2005-10-11,+Strike+Reports,+COSATU+Labour+News,+11+Oct+2005

= **COSATU Daily Labour News 11 October 2005** =

1. Workers march on Pretoria in their thousands 2. Cosatu march on Union Buildings peaceful 3. Workers protest against job losses 4. Workers are not ‘election fodder’ 5. Strike causes delays at JHB International
 * CONTENTS (part)**

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1. IOL, 10 October


 * Workers march on Pretoria in their thousands

Thousands of trade union members marched through the streets of Pretoria on Monday, to protest against unemployment and job losses.

Their demonstration marked the continuation of countrywide action started by the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the Eastern Cape last week.

The Pretoria group, led by Cosatu president Willie Madisha, was to march from Church Square to the Union Buildings with a stop at the municipal headquarters, Munitoria.

Metro police estimated the crowd at between 15 000 and 20 000, with more on their way from Pretoria Station.

The marchers sang protest songs and carried placards reading: "Stop Privatisation", "Stop Racism", and "Respect Workers' Rights". – Sapa

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=qw1128942720482B241

2. SABC, 10 October


 * Cosatu march on Union Buildings peaceful**

Members of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) have dispersed peacefully after they handed over memoranda of grievances on job losses at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Bheki Sibiya of Business Unity South Africa and Thulani Mavuso from the department of education accepted the memoranda from the federation's leadership.

The national mass action roll-out programme was kick started in both the Western and Eastern Cape, and will end in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal on October 24. Both Gauteng and North West national programmes will be followed by Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape and the Free State next Monday.

Cosatu is marching against poverty, racism in the workplace and the escalating unemployment rate.

http://www.sabcnews.com/economy/labour/0,2172,114003,00.html

3. IOL, 10 October


 * Workers protest against job losses**

Workers in Gauteng and the North West stayed off work and held demonstrations on Monday to protest against unemployment and job losses.

Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) spokesperson Patrick Craven said demonstrations were being held in Pretoria, Rustenburg, Klerksdorp and Mafikeng.

He said thousands of people had gathered in Church Square in Pretoria.

"The teachers' union is here, so are clothing workers and shop workers," Craven said.

"The stayaways are a continuation of mass action that was held last week."

Gold and platinum mines in the North West and Gauteng were expected to be hard hit by the strikes.

But SA Chamber of Mines spokesperson Frans Barker said the industry was largely unaffected.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=qw1128936241108B241

4. The Citizen, 10 October


 * Workers are not ‘election fodder’
 * By Mariette le Roux

PRETORIA – Workers marching for an end to unemployment and job losses warned the ruling African National Congress on Monday to ignore them at its peril.

“We cannot simply be election fodder,” Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) president Willie Madisha told protesters who converged at the Union Buildings in Pretoria -- to loud agreement.

“You cannot remember us with elections and thereafter forget about us.”

Thousands of Cosatu supporters held up traffic as they marched from Church Square to the seat of government on Monday afternoon.

They were among thousands who stayed away from work in Gauteng and the North West on Monday in continuation of a country-wide Cosatu protest against poverty and unemployment.

The campaign started in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape last week and is to extend to other provinces in the coming weeks.

Cosatu president Willie Madisha said union members were willing to sacrifice a day’s pay to press home the plight of the unemployed.

“This action is hitting employers hard,” he said on the fringes of the protest. “It is extremely successful.”

The Pretoria group, which stretched over several street blocks, was estimated at between 15 000 and 20 000 by metro police and at more than 40 000 by Madisha.

The marchers chanted protest slogans and carried placards reading “Stop Privatisation”, “Stop racism” and “Respect Workers' Rights”.

In a memorandum addressed to the Department of Trade and Industry and Business Unity SA, the group demanded action from the public and private sectors towards job creation.

It urged the business sector to ensure at least 75 percent of stock was locally produced, and called on business people to invest their profits -- made on the back of workers -- locally rather than overseas.

From the government, Cosatu wants help to stop retrenchments and steps to ensure a competitive exchange rate for the rand to boost competitiveness.

The federation urged the government to hike import tariffs, claiming rising imports was costing the economy jobs. “Government must also buy locally,” the memorandum states. “Even now, government does not require its agencies to favour South African goods and services.”

The federation also urged the government to speed up the provision of basic services like water and sanitation to all citizens, referring to a recent cholera outbreak.

Madisha started his address to workers gathered on the lawns of the Union Buildings by stating: “An injury to one is an injury to all”, and “We are angry”.

Unemployment, poverty and hunger constituted a crisis for South Africa, he said.

About forty percent of South Africans were unemployed, Madisha claimed, and 57 percent were poor. Many of those who did have jobs were employed as casual workers, earning as little as R200 a week.

“Over the past 11 years ... freedom has been stolen from our people who fought for the freedom of this country,” Madisha said.

“The people who fought and sacrificed are the people who don’t have any food today. Only the people who had money and who did not fight have continued to gain and gain.”

Workers also complained about racism on the job.

Madisha warned that strike action would continue until the union federation’s demands were met. If the business sector did not adhere, “we will make it very difficult for them to survive”.

Madisha also used the opportunity to reiterate Cosatu’s support for ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma, who faces corruption charges.

The country’s newspapers have been used to prosecute Zuma, Madisha charged.

“We will support him, and we will make sure the judiciary is reformed.”

Referring to “the harassment of our leaders”, he said: “We cannot say we have freedom if that freedom is taken away from the working class and the poor by the capitalist class and through the use of a judiciary that is not transformed.” Business and government representatives promised to take up the issues highlighted in Cosatu’s memorandum. Police said the march had gone off without incident. – Sapa.

http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=8869,1,22

5. IOL, 10 October


 * Strike causes delays at JHB International**

Passengers on international flights from Johannesburg International Airport have been advised to check-in three hours before departure because of a strike by immigration officials.

The industrial action had led to serious delays in the processing of passengers, who are usually required to check in two hours ahead of flights, said the Airports Company of SA (Acsa).

"Both international arrivals and departures have been affected," said Acsa spokesperson Jacqui O'Sullivan.

The Department of Home Affairs could not be reached for comment. - Sapa

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=qw1128934440317B241