Pretoria - As Cosatu is set to take to the streets of the city on Thursday in support of the deadlocked wage negotiations between unions and the state, the Tshwane Metro Police have advised motorists to stay away from the city centre, or find alternative routes.
Cosatu will march to the National Treasury and the Department of Public Service Administration to pressure the state into accepting its wage demands.
Among the unions that will form part of the march are the South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu), Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, as well as Public and Allied Workers Union of SA.
This comes after wage talks between the union and the state reached a stalemate.
The seven unions affiliated to Cosatu are demanding a 10 percent salary increment and R1 500 housing allowance while the state has offered a 5.8 percent salary hike.
Negotiations between the two parties ended last week Wednesday, with Cosatu claiming that the state’s refusal to close the gap was the catalyst for the march.
National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union spokesman Sizwe Pamla said the state had been reluctant to offer a revised and improved offer.
Marchers will meet at Marabastad before proceeding to the Public Service Administration offices and the Treasury.
Metro police spokesman Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba advised motorists to avoid Marabastad, Struben Street and the dissecting streets, and the vicinity of the National Treasury in Madiba Street.
The march has, however, not been well received in some quarters.
The DA called on Sadtu’s to participate in the march after school hours to avoid compromising learning time.
DA Gauteng education spokesman Khume Ramulifho said it was unnecessary for pupils “to be held to ransom” while teachers’ unions use school time to promote their own agendas.
“While the DA recognises the right to peaceful labour action and strikes, we appeal to the leadership of Sadtu to act in the best interest of school learners and postpone the timing of the march from 9am to after school hours,” Khumalo said.
The department said possible catch-up lessons would be considered later.
Pretoria News