Johannesburg - Members of the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) will not join a metalworkers strike over youth employment, the union said on Tuesday.
Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola said his union had received legal advice on participating in the strike by the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa).
“There seems to be a grey area on how far we can be involved, as we were not applicants, co-applicants or joiners to the application,” he said.
“It must be stated that, as Fawu, we are in full support to the class battle against youth wage subsidy, romanticised as employment tax incentives, and other neo-liberal government policies.”
Numsa is set to lead a protest march on Wednesday, demanding proper youth employment.
On Monday, Numsa deputy secretary Karl Cloete said other unions would join the march, but said he was not sure how far they had mobilised their members.
He said the strike was protected, and workers would not be fired for participating in the march.
Masemola said Fawu would not strike, but would encourage members who were available on their own time Ä such as those working night or afternoon shifts Ä to participate in the protest march.
“We will meanwhile be taking legal advice on how to be a joiner to the Numsa application, such that we become part of a protected strike action and other activities in this rolling mass action against government's neo-liberal attack, and capital's class terror on the working class.”
Sapa