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Afrique du sud : Solidarity with the public secteur strike

D 24 août 2010     H 06:21     A     C 0 messages


SAMWU unconditionally supports the Public Sector Strike

Tahir Sema, SAMWU Spokesperson, 20 August 2010

The largest local government Union SAMWU has sent its unconditional solidarity and support to the ongoing strike by comrade’s of the Public Sector Unions, who are currently on strike, demanding a meagre 8.6% pay increase and R1000 housing subsidy.

We encourage all Public Sector Unions involved in the strike to continue the strike action indefinitely ! We urge the Government to urgently meet with the workers and grant them their reasonable and legitimate demands. Government must listen carefully to the arguments and demands of our comrades in the Public Sector and grant them the opportunity to earn a decent living wage.

In the absence of any meaningful resolution to the strike, we as SAMWU will have no other option but to extend our solidarity, in the form of joining the protest actions, the same way we did in 2007. If Government does not concede to the workers demands in the Public Sector then we will raise the possibility of solidarity marches, at the COSATU Central Executive Committee meeting scheduled for next week. We encourage workers from the private sector to also down tools, in solidarity with the Public Sector workers.

We also condemn Police brutality, against the protesting workers and advise the Police to stop antagonising and provoking innocent protestors.

We know from our own experience that a decision to take strike action is not taken lightly. We are confident the employer will bow down to the current pressure of industrial action and grant the workers a decent living wage.

SAMWU is equally affected and concerned about the prevailing situation. As SAMWU we send our solidarity and best wishes to all the Public Sector Unions involved in the strike action and we hope for a speedy and appropriate settlement from Government.

“AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL.”


NUT pledges solidarity with SADTU

Christine Blower, NUT General Secretary, 21 August 2010

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) in the United Kingdom noted a recent report announcing an indefinite public sector wide strike in South Africa to demand an 8.6 percent pay raise, following a final government offer of seven percent.

We write in support of your actions and sincerely hope that the strike helps to secure a quick and positive outcome for South African teachers and public sector workers. This is a time when many teachers and public sector workers around the world are facing pay cuts and reductions in employment benefits due to the

economic downturn.

We stand in solidarity with you as you work to uphold the value and status of public sector works in what is a very difficult climate. We wish you all the best in your fight to ensure decent pay and conditions for public sector workers, who play a crucial role in our societies and economies.


SAMWU in Gauteng to embark on solidarity action

Tahir Sema, SAMWU Spokesperson, 23 August 2010

SAMWU in Gauteng has indicated that if the ongoing Public Sector dispute is not resolved by this Thursday 26th August, then SAMWU members in Gauteng will embark on solidarity protest action, in support of the Public Sector workers and their legitimate demands.

We call upon the Public Sector leadership to speed up the process of resolving this matter. We also call upon Government to be rational and meet the reasonable demands of the workers without delay. SAMWU condemns the court interdict against the workers as a mere instrument to protect incompetent and useless Government negotiators, this court interdict is meant to protect the dubious and incompetent managers who failed to negotiate in good faith.

We are calling upon President Zuma to not be selective in addressing the dispute ; by attacking workers only and not calling upon his Ministers to resolve the impasse. The Presidents labelling and finger pointing at workers will not diminish the legitimate demands of the workers.

If the Public Sector dispute is not resolved by Thursday, then the Largest Local Government Union SAMWU will call upon all of its 52 000 workers in the Gauteng Province to embark on solidarity action on Friday.