Cape Town - Cosatu and its associates embarked on a national strike with their Western Cape members marching to the City of Cape Town offices.
In a statement, the union said unemployment has pushed past 44% and is expected to rise further. Unemployment for youth, women, people in rural areas or with disabilities is far higher.
The statement said millions of workers lost wages, pensions, and benefits during the pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
Cosatu provincial secretary Malvern de Bruyn said they wanted to send a strong message to the City.
“As workers, we are unhappy with how they are treating the workers, especially the EPWP we feel they should be employed permanently with benefits like all the other workers,” said de Bruyn.
Meanwhile, the South African Informal Traders Alliance (SAITA) called on the City to immediately adhere to the government Gazette directive that all traders permit costs to be wavered, as per the directive until December 31, 2022.
They demanded that Law Enforcement Officers stop their actions against traders when they are busy with duties, especially against women traders.
The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) demanded a moratorium on disciplinary hearings due to inconsistencies and that all dismissed shop stewards and members be reinstated.
They also called on the City to create jobs and an end to the exploitation of EPWP and that they should at least fill 10 000 permanent low-level vacancies on its organizational structure.
Samwu said Insourcing of all outsourced services and that the city supports all projects and co-operatives of the Back to Work Campaign.
Other demands included the city to stop exploitation via the Labour Broker system and convert those vacancies into permanent employment, service Delivery for All and resolve unresolved grievances across departments.
The city’s employee relations manager Justice Nedzamba they would give the memorandum to the mayor and respond within the time required.
Weekend Argus