No South African worker could be dismissed for taking part in Wednesday's nationwide protest against the e-tolling system and labour brokers, Cosatu said on Monday.
“The strike is protected... and we have complied with the legal requirements,” Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) Gauteng secretary Dumisani Dakile told reporters in Johannesburg.
“Not a single worker can be threatened with dismissal.”
He said the certificate issued by the National Economic Development and Labour Council covered every South African worker, whether or not they were part of Cosatu.
“We are even calling on employers to join the march and not threaten workers.”
Cosatu expected at least 100,000 marchers. The major event would take place in Johannesburg's central business district.
Tolling of 185km of the N1, N3, N12 and R21 around Johannesburg and Tshwane is expected to start on April 30. Motorcycles with e-tags will pay 20 cents a kilometre and those without 38 cents. Light motor vehicles will pay 30 cents and 58 cents respectively, and non-articulated trucks 75 cents and R1.45.
Articulated trucks with e-tags will pay R1.51 a kilometre, and those without R2.90.
Under the new fee system, the cost for motorcycles and light vehicles will be capped at R550 a month.
The union wants the system scrapped.
Cosatu expected its provincial bodies, essential services workers, Eskom workers, teachers, pupils, and other unions to join the strike.
The minimum essential service level would be ensured as per agreements made, said Dakile.
“Those departments won't be left unmanned,” he said.
Protesters would start gathering from 8.30am on Wednesday and the march would start at 10am.
The first memorandum would be handed to the department of labour in Randfontein. Marchers would then proceed to downtown Johannesburg to hand a memorandum to the premier's office and to the transport department.
Dakile said the march would be peaceful and would be monitored by 10,000 marshals.
Cosatu said labour broking was worse than apartheid.
“Apartheid was much better. The slave system was much better than labour brokers. It's human trafficking, one human selling another human.”
If there was no positive outcome from the protest, a second march would be planned.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Federation of Unions of SA advised its members not to take part in the strike, saying it might render some members unprotected and expose them to possible disciplinary action. - Sapa