Saftu, Cosatu vow to fight efforts to scrap minimum wage

Labour unions across the globe are today reflecting on historic struggles workers have had to confront to advance their socioeconomic interests and the gains made.

The South African Federation of Trade Unions’ (Saftu) main Workers’ Day event, also known as May Day, is being held in Qonce in the Eastern Cape.

Ahead of the event, Saftu spokesperson, Trevor Shaku, spoke to YNews.

He accused the DA and ActionSA of trying to reverse workers’ gains.

Both parties want to do away with the minimum wage by repealing the National Minimum Wage Act, which they blame for the sluggish economy and the country’s high unemployment rate.

“They want to use the high unemployment as a pretext to bring back the old policies and labour regime that will allow for the exploitation of workers without any protection. We cannot allow that because while we don’t believe the minimum wage is enough at the moment, because workers can’t afford basic necessities, but we must fight to protect it as it sets the floor from under which no employer is allowed to go,” explains Shaku.

He says Saftu is also determined to fight for the gradual increment of the minimum wage rate until workers are paid salaries that will afford them decent living standards.

Saftu wants a minimum wage of R72 per hour for workers.

#2024mayday #SAFTU #WorkersDay pic.twitter.com/k9kLwNfQ3D

— SAFTU (@SAFTU_media) May 1, 2024

South Africa’s biggest labour federation, Cosatu, agrees that more needs to be done to improve the lives of workers in South Africa.

The federation’s Parliamentary Coordinator, Matthew Parks, believes South African workers face various struggles, which he says, are too immense for them to handle. He cites the 41% unemployment rate, deep levels of poverty and inequality as well as the staggering levels of crime and corruption as some of those challenges.

Parks reiterated that the high inflation rate has also put many workers in difficult financial situations, as they, in most cases, struggle to keep up.

He also says Black Tax has also placed many in vulnerable financial situations as they feel compelled to assist loved ones financially, making them put others’ needs above their own.

Like Saftu, Cosatu has slammed attempts to do away with the minimum wage.

“Minimum wage has help to reduce poverty and inequality, and it has been a success in South Africa and across the world,” Parks explains.

He says what’s now needed is for government to address load shedding, rebuild local government, and for South Africans to support locally produced goods to grow the economy.

He’s urged employers to adhere to the country’s labour laws and says the Department of Employment and Labour should sanction those who don’t.

Struggle of Palestinians

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) is celebrating Workers Day at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) with Abahlali Basemjondolo (ABM), the South African Police Union (Sapu) and the Municipal and Allied Trade Union of South Africa (Matusa).

Numsa says it’s dedicating this Workers Day to the struggle of the people of Palestine.

“For the last seven months the Apartheid state of Israel has launched an unrelenting campaign to wipe out the people of Palestine. NUMSA continues to condemn the Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his genocidal campaign against the people of Palestine, and we condemn U.S. President Joe Biden for defending them and continuing to send arms and aid to Israel,” says the union’s General Secretary, Irvin Jim, in a statement.

“We re-iterate that this is not a war, what we are witnessing is ethnic cleansing. NUMSA stands in solidarity with Palestinians. We believe that resistance is not terrorism and if you look at the scale of the genocide, it is obvious that Israel intends to wipe Palestinian people off the face of the earth. Israel is determined to finish the work it started in 1948 which resulted in the dispossession and daily oppression of Palestinian people.”

The union is calling for international support, urging dock and transport workers not to touch cargo coming from or going to Israel as well for a halt to the transportation of arms to Israel.

“As we reflect on Workers Day, we must never forget that true power rests with the working class. The working class are the creators of wealth, and it is the united power of the working class that has the power to overthrow hateful, brutal regimes like Apartheid Israel. On this Workers Day, we call on workers of the world to unite in defence of Palestine so that its people can be free, from the river to the sea!” Written by Odirile Rabolao