Durban- Trade union COSATU is planning to down tools, on Thursday, a decision influenced by retrenchments and growing unemployment.
Cosatu KwaZulu-Natal general secretary, Edwin Mkhize, said the action would be led by its national president, Zingiswa Losi. "Cosatu KZN is shattered and very angry with the revived efforts to deepen neoliberal agenda by our South African government and state."
He said the march will be held in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday.
He said there were many instances of people dying in the workplace or being ill-treated.
Mkhize also questioned why people, like those at the SABC were being retrenched as the recent jobs summit had government and businesses promising that they would create jobs.
The high cost of living was a heavy burden that has become a burden to the working class. "The poor workers in the country are always expected to the same way with the millionaires and billionaires," Mkhize said.
He also added that the increase of VAT and fuel rise is the strengthening of the "dog-eat-dog" system of capitalism.
Mkhize said all of this was against the "National Democratic Revolution" which was supposed to be reducing class inequality within the country.
"Cosatu is committed to defending all workers in different sectors from this revived offensive by neoliberalism, including workers of SABC, Eskom mining and public servants, " he said.