the way you tackle the corruption problems in our beloved country. A lot of people in general think the strikes are barbaric, since people are dieing and battling to get access to heath care and education services, but the problem would not have existed had the Government not been so power hungry and greedy in their quest for self enrichment.

So, from a fellow South African I would just like to say that I support your cause, and I am spreading the word of your endeavors and explaining your actions in the circles in which I move about.

Stefan vd Westhuizen, 29 August 2010

Source from COSATU