Strike at Makro to spread to other Walmart-owned stores
The retail company has been attacking members of the union, suspending and dismissing hundreds of workers for participating in pickets and the strike.
SACCAWU
Makro workers begin ten-day wage strike with march in Pretoria
Union lambasts Walmart’s union bashing and “bully-boy” tactics.
Cosatu marches for decent work
Workers in twelve major centres around the country marched for decent and improved working conditions.
Homophobia rife at work
LGBTQI+ workers say that the unions need to do more to protect them.
Employers failing to provide adequate PPE
Workers and unions continue to be on the defensive under covid-19 conditions as many employers are putting their profits ahead of workers’ health and safety.
Companies criticised by unions during COVID-19
Trade unions lambast companies in South Africa for their their greed and disregard for workers’ rights amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Khayelitsha Spar agrees to test workers for COVID-19 after they down tools
Deemed as essential workers under the Disaster Management Act, retail workers are getting infected by the coronavirus and they continue to work without medical aid and other benefits.
Cosatu Western Cape elects new leadership
The Western Cape COSATU Western Cape elective conference will be remembered for the farewell of Tony Ehrenreich. Malvern de Bruyn was elected as the new provincial secretary.
Shoprite workers on strike for better working conditions
Shoprite workers in King Williams Town have joined a two-day nationwide strike called by their union for better working conditions.
Unions condemn job cuts at Pick n Pay
Pick n Pay has announced that it is to shed 3,500 jobs in the Western Cape. Its announcement was met this week by condemnation from the union at the frontline, SACCAWU as well as COSATU and SAFTU.
Student-worker alliance forces universities to insource
Service workers at South Africa’s universities were outsourced since the late 1990’s after the ANC government adopted its GEAR economic policy. This meant that cleaners, security, transport and catering workers were no longer directly employed by univerities. They were now employed by outsourced companies, losing most of their benefits and earning less than half their wages.
Uneasy truce at COSATU
On the 13th and the 14th of July 2015 COSATU held its Special National Congress after nearly two years since NUMSA and other affiliates called for it. The special national congress was to allow COSATU’s highest and most democratic decision-making structure to deal decisively with the conflict and divisions in the federation. But after the expulsion of NUMSA and later COSATU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi, the narrative changed for those affiliates who felt that both Vavi and NUMSA were hard done by.
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