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South Africa workers demand employment protection

Hassen Seria
Press TV, Cape Town

Amid the pressures of the rolling COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, members of the biggest union federation in South Africa have come out into the streets to demand living wages for the working class. Not only have workers faced retrenchments, but corruption cases among top officials have exacerbated the situation as well.

In one incident, at the time the pandemic erupted, the Health Minister was replaced amid charges of corruption in which millions of dollars meant to help curtail the virus was siphoned for personal luxuries.

Workers say the private sector has equally shown growth despite the apparent slowdown. Auditing firm PWC has described 2020 as a “banner year” for South Africa’s mining sector which is a mainstay of the economy. Yet workers – often those earning the lowest – had to endure cuts to their salaries. Government departments meanwhile have frozen salary increases.

With Municipal elections scheduled for next month, workers are shoring up support to have their voices heard and to garner the best from whoever takes over the local administrations. As many sit at home without jobs, they have vowed to come out to the streets in the coming days again until their demands are met.


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